The Fourth Generation - Legendary

By 1992, the Supra was getting decidedly long in the tooth. The Corvette had gained the 300bhp LT1 V8 and the ZF 6-speed manual, and the 300ZX Turbo had been updated to the fantastic Z32, with it’s 300-horsepower twin turbo VG. The RX-7 had dropped weight (under 2800lbs) and gained standard twin-sequential turbochargers, which allowed 255bhp and 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. Then there were the 3Si twins, the Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4. While history hasn’t been kind to these cars, remember what they had back in 1990: 300 horsepower twin turbo V6, four wheel drive, four wheel steering, active aerodynamics, etc. Something had to be done.

So for the MKIV Supra, Toyota went all-out in a way they have never acheived again. When the MKIV Supra debuted in 1993, it wasn’t just a match for it’s Japanese competition - RX7, 300ZX, 3000GT VR-4 - it had Porsche Turbos and Ferrari 512’s getting cold sweats. Oh, it was fast.

The new car switched over entirely to the new JZ block, with base models carrying the 220bhp 2JZ-GE 3.0L I6, almost as much as the old 7M turbo. Big news was the Turbo: the 2JZ-GTE under the hood was a 3.0L iron-block 24v six, fitted with twin-sequential turbocharging. Total power was 320bhp@5600rpm and 315lb-ft@4000 rpm. Oddly enough, US-market Supra Turbos were more powerful than Japanese Market cars. Thanks to smaller, quicker spooling impeller wheels on the turbos and larger injectors, the US-market Turbo handily beat the Japanese market car, 320 to 280. This is due to a “gentleman’s agreement” between the Japanese manufacturers to limit stated output to 276bhp - or 280ps. Of course, it’s unlikely the Japanese market Supras actually only made 280bhp, but it’s still interesting nonetheless.

Performance was explosive. Car & Drive timed a stock, six-speed Supra Turbo to sixty miles an hour in 4.6 seconds. What was most interesting was the extensive lengths Toyota went to minimize weight given all the equipment; a Supra Turbo weighed in around 3400lbs, so they weren’t entirely successful. But seriously: aluminum formed the hood, targa roof, front crossmember, upper suspension A-arms, oil pan, and transmission pan. Then there were the dished-out head bolts, hollow-fiber carpet mats (not even kidding), a magnesium steering wheel, a gas-filled rear spoiler (huh?), and the fact that they chose not to include an unnecessary dual exhaust on the Turbo model. As a result, the model was about 200lbs lighter than the MK3 - despite producing way more power.

The car was a press darling, winning comparison tests and awards left and right. The car continued on unchanged (what needed to be fixed?) until 1999, when Toyota ceased importation of the car to the US due to an unfavorable dollar-to-yen exchange rate. JDM production of the Supra continued until 2002, when upcoming emissions regulations finally killed the car after a 9-year-long run.

Today, the Supra is still enjoying a disproportionately large amount of popularity. Some of it is due to the ease with which one can coax extra power out of a Supra Turbo; “BPU” (Basic Performance Upgrades) MKIV Supra Turbos are easily capable of laying down 400+ wheel horsepower, which is a whole lot of fun. Also, these cars are incredibly overbuilt - the stock block and internals can support up to 800 crank horsepower without upgrades, which is simply insane. However, what’s a shame is that a lot of Supras have fallen into the hands of the ricey tuner crowd, who slap some big wheels and a sewer-pipe exhaust on it after seeing The Fast and The Furious. Still, if you can find a well-maintained (stock) Supra Turbo for a good price, don’t pass it by just because it’s a Toyota. Remember, they weren’t ALWAYS boring.

The Third Generation

The MK3 Supra debuted in 1986, with all new styling, all new engines, and the availability of turbo power in the US market for the first time. It was more powerful, faster, heavier, and better equipped- more of a powerful GT than a true sports car. Still, it suited the market perfectly and sales continued to go up.

Under the hood was the latest evolution of the Toyota M block, which was about to run the course of it’s useful life - it was under the hood of the original Albrecht Goertz-styled 2000GT from 1967. Now designated 7M-GE, it displaced a full 3.0L and used a 24-valve head with dual overhead camshafts. Power jumped from 161 in the old 5M-GE to a nice, even 200 in the new model. This turbine-smooth powerplant gave the Supra the kind of continent-crushing mid-range power it really needed; 0-60 was dispatched in 7.1 seconds and the Supra could top out at 137 - world class performance for 1986.

1987 saw the introduction (in the US) of the first legalized Supra Turbo; thus the legend was born. The 7M-GE became the 7M-GTE, utilizing a Toyota CT26 turbocharger and an air-to-air intercooler. Power jumped to 232, torque from 187 to 254 lb-ft. with a five speed, the Supra Turbo hustled to 60mph in only 6.2 seconds, and could see north of 140mph top out - comparable to the Corvette, 300ZX Turbo, and RX7 Turbo of the day.

The Mk3 Supra had more derivatives than the earlier Supras, as Toyota got into their technological stride in the late 80’s. The first was the Supra Turbo-A, which was a limited-production homologation model built in small numbers in late 1987. Built to legalize the Supra for Group A racing, the Turbo-A featured a tweaked 7M-GTE with a different turbo (CT-26b) making 267bhp, reduced weight, and extra cooling. Due to restrictions on cars over 3.0L of dispalecement, the Turbo-A had limited success in Group A racing, but it made for a storming street car.

The choicest of the Supras was a home-market only model called the 2.5 Twin-Turbo R. Midway through production of the MKIII, Toyota introduced their brand-new Inline 6 - the JZ series. Offered in 2.0L, 2.5L, and 3.0L displacement, the MK3 in Japan received the 2.5L 1JZ motor. This iron-block motor featured advanced sequential turbocharging - one small turbo and one larger turbo operated in sequence. The advantage to this is a much smoother powerband than just one large turbo - the small one spools quickly at low RPMS, then transfers boost over to the other at higher RPMS, delivering massive wads of linear power all over the power band.

The 2.5 Twin Turbo-R was the ultimate version of this Supra, featuring the 280bhp 1JZ-GTE, a Torsen LSD, additional chassis bracing (as well as a stronger mount for the differential), Recaro seats, Bilstein suspension and a bunch of other goodies. As the lightest and most powerful MK3 Supra, the Twin-Turbo R could run a 14 second quarter mile and 0-60 in the mid-fives - wicked quick.

The Second Generation Supra

Toyota responded to these demands in 1982 with the second-generation Celica Supra. Still based on the Celica chassis (back when it was rear-wheel-drive), the MKII Supra sported sharp, angular lines with wide, boxy fenders. It was more aerodynamic and the styling went over a lot better with the general public. It’s not hard to tell why - I still think the boxy looks of the MKII are attractive today, in a retro sort of way.

in the US market, the Supra was initially available in two types: Performance and Luxury. They were mechanically the same, but the P-type got the fiberglass fender flares, 8-way adjustable sports seats (highly reviewed at the time), 7″ wide 14″ alloys (instead of the standard 5.5″ wide wheels), and a few other goodies.

The engine was a derivative of the MK1 Supra motor. Now sporting dual overhead cams (but still 2 valves per cylinder), the 5M-GE made a respectable 145bhp. This dropped the 0-60 time below 10 seconds (remember… 1982!) and the quarter dropped from the low 19’s to the high 17’s. The main improvement was the wider powerband thanks to the dual overhead cam setup which made the Supra a lot more fun to drive. Press and owner feedback alike was overwhelmingly positive; by the mid-eighties the Supra had become something of a new-money status symbol. Mainly because it looked like a space ship.

1983 brought in an extra 5bhp, a 4.10:1 final drive for the P-type to help acceleration, and minor changes. Real updates occured in 1985, with a new throttle position sensor, EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve, and the addition of a knock sensor allowing a higher compression ratio. Power went up to 161bhp (roughly comparable to the turbocharged Nissan 280ZX), and 0-60 was dispatched in a more respectable 8.4 seconds. Production of the MKII Celica Supra ended in 1986, and it’s replacement was even better.

The First Supra

The first generation of the Supra was basically a lengthened Celica with an inline-six cylinder engine instead of a 4. Overall length went up 5.1″ over the Celica, but it was all from the A-pillar forward. The 2.6L 4M-E under the hood was a simple iron-block unit with a 12 valve head, and made 110 horsepower. It was also Toyota’s first engine to sport electronic fuel injection. Supras came with either a 5-speed overdrive manual transmission, or a 4-speed automatic, which was high tech back then.

Ok, so it wasn’t pretty by modern standards, but by 1979 standards it was powerful, reliable, and well-equipped.The first-generation Celica Supra was in production until 1981, and received minor updates during that time frame. The Japanese-market Supra received a turbocharged version in 1980, with a 2.0L M-TEU motor making 145 horsepower. This 2.0L engine was Toyota’s first turbo motor, and acceleration was greatly improved.

For in1981, the base model US Supras received a mild upgrade - the 4M-E became the 5M-E, with displacement boosted to 2.8L and power going up to 116. Increased torque, lower peaks, and a shorter final-drive ratio made the performance a little more segment-appropriate, but still left something to be desired.

The History of the Best Sports car ever made - The Toyota Supra

Toyota Supra

Now, if you’re reading this site and you don’t know what a Toyota Supra is… I’d be shocked. Still, it’s such a fantastic vehicle that the lesson bears repeating. The Supra was Toyota’s flagship “halo” car from it’s introduction in 1979 until it’s final production year of 2002 in the Japanese Market.