Toyota GR Supra Review 2019
Cast an eye over the interior and it鈥檚 even more obvious, with a lightly disguised iDrive infotainment system and lots of BMW switches, stalks and other controls. But although purists may scoff at the Supra鈥檚 German DNA, Toyota has most definitely put its own distinctive stamp on the car with unique styling and bespoke tuning for the oily bits. That鈥檚 it鈥檚 a lot lighter and stiffer than the soft-top only Z4 doesn鈥檛 hurt, either. Although, with 335bhp, the Supra can charge from 0-62mph in a scant 4.3sec, it鈥檚 not outright performance that was the goal. Like the Alpine A110, the Supra has been designed to be fun above all else, even if it goes about it in a completely different way. Although it isn鈥檛 the porkiest sports car around, the Supra is still around 400kg bulkier than the A110. But the key rival Toyota has in mind is the Porsche 718 Cayman, while we鈥檇 argue the Jaguar F-Type V6 S offers something quite similar to the Supra. Whatever it is you plan on buying, remember you can avoid tiresome haggling and get healthy discounts by using our New Car Buying service. Go on, you know you want to.
Likewise, the top speed climbs to 177 mph (285 km/h). The Supra slots roughly between the two models as it has 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS) and 365 lb-ft (494 Nm) of torque. This helps the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.1 seconds and onto an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). While both models share similar performance specifications, there are some significant differences. The Cayman lineup comes standard with a manual transmission, while one isn鈥檛 even offered on the Supra - at least not yet. The Cayman also offers a more powerful GTS variant with 360 hp (269 kW / 365 PS) and 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque. There has been a lot of love and hate reactions to the exterior styling of the Supra, but we think the model looks like a modern evolution of the A80. That being said, we鈥檙e not entirely sold on the car鈥檚 controversial front fascia and heavy use of blocked off intakes. However, the rest of the model looks pretty good and we dig the double bubble roof and stylish rear end.
The Cayman, on the other hand, is beautiful and incorporates familiar Porsche styling DNA. It might be too familiar for some, but the car is aging gracefully and benefited from a significant update three years ago. Interior design is a different story as the Supra has a bit more character thanks to its diverse shapes and standard carbon fiber trim. The Supra鈥檚 infotainment system is also mounted on the top of the dashboard where it鈥檚 easier to take a quick look at. Throw in a digital instrument cluster and an impressive amount of standard equipment, and you鈥檒l find the Supra鈥檚 cabin is a good place to spend some quality time. The Cayman has its own advantages including a more stylish steering wheel, a conventional shifter and impressive material quality. Customers can also order a dizzying array of options which means buyers can get exactly what they want. The levels of customization are so insane, you can get an Espresso/Cognac natural leather interior with Racing Yellow instrument cluster dials, Miami Blue seat belts and Mahogany wood trim.
7,000 in this case. One place where the Supra has the Cayman beat is pricing. 69,300. In typical Porsche fashion, the models are sparsely equipped and it鈥檚 easy to spend many thousands of dollars adding items such as leather upholstery, power seats, dual-zone automatic climate control and Apple CarPlay. While the Supra is more affordable, it doesn鈥檛 have the same prestige factor as the Cayman. Tell someone you drive a Porsche and they鈥檒l probably be impressed. Tell someone you drive a Toyota and they鈥檒l probably think you own a Camry. We鈥檙e joking a bit, but there鈥檚 sure to be some badge snobbery involved in the buying process. How much remains to be seen, but there鈥檚 21 years to pent up Supra demand in the United States. Another obvious factor is the driving experience. We liked the Supra鈥檚 performance on and off the track, but it鈥檚 too early to say if its good enough to beat the Cayman. However, there should be plenty of reviews comparing the models in the future.
Audi has announced it will launch a range of plug-in hybrid powertrains for the Q5, A6, A7 and A8. The four new models will be available to order later this year, following their public debuts at the Geneva Motor Show, with all wearing Audi鈥檚 new TFSI e badging. The hybrid Q5, A6 and A7 come in two power outputs, badged as either 50 TFSI e or 55 TFSI e. In the former, Audi鈥檚 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is mated to a gearbox-mounted electric motor, providing combined performance figures of 291bhp and 450Nm of torque. Audi鈥檚 55 TFSI e consists of a 3.0-litre V6 petrol with the same gearbox-mounted electric motor, for a combined output of 357bhp and 500Nm of torque. Both 50 and 55 TFSI e models make use of a seven-speed twin-clutch 鈥楽 tronic鈥?and, typically for an Audi, send drive to all four wheels. The new hybrid A8 also comes in two power outputs, badged as 55 TFSI e and 60 TFSI e.