Toyota Drove the New Supra Around Goodwood, Did We Learn Anything?

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

While the returning Toyota Supra should be big news, the endless parade of teasers without any real information has left everyone feeling burned out. We previously announced that the vehicle would debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week. But Toyota later clarified that the car we would see wouldn’t be the production version and remain camouflaged, resulting in rage-induced nose bleeds at automotive-media outlets across the globe.

Our expectations couldn’t be lower but we still had to check and see if any new information could be gleaned from the event. We definitely got a better look at it but technical specifications remained elusive. We did learn a thing or two, though.

Seeing the Supra in its A90 camouflage still doesn’t give us a clear picture of what the production unit might look like. However watching it pivot on the track did give us some new angles. The car is curvier than pervious still images would have you believe and it seems to borrow more from the A80 than initially thought. Although, it is definitely not a throwback vehicle.

Toyota already confirmed the vehicle would use an inline-six, which we already knew since it’d be sharing it with BMW. But commentators noted its output figures, assumedly based on the specs given by the manufacturer. While still estimates, they claimed roughly 340 horsepower and a curb weight of around 3,300 lbs — Nissan 370Z territory.

Those numbers also matched unverified leaks from Toyota’s home office. Back in February, rumors emerged that the new Supra’s 3.0-liter straight-six would make 335 hp and the car would weigh 3,284 pounds.

The commentators noted “that is ordinary sports car stuff these days,” which we are inclined to agree with. It’s certainly not awful and it should result in an incredibly fun package, if Toyota’s suspension claims are to be believed. But it’s also not a major leap foreword over its predecessor.

[Images: Toyota]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Dukeisduke Dukeisduke on Jul 13, 2018

    Borrrrrrriiiiinnnggg. This is coolest thing to happen at Goodwood this year - a chase up the hill by an original Bullitt Mustang *and* an original Bullitt Charger. https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/07/13/goodwood-festival-of-speed-hosts-bullitt-chase-reunion/

  • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Jul 13, 2018

    Toyota with BMW engine! WHAT COULD GO WRONG?!?!?!

    • See 4 previous
    • Ernest Ernest on Jul 13, 2018

      @06M3S54B32 We're ignoring valvetronic failures, right? Correct comment would be "no one used to make a better inline 6 than BMW." Now they're about on their own, aren't they?

  • Brian Uchida Laguna Seca, corkscrew, (drying track off in rental car prior to Superbike test session), at speed - turn 9 big Willow Springs racing a motorcycle,- at greater speed (but riding shotgun) - The Carrousel at Sears Point in a 1981 PA9 Osella 2 litre FIA racer with Eddie Lawson at the wheel! (apologies for not being brief!)
  • Mister It wasn't helped any by the horrible fuel economy for what it was... something like 22mpg city, iirc.
  • Lorenzo I shop for all-season tires that have good wet and dry pavement grip and use them year-round. Nothing works on black ice, and I stopped driving in snow long ago - I'll wait until the streets and highways are plowed, when all-seasons are good enough. After all, I don't live in Canada or deep in the snow zone.
  • FormerFF I’m in Atlanta. The summers go on in April and come off in October. I have a Cayman that stays on summer tires year round and gets driven on winter days when the temperature gets above 45 F and it’s dry, which is usually at least once a week.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X I've never driven anything that would justify having summer tires.
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