Some of us can remember when the Toyota Supra made a huge impact on the automotive world and at Toyota of Orange, the Toyota dealer serving Anaheim. Although it has been over 30 years since the sportscar first debuted (believe it or not) the Toyota dealer says it is still dividing the sports car enthusiast group as much as any car today.
The Toyota dealer near Anaheim goes on to say that the Supra has had a long history of doing things differently and just doing it their way. Now is a good time more than ever to take a look back at the history and some of the twists and turns the vehicle has taken to bring the Supra to where it is at the present day.
Nobody could have dreamed that a car that Toyota took a huge chance on has become such a big deal all these years later.
Here are 15 Facts About The Supra That You Need To Know
15. It Was Initially A Variant Of A Celica
Toyota of Orange, the Toyota dealer near Anaheim, tells us with a gleam in his eye that the very first car to ever sport the “Supra” badge was indeed a Celica. The “Supra” element of the car was the trim level that was supposed to be a sportier version. The badges were different as well. It was orange for the normal Celica and Blue for the Supra.
14. It Only Produced 100 Horsepower
Surprisingly, the first-ever Celica-Supra only produced 100 ponies which is totally different from what we know what the car can do today. However, you can’t knock it down completely since the straight-six engine was peppy for the time and the suspension made the vehicle outstanding, even if it wasn’t impressively fast in a straight line.
13. By 1984, The Supra Was Considered A Capable Vehicle
After just a few years after its debut, the Supra was surpassing sports cars that have been long praised. In fact, big brand name sportscars were actually being ranked behind the Supra in terms of handling and overall driver engagement. This is a big deal for a small car that was new to the market.
12. It Was Just Called The Supra In 1985
In 1985 the Supra and the Celica finally went their separate ways. The Supra began to become what we know and love about it today, while the Celica, obviously, became the small and economical car that we wish would have been more on the large and stylish side. Nevertheless, a lot of amazing things were going to happen with the Supra.
11. There Was A Turbo In 1987
In 1987, the Supra got some serious power from a turbocharged engine that was more than pleased to be tuned to provide further power outputs. The adaptability of the platform made the Supra stand out from the competition of other top branded sportscars at the time.
10. Mark IV Set The Bar Higher
The Mark IV blew everyone away when it first came out. The styling, power, and reliability were exceptional for the vehicle at the time.
9. Turbos Became Sequential
Oftentimes, when you hear of a twin-turbo car, you think of a vehicle that has literal twin turbos that supply an equal number of cylinders in an even distribution of PSI. Nevertheless, the Supra went another path. It had a small turbo that fuelled a bigger turbo. This allowed it to pull with all it might from 1800 RPM all the way till the redline.
8. The Styling Was To Supposed To Copy The 2000GT
The 2000GT set the bar for the new standard for Toyota as soon as it arrived and the Supra was designed to do the same. There are obvious styling indications but the overall attitude of the car, doing something that has never been done before, was a massive goal of the car.
7. The Cockpit
The Mark IV Supra is a driver-centric vehicle. The interior says it all. The passenger was just a second thought. Toyota made sure that you felt special behind the wheel of a Supra.
6. In 1996, Manual Was Out Of The Question
It is easier to find 1996 model years compare to others, and this is the main reason why. In 1996 the US government required the Supra to have an updated OBDII system that the manual transmission wasn’t prepared for, so it was only available in a two-pedal automatic. It’s still a great car regardless but could be lacking some engagement for some.
5. It Didn’t Sell Well
Unfortunately, the Supra Mark IV lacked sufficient sales. It was released in an era when you couldn’t find anything similar to it, however as time went on, other competitors in the market brought new vehicles that cost less and could go faster. That meant the Supra Mark IV had to go.
4. Then The Fast & Furious Came
The Supra Mark IV had a premature exit because a couple of years after when Toyota decided to stop making the car, Fast & Furious decided to use it as one of the protagonist cars. Overnight the vehicle’s values went through the roof. From that year and onwards, the conversation started buzzing about a Mark V. It is very surprising that Toyota took as long as they did to bring the Supra back.
3. We Expected The 5th Generation A Lot Sooner
When the public heard about this vehicle everyone got thrilled out of their minds, the headlights and roofline just spoke Sura out loud. Everyone was completely certain that this was the start of the new car until it became clear that it was just a lower-powered sports car without the proper pedigree to have the Supra badge affixed to it.
2. Then We Got Bambozzled By The FT-1
When Gran Turismo invited Toyota to take part in its GTVision program nobody expected a Supra concept but that’s exactly what everyone thought they were getting when the car showed up. The super-futuristic appearance with subtle Supra proportions had the whole world excited. It would take many years after its release though before the final BMW-loaded product made its way to the public.
1. Not Many Of Us Know Of Its Success On The Track
The Supra has had amazing success on the racetracks throughout the entire world and has earned respectable finishes at Le Mans, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs, and most famously in Japan’s sports car championships.