Well, here it is…the Toyota’s new MKV Supra. And I like it.
The new Supra (Gen A90 to true geeks) has been kept behind a thick curtain of secrecy for what seems like an eternity in much the same way Toyota handled (read: botched) the debut of the GT86/BRZ/FRS. So much so that the fevered excitement of its arrival had pretty well been snuffed out and replaced with annoyed malaise. And much like the over-hyped summer blockbuster movie that can’t possibly live up its marketing push, Toyota’s new flagship sports car is poised to hit dealerships behind the same 8-ball if you listen to the internet.
If Toyota had kept this thing securely under wraps likes the new Ford GT and dropped it on an unsuspecting public, I think the response would’ve been entirely different. We’ve had years of rumors, teaser shots and camouflaged test mule sightings to inflate our expectations and ultimately that’s not fair to this car. Add in that this new Supra is replacing friggin Jesus: the MKIV Supra is, simply put, a legend in the car world. An iron-blocked power monster that, next to Godzilla and the Nissan’s GT-R, is Japan’s most revered export to date. And the cherry on top of all of this: most of the car is BMW under the skin. Blasphemy!
Given all that, the interwebs have been abuzz with a steady stream of haters bashing the MKV. “It’s ugly!”…”It’s just a BMW!”…”It doesn’t have enough power!”…”I want my mommy!”…and so on.
But here’s the thing: teh MKV Supra is awesome. And here’s why.
Most people forget that the Supra has never evolved as a model the way, say, the Porsche 911 has. Each generation has brought an entirely clean sheet car with different characteristics, looks and performance targets. The MK3 Supra was a heavy, comfy, semi-luxury hiway cruiser that wasn’t a huge fan of corner-carving. The MKIV was effectively a straight-line Japanese musclecar. Hell, the MK2 Supra was simply happy to not be called a Celica anymore. But they were all very different cars with only a straight 6 powerplant tying them together.
This new Supra continues that theme as it’s an entirely new car with its own personality. It’s doing it’s own damn thing! If you take it at its own merits, this thing looks absolutely fantastic: 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, cornering grip on par with a Porsche Cayman and a turbo straight 6 that the tuner world is damn sure going to go nuts on. All that for $50k starting. And yeah, I think it looks great too.
Is the new Supra going to live up to its dad’s reputation? I say it doesn’t have to…and I couldn’t care less.
