Toyota has confirmed a four-cylinder Supra for Europe but the firm’s local arm says there are “no plans” to bring the new base model to South Africa.
The new entry-level Supra draws its urge from a (BMW-sourced) turbocharged 2,0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine rather than the 3,0-litre straight-six used by the flagship variant.
Interestingly, the Japanese brand says the new powerplant – which generates 190 kW and 400 N.m (just like the unit in BMW’s Z4 sDrive30i offered in some markets) – will “deliver dynamic benefits” while also exposing the GR Supra to a “wider customer base”.
Toyota says since the four-pot is “lighter and more compact” than the six-cylinder engine, the Supra’s “inertia characteristics and chassis balance” are improved, resulting in “even sharper handling”. Indeed, the company claims the entry-level Supra is some 100 kg lighter than its 3,0-litre sibling.
The 2,0-litre engine features a single twin-scroll turbocharger and is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as standard. The sprint from standstill to 100 km/h takes a claimed 5,2 seconds while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.
“To achieve agile steering and stable cornering, we worked very hard to reduce the new car’s weight, while aiming for a 50:50 weight balance,” said GR Supra chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada. “This presented us with huge challenges, but we did not want to compromise on our targets.”
Toyota South Africa Motors tells CARmag.co.za there are “no plans” to offer the new 2,0-litre variant in SA, saying it believes the 3,0-litre model “suits the local market best”.
