Project CARS 3: Heisei Supra vs. Reiwa Supra

The Toyota Supra has been by no means one of the most iconic Toyota sports cars ever made since the twilight of the Showa era. From the racetracks to the streets, there's no telling why the Supra is a legend in its own right and why it remains one of the most coveted sports cars in ages.

The Supra of today gave speedo boys quite a mixed reaction since its launch. Yes, it's based on today's BMW Z4, it's built in the same factory as the BMW Z4, and overall, it's basically a BMW Z4 with a different body and Toyota badging on it. Yes, it's all true about the BMW connection but despite the controversial BMW connection that got speedo boys laughing at it, it's a proper sports car that ticks almost all of the boxes of what a real sports car should be; fast on the corners, making drivers hooked for more, and overall, a real fun-to-drive car.

Although impressed by how much fun the GR Supra is, some speedo boys still prefer the performance and street cred the Toyota Supra JZA80 has. As a matter of fact, this iconic Heisei-era Toyota sportscar is one of the all-time greats that speedo boys are hunting for.

Launched in 1993, the A80 Toyota Supra comes with two engine choices; a naturally aspirated and turbocharged version of the 3.0L 2JZ straight-six engine. Apart from that, the A80 Supra features a double-wishbone suspension setup which makes it one of the best-handling sports cars in its class. Although the A80 Supra has a racing pedigree courtesy of the JGTC (now Super GT), it gained a massive reputation for being a street racer thanks to Paul Walker's antics with it on The Fast and the Furious. 

This is exactly why speedo boys from across the globe are hunting for one of these and although some markets officially sold one in the past, an A80 Supra sold in Japan is a must-have for speedo boys too many.

To see how much the Supra matured from the street racer born in the early Heisei era to a Reiwa era Euro-trash too hard to explain, I went to Willow Springs for a little experiment and find out which Supra came up on top.

Right, with their day at Willow Springs done, here are the results;

GR Supra - 1:35.365

Supra MkIV - 1:39.067

A near-five-second gap between the two Supras really explains a lot when you talk about how much the Supra has evolved from the Heisei street hero forged from the fires of Mt. Fuji to a Reiwa knight guarding a nice castle somewhere in Germany.

It's hard to choose which Supra is the best because, while credit's due for the GR Supra, it's the A80 Supra that takes the cake because it is the real Japanese sports car the world knows. Whether you wield a katana or a cavalier, a Supra is a Supra and no judgment can take a toll on Toyota's iconic sportscar. That is the bottom line.

Project CARS 3: Beyond and Revival

By some unexpected twist of fate, the all-new Toyota GR Supra managed to make its way to the Project CARS 3 car roster, surprising fans of Japanese sports cars many. So, what is it you want to know about the revival of Japan's most iconic sportscar?

Toyota unveiled the long-awaited GR Supra at the 2019 North American International Auto Show after a 17-year absence from the lineup and by shock, this new car is built in collaboration with BMW so most speedo boys call this Supra a BMW because it runs on the same specs as the BMW Z4 G29. Built on the same factory where the said BMW is made as well.

With the design borrows inspiration from the FT-1 Concept, the GR Supra shares most of the engines from the BMW Z4 such as the 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine and the 3.0L BMW TwinPower Turbo engine for the range-topping RZ variant producing 340PS of power and 500Nm of torque. All of the engines are mated to an 8-speed Steptronic gearbox.

The recent update gave the GR Supra's 3.0L BMW-derived TwinPower Turbo engine on the flagship RZ variant has been boosted by 47PS, resulting in a 387PS power output. In addition, the GR Supra 2020 Model features a revised chassis consisting of lightweight aluminum braces, front and rear bump stops, and new damper tuning. The EPS, AVS, VSC, and Active Differential have been reprogrammed in time with the hardware changes to make it more stable through quick transitions.

The GR Supra, despite having the BMW connection that caused a lot of speedo boys to tease and taunt this car a lot, is one of the best sportscars ever made because of the dynamics this car values over performance. It wasn't made to take down the NSX and the GT-R like its predecessor but as a real sports car, it's all about getting the job done. I've spent countless hours getting to know more about the GR Supra's dynamics in this game and it never fails to impress me.

Because the GR Supra's dynamics are big business, it's time to head back to Fuji Speedway to do some more.

This place takes me back because a long time ago, I conducted a little experiment with this improved GR Supra at this place to see if the added power proves it better than it was first launched at the start of the Reiwa era. It was but since we're in a Project CARS game, it's time to recreate the little experiment I did a while ago without explanations. Roll the tape.

That little experiment re-enactment I did in Project CARS 3 turned out to be even better than I expected! I managed to pull a 1:59.147 lap time as well, which is a big surprise for me because...who would have thought that the people who made the GR Supra made it even better? It's a secret.

The phrase "Beyond and Revival" truly fits the GR Supra mantra rather well because despite being made in the same factory as its BMW relative, the new model is by no means one of the best sports cars to emerge at the end of the decade. As the birthright sportscar of the Reiwa era, the GR Supra sure knows how to pen the first page with a smoky thrill fans are looking for after almost two decades of disappearance.

The GR Supra is getting a lot of attention since it made headlines at the 2020 Super GT season as well as being used as Han's car for the upcoming F9 film (yes, really). This comeback kid deserves the sonorous respect it needs.

GT SPORT: Supra is back for more

The Toyota GR Supra, the first JDM sportscar of the Reiwa era, has been on the road for a year now since it went on sale days after the official start of the Reiwa era, and although not a proper rival against the JDM supercars like the GT-R and the NSX, it still impresses speedo boys with legendary Supra performance and the BMW connection lurking through its DNA. European blood aside, the Supra is still a JDM masterpiece and it behaves just as the speedo boys want.



The big question to this JDM hero of the Reiwa generation is how do you make it even better than before? Simple, really. Make it better, of course!



The Toyota GR Supra is now improved for the year 2020 and compared to the previous model, you can really feel the improvements when you get inside the updated GR Supra.





Updated for 2020, the GR Supra's 3.0L BMW-derived TwinPower Turbo engine on the flagship RZ variant has been boosted by 47PS, resulting in a 387PS power output. This means the 0-100kph time has been improved from the previous model's 4.3 to 4.1 seconds. In addition to the added power, the GR Supra 2020 Model features a revised chassis consisting of lightweight aluminum braces, front and rear bump stops, and new damper tuning. The EPS, AVS, VSC, and Active Differential have been reprogrammed in time with the hardware changes to make it more stable through quick transitions.

The GR Supra 2020 Model gained new colors including the special Horizon Blue exterior paint, which is offered as a special model.

Although slightly heavier than the previous GR Supra, the added power, revised chassis, and lowered suspension really mean that this Supra has the urge to keep drivers driving for more until they are fully satisfied. I know I tried, and speaking of trying, I come back to Fuji Speedway to see how much the 2020 model has improved compared to the last one.







Moments ago, I conducted a little experiment using the previous GR Supra against the Lexus LC, and to my amazement, the GR Supra is almost a second slower than the Lexus LC, making it a close alternative to the expensive latter. What? They're both machines used for Super GT duty and now that the Lexus LC's days as a Super GT racer are done, the GR Supra takes the cake but sadly, our dream of watching the Super GT GR Supra battling against GT-R and NSX racers have been put on hold due to the coronavirus.

Anyway, long story short, we have the updated GR Supra ready to roll and it's time to see how much the new model has improved from last time. Ready, go!

After my little experiment, the updated GR Supra did it in 2:00.190, meaning not only it's quicker than last time, but it's also quicker than the LC by a long shot!



This calls for donuts!



The added power and improved dynamics are what really sum the latest GR Supra update up but despite improvements, Toyota will never stop improving the GR Supra because by next year and onwards, they will keep perfecting the GR Supra for more until they have enough. They will keep improving as far as they go so the next time they are fully satisfied with the recent update, they will swap out to the next update and see if it's even better than before.

The GR Supra will never stop improving and expect more to come for Toyota's reborn sportscar anytime soon.

Forza Horizon 4: A70 Supra

Having obtained from the Series 21 Horizon Autumn Playlist, the A70 Toyota Supra makes a comeback in the world of Forza and although this is a step backward from the A80 Supra that we got a while back, it's good to have another Toyota making a return to the franchise after a few years.



Launched in 1986, the Supra replaced the Celica XX as their newest sports car that uses the same rear-wheel-drive platform as the Soarer. Known in the commercials as "Toyota 3000GT" because it's basically the spiritual successor to the legendary 2000GT, the Supra is powered by a choice of a 3.0L turbocharged engine, a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (seen here), and NA versions. A 2.5L Twin Turbo version replaced the 3.0L in 1990, producing 280PS of power which is the maximum allowed for Japanese cars at that time.



Now that I got to know about one of the coolest Japanese sportscars emerged from the twilight of the Showa era, let's give the Supra a quick whirl to see what's what. Let's get it!

Job well done. There's nothing else I can say it.

Enjoy your new ride!

Forza Horizon 4: The Sports of Toyota

Well, it had to happen. After years of void and lament from the motoring world, the world of Forza welcomes back Toyota and as part of welcoming Toyota back in the world of Forza, only one iconic Toyota sports car came back and it's the JZA80 Toyota Supra RZ, the last Supra Toyota made and one of the early Heisei era greats.



How to unlock the Toyota Supra RZ, you may ask? It's simple, play The Eliminator, regardless of your result, to unlock it. What? You don't know The Eliminator? It's Forza Horizon 4's newest battle royale game where the last car standing wins, like every battle royale game you are familiar with. Drivers start with an old and small Mini and as they are trying to survive through an ever-shrinking arena, they can switch to powerful cars by either finding one or defeat an opponent and when the final showdown comes, it's a mad dash to the finish point where only one will be the winner. Simple as that.



Anyway, the Supra, just what is it? Dubbed from the TV ads as "The Sports of Toyota", the A80-spec Toyota Supra was launched in 1993 and comes with two engine choices; a naturally aspirated and turbocharged version of the 3.0L 2JZ straight-six engine. The turbocharged variant produces 276HP of power and aside from that, Toyota says that this Supra is the best handling in its class because of its double-wishbone suspension setup. Despite being discontinued in 2002, it remains popular among speedo boys thanks to The Fast and the Furious franchise.



It's great to have Toyota back in the world of Forza, albeit in the form of the JZA80 Supra RZ, and with the JZA80 on the paddock of Horizon UK monarchs, they are free to turn the Supra whatever they want, be it a 10-second car like what Brian O'Connor had in The Fast and the Furious. Whether if it's for drags, street, circuit, or for drifting, this JZA80 Supra RZ is a free-for-all streetcar for speedo boys who have given free rein to make it as fast and loud as hell.

As a celebration, it's time to put the JZA80 Supra to the natural habitat it was born to do. Roll it.

Let's hope this isn't the only Toyota the world of Forza brought back due to inconsistent public demand but in the meantime, let's enjoy The Sports of Toyota anytime we want. Anyway, I'm delighted for them to welcome Toyota back.

GT SPORT: LC vs. GR Supra

With the final SUPER GT race bids farewell to Lexus after 13 years and welcomes Toyota back for next season, it might be the ideal time to compare the the outgoing and the incoming, in normal road-going forms of course, as the Lexus LC500, their current luxury sports coupe, battles against the Toyota GR Supra, the reborn sportscar and the first representative of the Reiwa era cars to see who is worthy of taking its place on SUPER GT duty.



It's hard to believe that the LC500 will be the last Lexus to race at the GT500 class of the Super GT after 13 years since the SC430 went on service and followed by the RC F and the Concept LF-LC, but with Toyota's triumphant return to the GT500 class starting next year with the controversial but long-awaited GR Supra, the new decade will be a heck of a welcoming back party for the Toyota emblem as well as the revived Supra. Although welcoming, I still demonize these two Toyotas for being classified as Gran Turismo exclusives, but never mind all that, let's compare these two Toyota sports cars.



Although this is the first Japanese sports car of the Reiwa era, the Toyota GR Supra isn't exactly Japanese or so because while it says Toyota, it's surprisingly engineered by BMW and built in Austria, meaning that this fully-imported GR Supra has some Eurasian flair on the global stage. Born in Europe but raised in Asia, the GR Supra really is a world-class sportscar that tickles the fancies of every car enthusiast who wished for Toyota to bring back the Supra. In the range-topping RZ form, it comes with the 3.0L BMW TwinPower Turbo engine producing 340PS of power and 500Nm of torque while mated to an 8-speed Steptronic gearbox.



"You have a GR Supra? That's cute," so says someone who drove a Lexus LC because while the powertrain isn't as sophisticated as the Supra's, the TNGA platform lurking through the LC really means business on the go. The 477PS 2UR-GSE 4.0L V8 engine that powers it may not be capable enough to outsmart the Europeans but the soundtrack is definitely music to their ears and the best thing about the LC is that while it's not as fast as today's European luxury coupes, it's still a blast to drive and you can't stop driving one until you are fully satisfied.









Having a blast driving these two at their natural home track, the Fuji Speedway, the Lexus LC and the Toyota GR Supra are starting to show their true colors. The LC is challenging but enjoyable while the GR Supra feels so accessible to drive even with the BMW connection lurking through its skin. They maybe road cars but they are starting to feel like proper SUPER GT racers and as I had fun driving them, the LC and the GR Supra went for a timed lap to see which one is worthy of being part of the SUPER GT story.

After timed laps, here are the results;

LC500 - 2:02.645
GR Supra - 2:03.614

What a surprising result! These two Toyota sports cars bear a near one-second difference and by such result, looks like the GR Supra is nearly a second slower compared to the Lexus LC500, which is surprisingly impressive because while the LC packs more power than the Supra, the Supra is surprisingly lighter than the LC, making it a stalemate comparison between the two. It's too close to call for these two Toyotas.



Although a second slower compared to the LC500, the GR Supra has got what it takes to replace the LC500 in next year's Super GT and carry on with the tradition of Toyota's motorsport history that has been in their mantra for generations. It really is a bargain sports car that can be as enjoyable to drive as the heavyweights and after a close call with the LC500, I believe it's ready.



Although I still demonize this car, the GR Supra never fails to surprise me and I can't wait to see what's next for the world-class sports car that has the heart of a true Toyota despite being born in Europe by Bimmer people. The more you know.

Toyota GR Supra (3BA-DB82/22/42)

From the Celica XX to the last JZA80 Supra made from 1993 to 2002, the Toyota Supra has been one of the most dominant Japanese sports cars in history and after 17 years of disappearance, the Toyota Supra has finally returned with a world-class performance that sets the standards to the world's best sports cars. Now that it's finally arrived in the early days of the Reiwa era, it's time to have a roast on what's known as the first Reiwa era Toyota available now.

2020 Toyota GR Supra

2020 Toyota GR Supra

The revived Toyota sportscar, now called GR Supra, is made in collaboration with Toyota Gazoo Racing and BMW and the reason for this newly found collaboration is because this 4,900,000 Yen (2.35 million PhP) sportscar features the same components as the latest BMW Z4 G29 and they're both built at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria. Born in Austria, honed at Germany, sold in Japan and the rest of the world, it truly is a multilingual sportscar that caters the world's best roads in a snap but is it really worth the wait for Toyota enthusiasts worldwide?

Observing the design, the GR Supra draws inspiration from the FT-1 Concept and while this is very striking to look at, the lack of a massive rear wing like the one from the old JZA80 Supra is a bit of a letdown for hardcore Supra enthusiasts, therefore it's not fit to be in the next Fast and Furious movie and never will be because with Paul Walker gone, the JDM appearances in the franchise became scarce. Still, while this is a love-or-hate affair, the GR Supra is a very handsome head-turner that needs no introduction when it zooms by.

2020 Toyota GR Supra interior

2020 Toyota GR Supra interior

It's true that while they share the same mechanical bits, the GR Supra and the new BMW Z4 are different by their looks and the same thing goes to the interior, which is driver-focused indeed and rather clean to look at but a word of advice though that since this is a BMW underneath, the sat-nav is basically BMW's so there's no telling why a piece of German quirk has implanted into this Japanese quirk. Visibility issues? Well, while the front looks nice, the rear view is rather challenging to look probably because it has a standard rear view monitor that fums this habit, as they said.

2020 Toyota GR Supra

The GR Supra shares most of the engines from the BMW Z4, starting with the entry-level SZ variant with the 197PS 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine which is slightly less than the 86 but more fuel efficient compared to it because of its 13.1km/L combined fuel economy under WLTP standards. Not bad for a low-cost Supra that is heavier and more expensive than the Toyota 86. Also, the mid-range SZ-R's 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine has been pumped to around 258PS of power, making it a high-performance class car for the intermediate. And then, there's the range topping RZ with the 3.0L BMW TwinPower Turbo engine producing 340PS of power and 500Nm of torque. All of the engines are mated to an 8-speed Steptronic gearbox.

Little did you know that the RZ has a slightly quicker 0-100kph time than the BMW Z4 M40i?

Anyway, while we're done examining the BMW-derived engines, it's time to dig deeper to its performance and by comparison, the dynamics of the new Supra is slightly comparable to the BMW Z4 it was based on because the folks from Toyota wanted to behave differently so they fiddled with the double-joint spring strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension to make sure it doesn't feel like the BMW Z4 it was based on. Such difference, am I right? But still, with a rigid structure, low center of gravity, and perfect weight distribution, this really is as sharp as a Feather Blade, yet as delicate as calligraphy. Now this is very artistic for a world-class sportscar indeed and while it's not made to take on the Nissan GT-R and the Honda NSX, its shortness and lightness made this Eurasian quirk a step ahead of its game.

The GR Supra is made to be a premium grand tourer from the very start and it's surprisingly categorized as a Safety Support Car S Wide because of its standard active safety features such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beam, and road sign assist, among many others.

At the start of the day, getting to know the GR Supra is as easy as pie as it sounds and feels but at the end of the day, some people might have high regrets about this revived Toyota Supra and no, it's not about the BMW connection or the styling that doesn't hark back to the last Supra from the 90's. No. I'm talking about the GR Supra being a Gran Turismo exclusive car.

Ever since Porsche freed itself from EA exclusivity, their freedom to navigate through various racing games came with a great loss and that loss comes from Toyota and since then, no other racing games opened their doors to every singe Toyota road car in history. That's where GT SPORT came in and through time, no other car game has more Toyotas than GT SPORT and with the GR Supra arrived at GT SPORT, a lot of people are questioning about Toyota becoming Gran Turismo exclusive. While this is only a possibility, I have high regrets that I might really going to hate the GR Supra for being Gran Turismo exclusive and if the GR Supra being Gran Turismo exclusive, the boys of Top Gear will surely set this on fire just like what happened on the new Alpine A110, the Hoonigan boys will not welcome it to their garage, the Gumball 3000 will not let the GR Supra be part of the entry list, and their next Fast and Furious film will not feature the GR Supra, all because of it being a Gran Turismo exclusive car.

Unless Toyota renounced their Gran Turismo exclusivity, it's best to have a diminished relationship with the GR Supra and stick on with its Z4 relative or more expensive and fast sportscars than this. For now, I might put the GR Supra to the list of cars I don't want to have because of being a Gran Turismo only car aside from the Lexus LC500. That's one story I don't want to explain but I had to now that the GR Supra's arrived while car enthusiasts are still reeling from the wounds caused by Toyota being left out from most racing games rather than Gran Turismo.

Toyota should deserve better to become open again so their new GR Supra will be free to roam around the world with confidence rather than being restricted to being a Gran Turismo only car and that is the bottom line.

Available colors: White Blue Metallic, Ice Gray Metallic, Prominence Red, Deep Blue Metallic, Silver Metallic, Black Metallic, Lightning Yellow, and Matte Storm Gray Metallic.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

GT SPORT - The early Heisei JDMs

Today marks the end of the Heisei era and what better way to pay tribute to this golden era than sampling the most iconic Japanese sportscars emerged from the early years of the Heisei era? Of course, since the Gran Turismo franchise is part of those that were born from the Heisei era, our little game of GT SPORT takes us to the heroes of Gran Turismo, the best Japanese sportscars emerged from the early years of the Heisei era.



The FD-spec RX-7, the original Honda NSX, the Impreza STi, the JZA80 Supra, the R34 Skyline GT-R, and any of the pizza-lamped Lancer Evos are known to be the best of the Japanese sportscars to emerge from the early years of the Heisei era and here in GT SPORT, they have what's greater or nearer as the drivers can get from those Heisei era JDM sportscars.

These Japanese sportscars emerged from the early Heisei years are known to be collectibles for speedo boys worldwide because these cars are notoriously known for its street cred and known to be tuned to wake the neighbors after hours. Whether they can let them roar through the Shutokou by nighttime or living the track life by day, these Japanese marvels are everywhere and whether you love them or hate them, Japan is home to those street machines like these and as a tribute, let's take them to the common battleground for testing cars before hitting Japanese roads; Tsukuba.



Ah, Tsukuba Circuit. If my memory serves me correctly, the Tsukuba Circuit is the favorite playground for the over-the-video motoring program known as Best MOTORing. Over the years, we seen professional drivers across Japan testing out the coolest and the weirdest on this very track they called home. Of course, Best MOTORing may be officially dead several years ago but here in GT SPORT, people can do their Best MOTORing homage on this very track while sampling most of the cars offered in-game, just to give them their first impressions.

With the best JDM cars from the early Heisei era stepped to their very own Holy Land of sampling and time attacking, they are ready for a revue they will remember forever.

It's showtime!



After their Tsukuba revue, here are the results...

Impreza 22B-STi Version '98: 1:07.522
NSX Type R '92: 1:10.581
RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02: 1:07.700
R34 GT-R V-Spec II Nur '02: 1:06.864
Lancer Evo.IV GSR '96: 1:08.481
Supra RZ '97: 1:07.330



So, there we are. The R34 Skyline GT-R, launched from 1999 to 2002 is without a shadow of a doubt, the best Japanese sports car to emerge from the early Heisei years and no matter the opinion, I placed my fate that this is the best Japanese sportscars to emerge from the early years of the Heisei era.

Next time, let's pit in the Japanese sportscars from the modern Heisei era.