Driven: Toyota unleashes reborn Supra sportscar

BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 3rd Sep 2019

TOYOTA Australia has confirmed key warranty and servicing details for the reborn Supra sportscar, with the A90 series starting deliveries this month as its local first-year allocation edges closer to becoming officially sold out.

Speaking to journalists this week at the A90 Supra national media launch in Phillip Island, Victoria, Toyota Australia vice-president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley said the response to the sportscar’s unique online-only sales process has been overwhelmingly positive.

“This was new territory for us at Toyota, and it struck the right note with customers. It helped to build the excitement around this wonderful car,” he said.

“In fact, thousands of people registered their interest and so far, we have more than 200 reservations from more than 70 dealers across all states and territories.”

As reported, there are only about 300 Supras up for grabs in the A90’s first year on sale in Australia, 250 of which are already accounted for, including the 150 examples that were snapped up in 22 minutes when the first reservation window opened on June 19.

Mr Hanley confirmed that the third reservation wave will open on Wednesday, September 25 at 12.00pm (AEST), when the last 50 or so units are expected to be spoken for.

He also revealed that final deliveries of the initial local allocation are expected to take place in mid-2020, while the number of units in the next batch is yet to be determined.

While the Supra’s twin under the skin, BMW’s Z4 soft-top convertible, is offered with a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty locally, Toyota Australia has upped the ante with a full five-year term – as per all of its other models when sold to private buyers.

Critically, Mr Hanley added that this peace-of-mind agreement covers track use – excluding competitive – but claims will naturally be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with heavy modification likely to void coverage.

However, the Z4 is cheaper to maintain than the Supra, with the former’s capped-price servicing package priced from $1565 for the first five visits (every year or 15,000km, whichever comes first), while the latter’s package costs $1900 over the same periods.

Significantly, all Toyota Australia dealers are able to deliver and service the Supra, with sales staff and technicians receiving training to do so.

As reported, the A90 Supra is available in two grades, with the entry-level GT priced from $84,900 plus on-road costs, while the flagship GTS commands a $10,000 premium.

Both variants are motivated by BMW’s B58 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder engine, producing 250kW of power from 5000-6000rpm and 500Nm of torque from 1600-4500rpm.

These outputs are exclusively sent to the rear wheels via a ZF-sourced eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with paddle-shifters and launch control.

This combination results in a blistering zero-to-100km/h sprint time of 4.3 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to a hair-raising 250km/h.

Claimed fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test is 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres, while carbon dioxide emissions are 177 grams per kilometre.

BMW’s B48 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine is available in the Supra in other markets, outputting either 145kW/320Nm or 190kW/400Nm, but Mr Hanley said Toyota Australia opted to focus on the straight six from launch.

“We’ll continue to review the market going forward, of course,” he said. “We also recognise that with any sports performance car, you have a peak and then it kind of falls off over a period of time, but our stock on this car is extremely limited, so I don’t expect Supra to experience that kind of trend.”

Standard equipment in the GT includes two driving modes (Normal and Sport), a rear electronically controlled limited-slip differential, MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear suspension with adaptive dampers, speed-sensitive electric power steering, 18-inch alloy wheels, a mixed set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, Brembo ventilated brake discs with fixed four-piston front and floating single-pot rear callipers, dusk-sensing LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights; rain-sensing wipers and power-folding side mirrors with heating.

Inside, an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, satellite navigation, a 205W sound system with 10 speakers, DAB+ digital radio, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless smartphone charging, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, eight-way power-adjustable sports seats with lumbar support and heating, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather-accented upholstery and carbon-fibre-look trim feature.

Advanced driver-assist systems extend to autonomous emergency braking with daytime pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, a manual speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring, high-beam assist, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors, plus seven airbags.

The GTS adds larger rear disc brakes, red brake callipers, 19-inch alloy wheels, a windshield-projected head-up display, a 425W JBL sound system with 12 speakers, and sports pedals plus the exclusive options of Nurburg Matte Grey paintwork and Alcantara upholstery, both of which are priced at $2500. It also gets the no-cost option of red leather-accented upholstery.

Alternatively, seven other no-cost exterior colours are available, including Fuji White, Suzuka Silver, Goodwood Grey, Monza Red, Silverstone Yellow, Le Mans Blue and Bathurst Black.

Mr Hanley said: “When you look at the mix of orders that we’ve received, GTS is by far the more popular grade, (with a share of more than 80 per cent), and the most in-demand colours are Nurburg Matte Grey and Monza Red – as you may expect.”

Measuring in at 4379mm long, 1854mm wide and 1292mm tall with a 2470mm wheelbase, the 1495kg A90 Supra is said to have more structural rigidity than the Lexus LFA supercar and a lower centre of gravity than its 86 sportscar stablemate as well as perfect 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution. Rear cargo capacity is 290L.

The A90 Supra and G29 Z4 are built alongside one another at independent automotive manufacturer Magna Steyr’s plant in Graz, Austria.

2019 Toyota Supra pricing*