This review first appeared in the December 2021 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."
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Sacramento, California – I was overjoyed with the return of the Toyota Supra sports car in March 2019. Seventeen years without the Supra was enough, as my week in the 2020 Supra proved.
Its spectacular styling drew flash mobs of spectators. Its rumble shook the neighborhood. I even had a fellow motorist beg me from his cockpit to pull over so he could snap a photo of the car.
Not my usual test drive experience.
Specifically, the tested 2022 Toyota GR Supra Premium 3.0
sport coupe's V-6 now sports 382 horsepower, up from 335 just two years ago. (Photo by Charles Glover)
Can you feel the difference? Oh my, yes.
For me, there are various measuring sticks for performance, and one of the most significant is closing speed. We've all been there: you're trailing three 18-wheel trucks, and your exit is just a half-mile ahead. Ordinarily, you just have to ride it out and squeeze your way onto the exit ramp.
In the Supra, you have time to cancel that order.
Hitting the gas propels you to another level, with the trucks appearing to stand still as you blaze past, turn on your turn signal and hit the exit ramp with plenty of room to spare. The whole thing seems to occur in five seconds. (FYI, the 3.0 goes from zero to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.)
The fact that it does so with a deep, pavement-shaking rumble from the twin exhausts makes it so much more enjoyable.
By the way, the car looks fantastic. Put a number on the hood and the doors, and it could pass for a beautiful, purpose-built race car. Just parking it in the driveway raises the value of a home by 10-grand.
For all of the Supra 3.0's power, fuel mileage is a respectable 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. But please note, premium fuel is required.
Other primo touches are first class and reflected in the bottom line of the vehicle's nearly $55,000 starting price. Those perks include top-flight Michelin tires and Brembo ventilated disc brakes.
Interior appointments are well-placed and classy, but this is a classic two-seater. Some larger folks might start to fidget an hour or more into a Supra outing. And no, you can't fit a steamer trunk into the back of this Supra.
What you can do is unwind it on a clear stretch of twisty road and enjoy the rumble and monorail-like handling characteristics of one of the best sports cars on the market.
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