It was only a matter of time before Toyota started offering the new GR Supra with its ‘base’ engine – the BMW-sourced B48 2.0-litre four-cylinder with twin-scroll turbocharger, and Europe will be the first continent to receive it in March.
Before you label it as the variant for posers, consider that its power output isn’t curtailed in any way by BMW, so the 2.0-litre Supra gets the same output of 258 hp and 400 Nm as the Z4 sDrive30i, likewise the superb 8-speed ZF automatic sending drive to the rear wheels. There’s no mention of the availability of a manual transmission, however.
Accelerating from idle to 100km/h takes 5.2 seconds in the four-pot Supra, which is just 0.9 second slower than the full-fat variant. Both have the same top speed, limited at 250 km/h, though the inline-six Supra will get there faster and probably sounds better doing so.
But here’s the thing, with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder under the Supra’s long hood, the car actually weighs 100kg less, which isn’t insubstantial, and because the engine is also shorter in length, it is tucked further into engine bay and closer to the centre of vehicle.
Toyota quotes a 50:50 front/rear weight distribution for the 2.0-litre Supra, which is the same as the more hairy-chested sibling, but also notes that the 2.0-litre’s ‘inertia characteristics and chassis balance’ are improved over the 3.0-litre for ‘even sharper handling’. Now add a lower MSRP (prices not yet confirmed), lower road tax and probably lower maintenance costs, the ‘lesser’ Supra may offer more over time.
Toyota GR Supra 2.0L gallery
