We’ve been thinking…. are there any manufacturers that offer more kinds of vehicles than Toyota? It’s hard to imagine. And even though the big-ticket items sales wise are the RAV4, Corolla, Camry and 4Runner, the company still offers plenty to keep the die-hard enthusiast involved.

Easy tip – look for something with the GR badge, courtesy Toyota’s racing arm. There’s a 3-cylinder, 300 horsepower GR Corolla, rear wheel drive GR86 hatchback, and the subject of this test, the GR Supra. Anyone of the above would be a dream vehicle, but the Supra is the dreamiest of them all, so we say…test drive!

Fast and Furious by Design

You might not know it, (ok you probably do) but the GR Supra is built alongside the BMW Z4 convertible. And while they share the chassis and running gear, they go their separate ways in styling.
First of all, the Supra is a hardtop coupe. You want open-air, you’ll be shopping at the BMW store. We also think that the Toyota is aimed at a younger buyer, it’s got aggressive, in-your-face looks that would make it a star in the Fast and Furious franchise, and it looks serious and mean.

Up front is long and low, with a hood line that extends well down into the front fascia. 6-lens auto leveling LED headlights and sleek linear LED driving lights give a heavy-lidded look, while a front lower grille divvied up into three parts that hint there’s an air-hungry turbo engine lying under that long hood.

The profile is an evolution of the low-slung coupe lines that have been a Supra staple, with large bulgy fenders, deep-dish cut-ins on the door panels and added aero bits. A small greenhouse sweeps into a deeply angled hatch. Finishing off the look, 19-inch Forged Aluminum Gunmetal Wheels with Brembo 4-piston brakes peeking out of the front wheels are pure performance art.

The rear is as simple as the front, with LED taillights, a rather large spoiler molded into the hatch, with a black lower fascia and two massive exhaust pipes poking out underneath.

Our tester was finished off in a tasteful white they call Absolute Zero, which is a beautiful color to show off all the sculpted curves and shapes. We also came away thinking that you often see so many modded Supras with giant wings and all that you forget just how handsome the unadorned design is.

A True Cockpit

While the exterior is vastly different from the BMW Z4, inside, the Supra feels much closer to its Bavarian sibling – no problem there, as BMW is making great interiors lately.
But first, you have to get in. And with a low-slung sports car with a hard roof, you’re kind of swinging yourself in, and if you’re taller it’s still easy to bounce your noggin getting in.

Once in, though, it’s surprisingly spacious for a small sports car, and the Supra’s power adjustable seats on all trims are very comfortable and supportive in the German tradition. Taller drivers will appreciate the double-bubble roof that helps carve out a little more space, and the cabin feels cozy, but never cramped. Our Premium tester was even more handsome thanks to a rich two-tone with hazelnut-colored trim on the seats, wheel, and center console. It looked and felt rich.

Behind that beautiful two-tone steering wheel is a comprehensive digital display, that’s unique to the Toyota and we like the sport focused design of it with a large central 7,000 rpm tach and digital speedometer read out – simpler and much better than BMW’s confusing counter-rotating display.

It’s also interesting to see how Toyota reconfigured the center stack. Where the Z4 has dual integrated screens creating a large single display, the Supra uses a stand-alone tablet style scree with volume knob below and dedicated climate control below that. BMW flips those – either one works fine, to be honest.

You’ll also find that the Supra uses a similar version of BMW’s iDrive with swipe-able tablets, and easy to use, intuitive screens. That’s a win-win. Navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay both worked great for us (sorry Android is not available), and we liked the circular knob below the shifter for accessing key features of the info-tainment – even though the 8.8-inch display is also a touchscreen.

There’s even a handy wireless charge pad for your smartphone. This really is one of the best systems offered on any car anywhere!

We also liked the stubby shift lever and wheel mounted paddle shifters that make for a great connected feel while driving. And connecting us with our groove was the Premium’s standard 12-speaker, 500-watt JBL Hi-Fi audio system.

One downer – the center console is also home for two nicely-sized cupholders, but there’s no storage under that armrest, so you have to find alternate homes for things like your wallet.

The hatchback design itself is surprisingly useful – while this isn’t your car of choice for a Home Depot run, it’s relatively deep in there, and a week’s worth of groceries, or a weekend getaway’s bags should fit pretty easily. We’re guessing most people won’t have a Supra as their only car, but if you do, with a little planning, you can get by.

Standard Supra-Powers!

Big news for 2025 is that the Supra will no longer be offered with an available 4-cylinder engine, meaning that the standard powerplant is the muscular turbocharged, inline six-cylinder that pumps out an impressive 382 horsepower and 368 lb.-ft. of torque.
This is a gorgeous sounding engine that starts with a deep “whump” when cold and sounds throaty and evocative through the rpm range.

Push it hard and it rewards with a piercing cry as it pulls relentlessly to the redline. This is one of the great engines of all time! Our tester was equipped with the 8-speed automatic transmission, and it is impressively smooth in the daily drive, and massively quick in Sport mode. 0-60 mph comes in easily below 4-seconds. It’s a rocket!

Toyota also does the enthusiast a solid and offers a 6-speed manual as well, and while it is a bit slower in pure numbers, the connection between car and driver is amplified. We say, decide which suits your driving style, traffic style, etc.…there’s no bad choice here – either way is fantastic.

That BMW chassis underneath your well-contoured sport seat also makes the Supra a delight on the road. The ride is surprisingly comfortable for such a focused, short wheelbase sports car, and the steering feel is nicely weighted, precise and is probably the best we’ve found in a BMW-based product in a long time. Maybe the Toyota engineers had a hand in it?

This is a car that relishes being tossed into turns, and the Michelin Pilot Super Sports have loads of grip. And when you power out with that delicious 6-cylinder singing, it puts goosebumps on your goosebumps. Those massive brakes are a welcome partner to the head-snapping acceleration, and it’s feel some and easy to modulate.

Maybe the only downside on the drive is the wind buffeting you get in the cabin at speed with the windows down especially above 40 mph or so. This is something we’ve noticed on this generation of Supra since the beginning – you either leave the windows up, put up with the buffeting, or go over to the BMW dealer and get a Z4 – the convertible doesn’t have this problem.

It does need to be said how livable the overall package is. Many sports cars are simply weekend toys that are just too focused, too harsh, and too uncompromised to be used daily. The Supra offers all the grins and performance, and yet the overall smoothness, suppleness and well-thought-out design and tech makes it a very usable daily driver. And when it comes to raising your heart rate, a quick pull on the paddle shifter and you are gone!

To help you with the day-to-day, our tester had the optional Driver Assist Package, which serves up Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Parking Sensors with Emergency Braking Function. We think this is a smart buy at $1,195 – especially since the Supra’s deep seating position and high flanks limit visibility. It’s nice to have a little help.

How much for Toyota’s E-Ticket Ride?

You get a lot of bang for your buck here. The GR 3.0 starts at $56,310. (The manual transmission is a no-cost option.) Our tester was the 3.0 Premium addition, starting at $59,400, and that adds such goodies as full leather upholstery, a color head-up display wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless smartphone charging, and an upgraded 12-speaker JBL surround-sound system. Options on our tester included the Driver Assist Package ($1,195) and a Cargo Mat ($110). Add in $1,135 for Destination, and we rang the bell at $61,840.

Competitors we’d look at would include the Nissan Z at $55,460. With 400 horsepower from its turbo V6 it’s an impressive performer at a slightly lower price. Definitely worth a test drive! Of course, the other competitor would be the BMW Z4, which the Supra is based on. You do pay for that shiny BMW badge though – a comparable Z4 M40i is over $73,000!

And of course, we should at least mention the Porsche Cayman. With a starting price of over $77,000 it may be the gold standard of sports car performance, but at that price you’re only getting a 300 horsepower, 4-cylinder turbo engine. If you want a 6-cylinder turbo, you’re starting at well over $100,000! Suddenly the Supra looks like a bargain!

Fantastic performance, aggressive looks and a luxurious interior – all with a BMW pedigree – the 2025 Toyota GR Supra is an awesome sports car and a smart value as well!