EnginePower: Toyota GR Supra Gets Four-Cylinder Turbo

Reverberating with the echoes of legends at Daytona International Speedway, where the Toyota-powered and sponsored AAR Eagle Mk. III GTP won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1993, Toyota has launched its next generation of GR Supra’s. For 2021, the six-cylinder GR Supra 3.0 will pick up a power boost, while an all new GR Supra 2.0 four-cylinder turbo model will also join the line.

The first 1,500 Mk. V Supras were Launch Editions, and for 2021 Toyota is offering 1,000 new A91 Editions. This special edition Supra will have the 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine and will be available in a choice of two colors, Nocturnal or Refraction, the latter exclusive to the A91 Edition and an all-new color for Supra. Accenting the Supra’s concept car-inspired body are a rear black carbon fiber lip spoiler, matte black wheels, C-pillar graphics and carbon fiber mirror caps. The black Alcantara® leather-trimmed interior with blue contrast is likewise exclusive to this limited-availability model, and each A91 Edition will come with two exclusive key gloves and trunk mat.

On the 2021 Supra 3.0 Premium and A91 Edition, the front Brembo® brake calipers are painted red and feature the “TOYOTA Supra” logo. All Supra models for 2021 will feature the 8.8-inch audio touch screen that is standard on the 2020 3.0 Premium model; the base model’s 6.5-inch screen has been discontinued.

The 2021 GR Supra models are anticipated to start arriving at Toyota dealers in June. Here’s what to brace for:

The 2020 Toyota GR Supra brought the revered model back in a blaze of speed, with acceleration and handling performance that outshone even its illustrious A80 predecessor. For 2021, Toyota is keeping the pedal down, boosting output of the Supra’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six from 335 hp at 5,000-6,500 rpm to 382 hp at 5,800-6,500 rpm, a 14-percent increase. Torque rises from 365 lb.-ft. at 1,600-4,500 rpm to 368 lb.-ft. at 1,800-5,000 rpm.

The increased output results from a slew of upgrades throughout the engine. The new dual-branch exhaust manifold, with six ports instead of two, improves heat management. A new piston design reduces the engine’s compression ratio from 11:1 to 10.2:1.

The greatly revised engine produces higher torque at higher rpm and retains the eagerness to rev with turbine-like smoothness. Toyota projects that the new engine will reduce the Supra 3.0 model’s 0-60 acceleration time to 3.9 seconds, from 4.1. The 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters carries over for 2021.

The 2021 Supra 2.0 offers an intermediate model between the Toyota 86 and the Supra 3.0, giving the customer three distinct Toyota sports car choices.

The 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine shares much of its technology with the 3.0-liter inline-six, including a twin-scroll turbo, direct fuel injection and continuously variable timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. The variable intake valve lift system adjusts intake valve timing and duration. The bottom line is 255 hp at 5,000-6,500 rpm and a stout 295 lb.-ft. peak torque at 1,550 to 4,400 rpm.

The Supra 2.0 uses the same 8-speed automatic transmission as the 3.0, and Toyota projects 0-60 mph in 5.0 seconds, which will make it Toyota’s second quickest vehicle in the lineup. The Supra 2.0 has the same electronically limited 155-mph top track speed as the 3.0, and its fuel consumption will be lower.

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