2019 Toyota Supra Prototype First Drive: Return of Toyota’s Superstar
I careen around a tight bend in the road with a steep drop and no guard rails and give a nervous stab of the brakes. The narrow tires groan in protest and the rear-end swings out a bit. The tachometer drops and I kick the transmission down into second. Come on baby, rev! It’s taking too long to build speed back.
Revealed:
Is this what I expected out of the reborn Toyota Supra; the long-awaited fifth generation of Toyota’s most revered sports car? No, and that’s a good thing, because this isn’t a Supra I’m driving. Instead, I’m behind the wheel of the smaller Toyota 86, chasing a new Supra around Circuito del Jarama, near Madrid, Spain.
Predictably, I’m getting my butt handed to me, as the 86’s naturally aspirated boxer engine, rated at 205 horsepower, is no match for the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder that powers the new Supra.
I watch as, yet again, the Supra pulls far ahead. It’s wrapped in speckled vinyl meant to camouflage the body. But there’s no hiding the wicked acceleration of the Supra nor the way the sports car handles flatly as it clips the cambered curves. A set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires keep the Supra glued to the tarmac.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m having a blast trying to keep up w...
