The Samurai is back. He has been resurrected. Like a ghost of Japanese automotive past, many believed this car would be a piece of automotive artwork, commissioned for exhibition in race facilities only for spectators to view. But such is not the case. In fact, the new 2020 Toyota Supra GR MKV is a weapon available for any enthusiast to command.
Starting with balance. Toyota engineers designed the Supra GR to be agile in every way. This was accomplished by moving the engine as far back to the center of the car and as low as possible, closest to the center of gravity, thus creating a 50:50 front and rear weight distribution. Making the Supra GR ready to attack any road, swiftly flick through a corner, and cut through any apex with strict discipline.
Tap the floorboard with the gas pedal and a familiar voice of a twin-scroll, single turbocharged 6-cylinder, 3.0 liter engine will be singing it’s tune; the same that’s performed in the previous three generations of Supra models. But for this version, the Samurai gods have blessed the American marketplace with 382 horsepower and 369 foot-pounds of torque version.
The powerful stroke of attack by the Supra GR is backed by an enhanced rigid chassis design that’s nearly 200 pounds lighter than the MKIV. With sport modes that let the driver immediately switch combat, by changing the actively controlled suspension dampening, steering aggressiveness, drivetrain power, traction and the exhaust note.
Not only is the GR a refined classic, but the exterior has been molded into a modern facade without straying too far from Japanese tradition. The unnoticeable characteristics include a wide font grill for intercooler temps, a double bubble roof to increase cabin space, square jeweled headlights and then there is the aerodynamics. The front and rear spoiler flares provide cooler braking temps under extreme conditions and for extreme downforce.
So is recreating an old legend a good move for the Japanese auto manufacturer? Only time will tell with many players moving towards the push of electric performance vehicles. Although the 2020 Supra will have a reasonable price for the consumer marketplace — it may be a last battle cry in a fight to keep traditional performance vehicles within our society.
