Advantages: There is a manual; playful and full of character; sweet engines; Steering and handling better than BMW
Disadvantages: Only two seats; outdated technology; for some it will be too German; expensive compared to the Nissan Z
The 2024 Toyota Supra is an excellent and entertaining two-seat sports car with a legendary nameplate. If you were a Supra fan in the ’80s or ’90s, rest assured that the resurrected model lives up to its name. And what’s even better: it’s now also available with a manual transmission. It’s a compelling and worthy competitor to the newly redesigned Nissan Z, and given its underpinnings, it’s also a great replacement for the BMW Z4.
Yes, the chassis, engines and transmissions are all from BMW and you will notice some similarities in the driving experience. But most of all, the Supra feels like its own car, and most of what it shares with the Z4 benefits the overall package. There are two powertrains: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter inline-six. Unfortunately, you can only pair a manual transmission with this upgrade engine, but you won’t regret it. And for 2024, the Supra offers a 45th Anniversary Edition with a manually adjustable spoiler and a number of aesthetic improvements that set it apart.
Regardless of which version of the Supra you choose, you’ll bless your garage with an athletic, agile and attractive sports coupe that you’ll simply love after the first few corners.
Interior & Technology | Passenger and cargo space | Performance and fuel consumption
What it’s like to drive a car | Pricing and Features | Crash ratings and safety features
What’s new for 2024?
The big (and really only) news for 2024 is the addition of the 45th Anniversary Edition to the range. Based on the 3.0 Premium trim, it features a gloss black rear spoiler, matte black 19-inch wheels and a sleek-looking Supra stripe decal on the sides. This edition is available in either “Mikan Blast” orange or “Absolute Zero” white. Yes, you can get it with the manual transmission.
How is the interior and technology in the Supra car?
Toyota was essentially handed a box of BMW knobs, buttons and screens and then used it all to create an interior that is actually stylistically different from its BMW Z4 platform mate. The material quality is not quite up to BMW standards, but the Supra also costs significantly less and is still at an acceptable level for its price range. The cabin is also of higher quality than that of the cheaper Nissan Z.
Although the instrument panel screen features Supra-specific graphics and is surrounded by a unique frame that integrates fuel and temperature gauges, what you see on the standard 8.8-inch infotainment display is pure BMW – and more specifically, BMW from a few technology generations ago. The center console rotary knob and surrounding menu buttons are identical to what you would have found in a 3 Series five years ago. In general it works well, but it’s not the easiest system to use and we had the same connectivity issues with Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay as we’ve had with BMWs before. But at least there’s CarPlay. Android Auto is not available at all. A real Toyota system would be better.
How big is the Supra?
The Supra is quite small. Its wheelbase (97.2 inches) and length (172.5) are virtually identical to those of the new Nissan Z. Like that car, and unlike previous Supras, it seats only two, but has enough space for people of one height of more than 6 feet. Its narrow, 10.2-cubic-foot cargo area accommodates luggage for weekend trips (we somehow managed to fit four bags in it). We have yet to test the new Z’s cargo space, but given the Z’s smaller cargo volume of 6.9 cubic feet, we expect the Supra will have a slight advantage. It’s neither nearly as spacious as the trunk of a Mustang nor the double trunk of a Corvette.
One spatial element to consider is the seats. They’re the same in the 2.0 and 3.0, but only the latter has eight-way power seats, meaning you may only be comfortable in the more expensive model. The seats cannot be heated in the base model either.
What are the Supra’s fuel economy and performance ratings?
The base Supra 2.0 features a BMW-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Like every Supra, it only comes with rear-wheel drive. Toyota claims it goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds, which is very quick and basically the same as the base Porsche 718 Cayman. The BMW Z4 with the same engine is just a hair slower. Fuel economy is 25 miles per gallon in the city, 31 mpg on the highway and 27 mpg combined.
The Supra’s 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six remains the upgrade engine and is the only one available with another exciting upgrade: a six-speed manual transmission. It produces 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque and accelerates the Supra from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds with the eight-speed automatic transmission or 4.2 seconds with the manual transmission. It feels as fast as it sounds behind the wheel and sounds sensational while doing so. The automatic transmission’s fuel economy is just a little less than the 2.0’s at 23/31/26 mpg. The 3.0 with a manual transmission takes a significant hit at 19/27/21 mpg.
How does the Supra drive?
From the driver’s seat, you can feel the size (or lack thereof) of the Supra. The beltline is high, the greenhouse is short and the folding hood stretches out in front of you, but it’s not as overwhelming as similar long-hood, short-deck cars like a Mercedes-AMG GT. It’s also well-balanced, with a 50:50 weight distribution that’s pretty much inscribed in everything with Bavarian DNA, and it has the eagerness to deftly turn in and pivot around you. During longer cornering, you can feel what the car is doing through the seat of your pants and control it with the responsive throttle. With that in mind, you can wag the tail and slide a little in Sport mode and with traction control turned off. If you turn off the stability control, it’s possible to easily force and then hold a full-blown, smoky slide. The steering, on the other hand, is excellent and is actually a much more responsive and communicative performance than BMW theoretically achieves with the same components.
We like the six-speed manual transmission. It moves through the gears with gentle guidance from the thumb or forefinger, but has enough power and engages the gears with enough resistance to feel appropriate for a sports car’s manual transmission. Perhaps the best way to describe it is halfway between a BMW and a GR86 transmission. It’s quite good. However, it’s slightly slower than the automatic transmission, with Toyota doing its 0-60 time in 4.2 seconds, as opposed to 3.9 seconds for the AT. Oh damn.
Unsurprisingly, it’s toned down a bit on the four-cylinder. It’s still fast, but obviously a lot slower. Its exhaust still sounds cool (unlike BMW, Toyota doesn’t use fake engine noise through the speakers), but it’s also not the same as the inline-six. And without the 3.0’s limited-slip differential and adaptive suspension, the four-cylinder Supra just doesn’t handle as well, even if there’s less weight up on the nose and elsewhere. It also has less powerful brakes and is not as comfortable to drive as the Supra 3.0 without the adaptive chassis.
Therefore, the more powerful Supra is definitely the more fun to drive and the combination with an inline six-cylinder just feels right in this car, especially considering the availability of the manual transmission, although for the money and the relatively low competition, the four-cylinder model is still one convincing performance machine.
What other Toyota Supra reviews can I read?
2023 Toyota Supra Manual First Drive
We had been waiting for a manual transmission version of the Supra and were not disappointed.
Test report on the comparison test 2023 Nissan Z vs. 2023 Toyota GR Supra
We pit the Supra against the new Nissan Z and find the Toyota to be the better all-round sports car.
2021 Toyota GR Supra First Drive
I’m driving both the 2.0 model and the revised 3.0 model for the first time, including more detailed information about the then-new 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
2021 Toyota Supra 2.0 road test
The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is powerful enough, but doesn’t touch the soul the way it should.
2020 Toyota Supra first drive
Our original review of the Supra, including the most in-depth information about its engineering, design and relationship with BMW.
Deep insight into the Toyota Supra chassis
Take a look under the Supra with engineer Dan Edmunds to see how its suspension works.
Toyota GR Supra vs. BMW Z4 comparison drive
Contributing author Lawrence Ulrich takes two consecutive drives with the 2020 Supra and its platform-mate BMW Z4 to find out which company did a better job of developing a sports car from seemingly equal parts.
2020 Toyota Supra road test
We drive the Supra in the real world during a week-long road test at our headquarters in Michigan.
Toyota Supra luggage test
We find out how much luggage can fit in the Supra for a weekend trip (and are very surprised by the answer).
How much is the Supra 2024 price and what features are available?
The 2024 Supra 2.0 starts at $47,535, including the $1,025 destination charge, which is $9,000 less than the more powerful Supra 3.0. However, this doesn’t just give you a larger engine. Starting at $56,495 (with either automatic or manual transmission), the Supra 3.0 also features Brembo disc brakes, 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, adaptive suspension dampers, a limited-slip differential, power seats, and a 10-speaker sound system. A Premium version ($59,645) adds additional luxury equipment.
The 45th Anniversary Edition ($66,370) is based on the 3.0 Premium and features 19-inch matte black forged aluminum wheels, a manually adjustable rear spoiler, black “Supra” side graphics, orange strut bars and black brake calipers.
What safety ratings and driver assistance features does the Supra offer?
Every Supra comes standard with forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and automatic high beams. The Premium trim Driver Assistance Package (with automatic transmission) adds adaptive cruise control, blind spot and rear cross traffic warning systems, and parking sensors that can activate the standard automatic emergency braking system. These features are also included in the Safety and Technology package on base versions 2.0 and 3.0, which also adds the Premium’s infotainment extras.
The Supra has not been crash tested by a third party.
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