I’ll admit, when I imagine myself owning a sports car, the Toyota Supra wasn’t at the top of my list. I’m more of a Lexus LC kind of guy. But I recently spent a week with the 2021 Toyota GR Supra 2.0 and instantly understood why this vehicle is beloved in the sports car world. It’s everything you want from a sports car: it’s nimble, quick, and sexy as hell to look at. Reborn — or re-imagined — from the ashes of the equally beloved Toyota Celica, the Supra is a formidable contender in the sporty segment. Being that it was awarded “Best Performance Vehicle of the Year” in 2021 by the Texas Auto Writers Association means it has to be doing a lot of things right.
What stood out to me the most, however, was the 2.0 at the end of the title. I had heard of the Supra 3.0 but what was the 2.0 version bringing to the table” Turns out, there is a significant variation between the two and for this Dad Driver’s money, that variation would make all the difference.
What This Dad Digs about the 2021 Toyota GR Supra 2.0
2.0 versus 3.0 – I won’t make you wait for it – the 2.0 version of the Supra is new for 2021 and it actually signals an important distinction in engine cylinders when compared to the 3.0. The Supra 2.0 comes with a new 2.0 liter inline-four engine that produces 255 horsepower; conversely the Supra 3.0 has a 3.0 liter inline-six engine that produces 382 horsepower. Modern vehicles are squeezing out much better performance from four cylinders these days and the Supra 2.0 is one of them.
What it loses in horsepower, the Supra 2.0 gains in a lower curb weight and overall cost savings. The 2.0 comes in about 170 pounds lighter than the 3.0 which made for some extremely fun 0-60 tests. Launching from a standstill, I reached 60 miles an hour consistently in just under 5 seconds — not lightning fast but thrilling nonetheless. 295 pound feet of torque certainly helps reach this speed but to make the 2.0 lighter, the Supra did have to shed some weight in other places. For instance, it sits on 18 inch wheels instead of the 19 inch ones on the 3.0, and there is no electronically controlled slip differenerental in the 2.0.
Regardless, the Supra handles precisely and corners so smoothly, it made me want to attempt them faster. Perhaps even more exciting is the stick price on the 2.0. The four cylinder Supra is $8000 less than the 3.0. That’s alot of cash that can be used elsewhere like a unique paint job or interior upgrades. Not to mention, there is a large community of Supra fanatics who love to manual trick-up their rides, so having access to a less expensive – but still speedy – Supra to act as a jumping off point is ideal.
Subtle and not so subtle stylings – A good sports car should look like a sports car, no matter how you dress it up, but in that dressing comes personality and style. I already mentioned that I’m a fan of the Lexus LC and its unique stylings, but in comparison that’s a much longer, larger vehicle. The Supra 2.0 feels like a snub nosed pistol next to the long barreled LC but they both live in a similar design universe. As short as the Supra is, Toyota has found ways to implement bold design stylings along the exterior body including aggressive front and rear ends. Looking at it head on or from behind, the Supra is intense and certainly unique.
The dramatic fender rise over the rear tires is a thing of beauty and during my time with the Supra, I was consistently floored by its impressive angles as I approached it from various angles. While the rear windshield feels slightly “cartoony”, I absolutely loved the way the blacked out A pillars created the illusion that the front windshield wraps around the car to create the drive and passenger windows. The bright and attractive yellow paint job on our test vehicle only accentuated this illusion and I’m all for it.
No Leather is a Good Thing– The Supra 2.0 also differentiates itself from the 3.0 in what it offers in the two seater interior. Instead of offering full leather, electrical adjustable seats, the 2.0 comes with alcantrara-wrapped sport seats that have to be adjust manually. Not really an issue for me as I typically opt for any other material besides leather. Living in Texas will teach you very quickly that leather can get hotter than hades!
Spending an entire week with a Supra, I found myself really enjoying the interior design – what little there is, anyway. The digital gauge cluster is minimalistic but sleek and pairs nicely with the similarly sparse dash. The carbon fiber interior trim looks sleek and the 8.8 inch infotainment screen is ideally placed on the dash. I even dig the hexagonal bezel on the screen that brings a sliver of character to an otherwise common piece of tech. I could have done without some of the physical buttons on the center stack, like the excessively long row of radio band buttons. That info should all live in the software and leave the dash to be clear of clutter..
Space Where You Can find It – It’s unfair to suggest that the limited amount of cargo space in the 2021 Supra is a disadvantage – after all it is a sports car and cargo space isn’t a top priority. There is no back seat so this is certainly a car for Dad Drivers who are flying solo. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of useful space in the trunk. The Supra has a hatchback style truck door that opens up the rear cargo space nicely, allowing for ample space for things like groceries or bags.
Decent Fuel Economy – It should come as no surprise that the Supra’s lighter weight plays into a fuel economy that is more than decent. At 25 miles per gallon in the city and 32 miles per gallon on the highway, the Supra performs admirably for a sports car. Of course, mileage may vary depending on how you drive it and believe me, you’ll want to drive it fast.
Where the 2021 Toyota Supra 2.0 Get This Dad’s Downvote
Safety at an Additional Cost – At its base level, the Supra starts at just above $44,000 – an agreeable price for an outstanding performance vehicle. However, the base level Supra only comes with limited safety features, namely daytime running lights, pre-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection and lane departure warning with steering assist. These are all great safety features that work well but it’s an incomplete safety package that is remedied with Toyota’s Safety and Technology Package. This package adds Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Parking sensors and Emergency braking.These extra safety features are key but increase the sticker price by $3,485. That inches the Supra closer to the $50k mark – a tough sell if your on a budget.
Supra Man
I know several Supra Men who hail Toyota’s sports car as the king of all sports cars. I never entertained the possibility that I could become a Supra Man myself. However, the 2021 Toyota Supra 2.0 brought me countless steps closer to understanding the Supra’s appeal. It’s totally the performance “get-a-way” experience any Dad Driver can enjoy, particularly because there is little room for extra passengers. Upgrading from the base level is key to completing the safety features package but that extra cost is easier to swallow with the 2.0’s initial savings from the four cylinder engine. Best of all, the Supra still performs incredibly well with only those four cylinders so it’s a worthwhile alternative to the 3.0. I’m not entirely sure I’d call myself a Supra Man now but I can say driving the Supra 2.0 indeed made me feel like I was flying.
Phillip is a filmmaker, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and craft beer aficionado. He writes about cars, car tech, and various other cool Dad things. He lives, works and plays in Dallas, Texas.
