2021 Toyota Supra 4-Cylinder Debuts With 255 HP, 200 Fewer Pounds

Toyota told us it had no plans for a four-cylinder Supra in the U.S., even after the company registered the car for CARB certification in California. And understandably, because offering both an entry-level Supra and a Toyota 86 together felt like too much of a good thing. Good news is, those plans have changed.

Meet the Toyota Supra 2.0, the company's base version of its beloved new sports car, now packing a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rather than the optional inline-six. Don't worry, the inline-six sticks around – and now offers more power. The company announced the new Supra 2.0 today alongside its updated Supra 3.0 counterpart ahead of the car's Nascar debut at the Daytona 500 this weekend.

The Super Supra:

2021 Toyota Supra Gets Big Power Bump, Sleek A91 Special Edition

The Lighter The Better

Powering the Supra 2.0 is the same engine found in the current BMW Z4 sDrive30i. Aided by a twin-scroll turbo, the inline-four engine produces 255 horsepower (190 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque. Paired to the same eight-speed automatic as the six-cylinder model, Supra 2.0 can hit 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in just 5.0 seconds and will continue on to a limited top speed of 155 mph (250 kmh).

This Supra is lighter, too. The Toyota Supra 2.0 sheds 200 pounds (91 kilograms) over its six-cylinder counterpart, bringing the total curb weight to 3,181 pounds (1,442 kilograms). Lest you forget, the lightest Toyota 86 tips the scales at 2,776 pounds (1,259 kg). As part of that drastic weight loss, the Supra 2.0 ditches the four-piston caliper brakes for single-piston rotors, sheds the active differential and active suspension for a fixed setup, and removes the 14-way power seats for manually adjustable buckets instead.

Safety features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, and parking sensors are available, but only as part of the new Safety and Technology package. No word on how much that option costs. That package also affords buyers wireless Apple CarPlay, navigation, and a 12-speaker audio system, among others, all of which come standard on the six-cylinder Supra.

What we don't have details on thus far is price. The updated Supra 3.0 should get a slight hike over the 2020 model's $49,990 MSRP, so expect the Supra 2.0 to cost more than $40,000 before options.

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Against The Competition

Though we don't know how much it costs yet, the Toyota Supra 2.0 joins a segment of well-established competitors. Four-cylinder versions of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Jaguar F-Type, and Porsche 718 Cayman make the most sense for customers cross-shopping. But you might also consider outliers like the six-cylinder Nissan 370Z and the Supra's sibling, the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ, as well.

Take a look at how much horsepower each car produces, their 60 times, and how much they weigh:

On paper, the Toyota Supra 2.0 is neither the most powerful nor lightest of the group. The Nissan 370Z (the only six-cylinder option) offers the most horsepower, while the Mustang produces the most twist. And on the scale, the Toyota 86 is the lightest, weighing in at 2,776 pounds. The Supra is also the only option of the group that lacks a manual transmission option; it uses the same eight-speed automatic from the six-cylinder model. In terms of pricing, we'll have to wait until Toyota reveals official details on the Supra 2.0. Until then, here's how the competitors stack up in terms of cost: