2020 Toyota Supra: Can it Really Rival a Porsche Cayman or BMW M2?
Toyota invites us to test the new Supra against its more established luxury rivals on a famous SoCal track.
Recently, I was given the chance to whip a couple of brand-new 2020 Toyota Supras around the legendary Willow Springs International Raceway. Toyota had arranged for a track day event where the sole objective was to get as much seat time as possible around the race track in the Supra. For those familiar, we were running laps around Streets of Willow, the tight and technical track of the two full-sized circuits in the Southern California desert.
A frigidly cold day in the 30s awaited with strong winds coming in from the hillside. This was nothing new for the area, but being used to 70-degree weather just a couple of hours away made for a harsh reality check in late October. Regardless, we were all happy to be at the track to really put Toyota’s new sports car to the absolute limit.
Toyota Has a Tall Order to Fill
The day began with a presentation by Toyota’s technical team. While I won’t bore you with all of the numbers and graphs they presented us, there is one thing that was continually emphasized during the talk: This car isn’t about the numbers. It isn’t about performance comparisons. It’s about the raw driving experience and the emotion that can be portrayed by the vehicle.
The real question then becomes, how exactly does Toyota plan on translating the excitement and enjoyment of a pure driving experience? Is it through direct and visceral driving dynamics? Raw power and crazy exhaust sounds? Functionality and luxury over the competition? We will have the answer to all these questions in this short but sweet review — because there are many ways to make a car special.
When the tech team was speaking to us in relation to the car’s competition, they stated that their main targets with the Supra were its luxury coupe compatriots, the Porsche Cayman and BMW M2 Competition.
This car isn’t about the numbers. It isn’t about performance comparisons. It’s about the raw driving experience and the emotion that can be portrayed by the vehicle.
Initially, I thought that this was a pretty tall order for a company that hasn’t built a sports car in years and especially not one within the luxury price point. We weren’t even sure if Toyota could build what would be considered a “luxury” car, especially in this niche segment. The competition have been controlling this market for years now and have shaped their companies around it. Toyota on the other hand has stuck to the reliable economy vehicles that made them money.
Thus, we wonder how this has going to work out. Simply throwing a BMW engine and chassis into a Toyota design for a completely new car won’t suddenly make it great. On the other hand, Porsche has been refining the Cayman for decades now and has the recipe just about as good as possible. BMW’s sport coupes have been front and center of the brand since their inception and have become legendary. The Supra is left with a tall order in a modern context. How does it fair? Let’s find out.
Hitting the Track
Driving the Supra for the first time, my expectations were very high considering the hype surrounding the vehicle. At the event there were five different Supras in a variety of colors. Two of the Supras were the limited “Launch Edition” models and the other three were “Premium” trim models, the step above the base model. From a performance perspective, both of the cars are identical and the difference is simply aesthetic changes, such as a red leather interior or matte black wheels.
Stepping into the Supra you are greeted with a driver-focused interior. The instrument cluster, steering wheel and seats are definitely nicely thought-out touches. However, from the start, it is obvious that the interior materials are not of the highest quality and do not rival that of Porsche, especially with key contact points like the steering wheel.
The actual interior layout and design are near identical to the point of copy-paste of the BMW M2. The only obvious change is the instrument cluster. The infotainment is 100% BMW as well, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but just something to note. Any M2 or 3-series owner will feel at home in this interior if they can accept the slight reduction of material quality. One thing to note is all the carbon fiber in the interior is actually carbon fiber and is not a vinyl or laminate.
After sorting through the engine, transmission, and suspension modes, I settled on “Sport” for all of them, as the Supra’s steering is particularly light to begin with. With traction and stability control off, we were off to do a couple hot laps. The schedule mandated that all drivers do an out lap, three hot laps, and a cool-down lap.
For those familiar with Streets of Willow, the first corner off the main straight is a long, high-speed uphill right-hander, where bravery and trust in your tires play a big role in going fast. A confidence-inspiring car will take that section without braking, maybe just a light lift during turn-in before getting back on the power for the heavy braking zone at the turn-2 hairpin.
What exactly does the Supra have to offer? Without a doubt a strong engine and beautiful styling…Â
The Supra at the limit never felt confidence-inspiring even when equipped with track-ready Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. These particular tires I was very familiar with as I had done 8+ track days with these very tires on my personal track toy and knew how they communicated to the driver at the limit. Interestingly, all the confidence I had built tracking with these tires seemed to get lost in the beast that is the Supra.
The Supra felt unstable most of the time, as if I never had actual control of the car at any particular time during my 30-plus laps. It seemed to be at the limit of grip when it wasn’t. When it finally wanted to oversteer, it didn’t do it in a predictable or communicative fashion, but rather snapped violently without warning.
There was only one part of the track where the Supra felt strong and this was exiting the “bowl turn,” which is a sweeping right-hander with a 20-degree banking into a long straight. There, the Supra felt like every inch of the tire was working with the pavement and you could really go flat-out 100% in confidence. Other than that, the Supra was seemingly in contrast battle with the driver. I believe this comes down to the electronics and aids in the car being simply too invasive, disconnecting you from what feels like a good chassis and strong engine platform.
The sound of the BMW B58 inline-six is wonderful screaming down the front straight and the brap in between shifts is equally as exciting. There are some things that the Supra does right, but it doesn’t do these things good enough to be dominant over its competition.
There was only one part of the track where the Supra felt like every inch of the tire was working with the pavement and you could really go flat-out 100% in confidence.
The Porsche Cayman has a near-perfect balance, steering, transmission, and driving dynamics. It’s shortcoming is the 4-cylinder turbo being boring. The BMW M2 Competition is one of the most analog machines to come from the company since the E92 M3, and it features everything you would ever want out of a sports coupe, putting driver fun before everything else.
What exactly does the Supra have to offer? Without a doubt a strong engine and beautiful styling, but it lacks the driving dynamics that truly make a sports car a “sports” car.
Photos: Toyota