Russ Desmond

Evolution Of
Eleven Unknown Facts About Toyota Supra

1. Inspired by the Toyota 2000GT: The design and development of the original Supra were heavily influenced by the legendary Toyota 2000GT, a car that helped establish Toyota's reputation for building sports cars.

2. Debut as a Celica Variant: The first Supra, introduced in 1978, was actually a variant of the Toyota Celica, known as the Celica Supra (or Celica XX in Japan).

3. Inline-Six Engines: All generations of the Supra have featured inline-six engines, a configuration known for its smooth power delivery and balance.

4. Japanese Name: In Japan, the first two generations were called the "Celica XX" rather than Supra. It wasn’t until the third generation that it adopted the Supra name globally.

5. A70's Digital Dashboard: The third-generation Supra (A70, produced from 1986 to 1992) was available with a high-tech (for the time) digital dashboard, which included features like an electronic speedometer and tachometer.

6. Turbocharged and Naturally Aspirated Options: The fourth-generation Supra (A80, produced from 1993 to 2002) came with two engine options: the naturally aspirated 2JZ-GE and the twin-turbocharged 2JZ-GTE, the latter becoming particularly famous for its tuning potential.

7. The Fast and the Furious Fame: The Supra gained massive popularity among car enthusiasts after being featured prominently in the 2001 movie "The Fast and the Furious," where it was driven by the character Brian O'Conner, played by Paul Walker.

8. Twin-Turbo's Stock Power Underestimated: The stock power figures for the fourth-generation twin-turbo model (rated at 276 horsepower in Japan due to the "gentleman's agreement") were often considered conservative. In reality, it produced more power and had significant tuning potential, often reaching 700+ horsepower with modifications.

9. Discontinued and Resurrected: After the fourth-generation model was discontinued in 2002, the Supra nameplate was absent from the market until 2019, when Toyota resurrected it with the fifth-generation A90 model, developed in collaboration with BMW.

10. BMW Collaboration: The fifth-generation Supra shares its platform and many components with the BMW Z4. This collaboration led to debates among purists but also brought cutting-edge technology and performance improvements.

11. Toyota's Motorsport Heritage: The Supra has a rich motorsport history, including successful participation in events like the Japanese Touring Car Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.