by Ian Wright
The revival of the Toyota Supra is into its third year now, and changes are minimal apart from a carbon fiber-based limited special edition. The 2022 Toyota GR Supra is slowly but surely winning over cynical enthusiasts while competing directly with its BMW Z4 relative and other sports cars hovering around the $40,000 mark like the V8-powered Ford Mustang GT. However, the Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 bring a markedly different experience from the American V8 sports coupes. The Supra is available with either a BMW-supplied 2.0-liter, four-cylinder lump making 255 horsepower, or one of BMW's finest engines - the current 3.0-liter turbo-six - producing 382 hp. We've had the opportunity to drive both. A BMW-based sports car built to Toyota's specification should be a dream for enthusiasts, but how does it hold up against the competition in 2022?
The famed Supra is back for 2022, with the biggest news being the introduction of the A91-CF Edition. The CF stands for carbon fiber, and only 600 of these cars will be sold, exclusively in North America. The A91-CF features a carbon-fiber body kit, a rear spoiler, and 19-inch wheels finished in matte Black. The interior of the CF gets a red and black theme.
Other changes for 2022 are heated seats as standard on the 3.0 Supra, and a red interior design for 3.0 Premium models. Cars fitted with the optional JBL sound system also get full-screen Apple CarPlay.
See trim levels and configurations:
Trim | Engine | Transmission | Drivetrain | Price (MSRP) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2.0 |
2.0L Turbo Inline-4 Gas
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
Rear-Wheel Drive
|
$43,540 |
3.0 |
3.0L Turbo Inline-6 Gas
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
Rear-Wheel Drive
|
$51,890 |
3.0 Premium |
3.0L Turbo Inline-6 Gas
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
Rear-Wheel Drive
|
$55,040 |
A91 Carbon Fiber Edition |
3.0L Turbo Inline-6 Gas
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
Rear-Wheel Drive
|
$63,280 |
Describing the looks of the 2022 Toyota GR Supra is an interesting task. Responses will range from mild and complimentary to wildly passionate, depending on the person you ask. We tend towards the more ardent end of the spectrum and love the aggressive styling and sleek profile. Standard exterior features on the 2.0-liter model include six-lens auto-leveling LED headlights, an auto-tilting passenger-side outside mirror, a built-in rear spoiler, dual rear exhaust outlets with polished stainless steel tips, and a set of 18-inch wheels. 3.0-liter cars get matte black auto-folding, heated outside mirrors with memory, brushed stainless exhaust tips, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The A91-CF Edition adds a carbon fiber front splitter and canards, carbon fiber side rockers and rear canards, and a carbon fiber duckbill rear spoiler. This limited model also comes with unique matte-black 19-inch alloys.
The 2022 Toyota Supra is a three-door sports car with an overall length of 172.5 inches, a width of 73 inches, and a height of 51.1 inches. The six-cylinder models are a little lower at 50.9 inches. The front track is 62.8 inches wide, and the rear track is 62.6 inches wide. 2.0 Supras hug the tarmac with a ground clearance of 4.7 inches, dropping to 4.5 inches for the 3.0.
The A91 and 3.0-liter cars weigh 3,400 pounds, while the smaller 2.0-liter version of the GR Supra's weight is lower at only 3,181 lbs
The color options for the 2022 Toyota GR Supra aren't what we'd call extensive, but they are vibrant. The 2.0 and 3.0 base models are available in Absolute Zero (white), Tungsten, Turbulence Gray, Renaissance Red 2.0, and Nocturnal (black). Nitro Yellow is offered at an additional cost of $425. The 3.0 Premium gets access to Phantom (grey) which costs $1,495. The CF Special Edition is offered exclusively in Absolute Zero, Nitro Yellow ($425), and Phantom ($1,495).
The Supra name is of near-spiritual importance to some and represents the pinnacle in Toyota's performance lineup, and once you get behind the wheel of one, you'll quickly realize just how serious this car is. Under the hood of the 2022 GR Supra you'll find either a 2.0-liter four-cylinder developing 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of twist, or a 3.0-liter turbo-six producing 382 hp and 368 lb-ft.
Both engines send their power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and most fans are still begging and pleading with Toyota to supply a manual transmission. Either way, these two versions of the Supra are both impressive performance machines. 0-60 times for the GR Toyota Supra are impressive. Based on independent testing, the 2.0-liter needs just 4.7 seconds to get from 0-60 and the 3.0-liter a blistering 3.7. Top speed in all GR Toyota Supra models is limited to 155 mph. It might share a lot of its DNA with the BMW Z4, but the Supra is a true high-performance sports car and, in 3.0-liter guise, has set its sights on tougher competition such as the BMW M2 and Porsche 718 Cayman.
For 2022, new buyers get two engine options: a turbocharged 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline-four producing 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, or a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 developing a 382 hp and 368 lb-ft. The GR Supra is rear-wheel drive as standard, with power being dispersed via an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and a manual mode.
It would be easy to write off the 2.0-liter engine, but it is a joyful engine when it comes to back road high jinks rather than traffic light racing, and it adds better fuel economy to the equation. The super-smooth and torque-laden straight-six is the one, though, if you're hitting the freeway regularly or long back roads with sweeping bends as well as nice, tight corners. While the eight-speeder is an excellent automatic with quick, smooth changes, it's still not as engaging as a manual would be.
There's a big difference in how the cars drive depending on which engine they have fitted, and it's not just down to the weight savings at the front with the four-cylinder. The Supra feels more eager to turn in with the smaller engine, but it's not pronounced enough to base a buying decision on that alone. The six-cylinder GR Supra adds weight with adaptive suspension and an active rear sport differential, which dramatically and positively affects how it gets the power down out of a corner. While our most recent 2.0-liter loaner model is more eager to turn in, the 3.0 is more eager to leave it and get to the next one. Either way, the Supra is at its best when corner carving, and the steering is beautifully weighted, accurate, and direct. It inspires confidence with its high level of grip, but taking the Supra to the edge requires finesse and confidence born from experience. It's not that the car is unbalanced or hard to drive, but it does like to be tail-happy when pushed over the limits of grip. The driver aids will step in for less experienced drivers running out of talent at that point, but they're not magical.
The Supra has a sharp edge from the factory, but that doesn't mean it's not a comfortable daily driver. The 2.0's standard suspension is firm but compliant, if a little bouncy at speed on a rougher road, while the adaptive suspension setup is more forgiving out of Sport mode. When it comes to daily driving, the Supra is only let down in that rear visibility is poor at best. However, if you're looking for a serious sports car, there are always compromises to be made.
You won't be saving the planet by driving a GR Supra, but you won't ruin your bank balance at the gas station either. The EPA rates that the 2.0-liter Toyota GR Supra will manage 25/32/28 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycle. The 3.0-liter car is a heavier drinker, but not by much, and will return 22/30/25 mpg.
With a 13.7-gallon fuel tank, the Supra should see a maximum range of 384 miles with the 2.0-liter engine, and around 342 miles with the bigger power plant. Without a heavy right foot, which is hard to resist out of the city, we found both versions came close to the EPA estimates over a week.
As with its predecessor, the A80, the fifth-generation GR Supra offers a driver-focused interior, but one that is infinitely more refined and upmarket. The space is tight, and taller passengers might struggle to get in and out, but the bubble roof offers passengers a few more inches of headroom. The overall design is sleek and minimalist, which is perfect for such a driver's car; there's very little to distract you from racing around your local track. There is some parts sharing happening between the Supra and the BMW Z4, but we don't consider that a bad thing at all, and those familiar with modern BMWs will feel right at home.
The Supra is a two-seater with reach-through access to the trunk. Taller people may feel that things are a little tight, but the bubbled roof gives 38.3 inches of headroom, and the seat slides back far enough to accommodate long legs. Forward visibility is excellent, and with its curved front screen, it feels like you're sitting in the cockpit of a fighter plane or a sci-fi spaceship. Those who have racetrack experience and have been taught to look through a corner to where they're going will appreciate the design.
There's ample adjustment for the seats, although the base model requires you to manually set the seat for optimal driving. Upper trims get 14-way power adjustments with four-way lumbar and two-way bolster adjustments.
When it comes to the GR Supra seats and interior upholstery, there isn't a great deal of choice in terms of color schemes. Both the 2.0 and 3.0 Supra models have black alcantara/leather-trimmed sport seats as standard, with the 3.0 Premium upgrading to full leather in black or red. The A91-CF comes with a combination black/red alcantara and leather-trimmed sport seats with red stitching.
The steering wheel is black leather on base models, with the upper trims getting red stitching. Carbon fiber interior accents are standard across the range. On the 3.0 Premium and A91 Edition, the standard pedals are replaced with sport items.
Buying a two-door sports coupe for its cargo-holding abilities is like buying a Miata for drag racing - it doesn't make any sense. But the 2022 Toyota Supra isn't as cargo-crippled as you might think. Pop the hatchback-style liftgate, and you're presented with 10.2 cubic feet of space, which, in this class, is impressive. The outgoing Nissan 370Z, for instance, could only muster 6.9 cubic feet. There's no point suggesting that the liftgate or aperture are conducive to loading stuff in the trunk either, but this shouldn't be an expectation in a car like this. Still, you should be able to fit your stock intercooler, intake, and downpipes in there after you've visited your local tuner.
Inside the car, there are small storage areas in the center console, an armrest storage bin, cupholders, and a glovebox.
The base model makes the Supra more attainable by downsizing the engine and features list, but you still get a pretty good deal, with features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, a fully digital TFT LCD gauge cluster, an eight-way manually-adjustable driver's seat, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with universal garage door opener. Adding to everyday convenience is a smart key with smart entry and start. The safety suite comprises cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, and a rearview camera.
The 3.0 model adds a 14-way power-adjustable driver's seat with driver seat memory plus lumbar and bolster adjustment. The 3.0 Premium model gets luxury features such as a full-color head-up display, heated seats, and wireless phone charging. Blind-spot monitoring and parking sensors can be added optionally by means of the Safety & Technology Package.
Standard equipment for the 2022 GR Supra includes an 8.8-inch display screen with Supra Command, a lightly reskinned version of BMW's iDrive, which is not a bad thing. The sound system comes with four speakers as standard on the 2.0 and 10 speakers on the 3.0, but can be upgraded to a 12-speaker 500-watt JBL audio system, which comes standard on Premium and A91-CF models. Either way, we're not too impressed by the setup. The system is intuitive, but some adjustments are buried deeper than we would like. Wireless Apple CarPlay is available as an option, but Android Auto is entirely, and frustratingly, absent. The 3.0 Premium and A91 get an 8.8-inch touchscreen, the 12-speaker JBL sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay, and navigation as standard. All trims have Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and USB connectivity.
For the 2022 Model year, those that opt for the JBL sound system also get full-screen Apple CarPlay, which will make up a little for the poor decision to upgrade. Perhaps it's because the Supra is a purist's sports car and the sound system is an afterthought, but the JBL system is bass-heavy - and its loose, murky bass. The mids aren't great either, and we found the high-end fatiguing on the ears. If you're thinking about the upgrade, listen to it first and listen to it for at least twenty minutes before deciding.
Although there haven't been any recalls for the 2022 model year, the Toyota GR Supra has faced numerous recalls for previous model years. The latest recall was issued in August 2021 for a possible loss of braking assist on 2020-2021 models. Other issues listed include a malfunction on the passenger seat seatbelt and a fuel tank weld that may fail. J.D. Power awards a low - especially for a Toyota - 61 out of 100 score for quality and reliability for the GR Supra.
Toyota covers the GR Supra with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, and a two-year/25,000-mile maintenance plan.
Being a bit too niche, there isn't a safety review for the Toyota GR Supra from the NHTSA, and the IIHS has also failed to test this Japanese sports coupe, but with tons of BMW DNA under the skin and lots of modern driver assistance tech onboard, you should rest assured that you're relatively safe.
NHTSA safety ratings are not available at this time.
All GR Supras come standard with eight airbags (dual front, front side, side curtain, and dual front knee), traction and stability control, ABS brakes, and tire pressure monitoring, but there are also a few advanced driver assistance systems thrown into the mix. Pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beams, and brake assistance is standard across the board. A rearview camera with parking aid lines and cruise control are included too, and if you want to spend some additional cash, you can opt for the Safety & Technology Package on the first two trims which will add full-speed dynamic radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors with emergency braking, and real-time traffic information. A similar Driver Assist Package is offered for the top two trims.
There's no doubt the Supra is an entertaining sports car, even if it does feel more Germanic than Japanese now. While it doesn't quite have the soul of the legendary models, the modern Toyota Supra matches rather than excels over the fabled Mk IV from the early to mid-1990s in performance and handling. The BMW Z4 might be a better option for those seeking a more luxurious twist, but those options for real luxury start adding to the price quickly. For buyers looking for something purer when it comes to performance and sheer backroad enjoyment, the GR Supra is a wildly entertaining piece of engineering. The only letdown comes if you use an Android phone and/or enjoy listening to music when you drive. If you do, maybe stick with the base system and then look to the aftermarket later to get improved sound.
The Supra does have a superpower the previous iterations never had, though. It's amazing how people will pull over for it on a mountain road. Typically, you would be bored sitting behind them as they obliviously pass turnout after turnout. However, something about the front end of the Supra must register somewhere in the driver's brains and tell them the car behind shouldn't be shackled like that. On the flip side, it seems every rattle-trap lowered car on the planet wants to race a Supra. These are more typically the good and bad sides of driving a supercar.
The lineup is more accessible than ever thanks to the 2.0 option, which sees the Toyota GR Supra start with an MSRP of $43,290, excluding tax, registration, and a destination fee of $1,025 in the USA. Stepping up to the more powerful 3.0 model will shoot the price up to $51,640, and the added features of the 3.0 Premium raises it further to $54,790. The super-exclusive A91-CF Edition sees the price of the GR Supra climb to over $60k with a total of $63,280. Fully kitted, the A91-CF will set you back around $68,000 including destination.
There are currently four different trim levels on offer, but with only 600 A91-CF Edition cars being offered to the public, that figure should soon shrink down to three. The lineup starts with the Toyota GR Supra 2.0 model and is followed by the 3.0 and 3.0 Premium. The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbo-four with 255 hp but all the other trims use the lovely 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbo with 382 hp.
The 2.0 features manually-adjustable seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, LED headlights, an 8.8-inch infotainment display with a four-speaker sound system, and SiriusXM. Standard driver assistance features include lane departure warning with steering assist, cruise control, and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection.
The 3.0 model adds exterior features such as 19-inch alloy wheels and matte black auto-folding, heated outside mirrors with memory. Inside, the 3.0 features 14-way power-adjustable sport seats with driver seat memory with lumbar and bolster adjustment. The infotainment system has 10 speakers.
2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium models include black or red leather sport seats, sports pedals, a full-color head-up display, heated seats, a 12-speaker JBL sound system, navigation, voice recognition, Toyota Supra Connect, and wireless phone charging.
The exclusive A91-CF features a unique carbon-fiber front splitter and canards, a black satin finish double hash racing decal, carbon-fiber side rockers, rear canards, and black/red alcantara and leather sport seats with red stitching.
The base model is offered with a $3,485 Safety and Technology package which includes dynamic radar cruise control, a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, emergency braking, parking sensors, navigation, touchscreen functionality for the infotainment screen, and a 12-speaker JBL sound system. This package is also available on the 3.0 for $3,155 as some of the features are already included on the mid-range trim. For the 3.0 Premium and A91-CF that already have the top-end sound system and touchscreen, there is a $1,195 Driver Assist Package that throws in the remaining driver assists.
Recommending a model isn't as easy as it should be because the four-cylinder engine is that good, and the base model is easier on the pocket while remaining sharp and entertaining to drive. The 3.0-liter is worth the money if you have the means, but we can't rule out the less powerful model as worth exploring. The 3.0 Premium doesn't add anything performance-wise but makes the interior more enticing and adds convenience with navigation for non-Android phone users. If you have the means and are crazy-excited about buying a Supra, we have no reason at all to try and talk you out of the A91-CF Edition.
It's hard to recommend the $3,485 Safety and Technology package to people who care about driving unless they're putting in serious freeway miles where the dynamic cruise control and blind-spot monitor would be a great upgrade. We do wish automakers would add blind-spot monitoring as standard, but in this case, with the visibility issues a sports car of this caliber tends to suffer, Toyota should step up on a $40,000-plus car.
Competitor | Horsepower | MPG | Price (MSRP) |
---|---|---|---|
Toyota GR Supra | 255 hp | 25/32 mpg | $43,540 |
BMW Z4 Roadster | 255 hp | 25/32 mpg | $49,900 |
Toyota GR86 | 228 hp | 20/27 mpg | $27,700 |
BMW's Z cars have a long and rich history, not necessarily as the sharpest sports cars on the road, but as entertaining machines with a touch of class, and little has changed over the years. The 2022 Z4 Roadster is a good-looking car, and despite sharing a platform and powertrains with the GR Supra, it gets its own unique look and character. In terms of outright performance, these cars are equals and share both engine options and that sharp 8-speed transmission - the Z4 has the same specs as the 2022 GR Toyota Supra. On the road, the Toyota GR Supra is the better driver's car, but some will prefer the interior design and feel of the BMW. In terms of practicality, the Supra offers more cargo space. Notably, the Z4 offers top-down thrills and a much higher starting price. We'd stick with the GR Supra as it's simply more unique.
The universally-loved Toyota GR86 is now in its second generation and comes packed with improved tech, sharper styling, and more power. This RWD drift-happy driver's car has been a massive sales success ever since it was launched nearly a decade ago, and the second-gen vehicle promises to deliver more affordable fun. Unlike the GR Supra, the 86 makes use of a naturally-aspirated engine. In the case of the 2022 car, you get a 2.4-liter boxer 4-cylinder producing 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. That is significantly less than you get in the 2.0 Supra, but at least the engine gets paired with a crisp six-speed manual transmission. In terms of fuel consumption, the GR86 will manage a best of 21/31/25 mpg, making it a heavier drinker than the Supra. The GR86 is also a smaller car and even more cramped, only offering 6.3 cubic feet of trunk space. The interior isn't as refined, and there isn't as much standard tech on offer. However, it does cost much less than the GR Supra at $27,700, making it an attractive choice for budget-minded buyers.
The most popular competitors of 2022 Toyota GR Supra: