Only weeks after the official debut of the new 2020 Toyota Supra, the Japanese brand has released what could be considered a spiced up version of the same car - the Toyota Supra TRD Concept. Revealed at the Osaka Automesse, the GR Supra Performance Line TRD Concept is a looker, but I wonder do you find it as dashing as the Supra mk4 TRD 3000GT. Yup, that was a thing, and that particular Supra had the TRD developed body kit along with a number of other attachments. I will leave the comparison between the awesome Supra TRD 3000GT with the new Toyota Supra TRD concept for another day, but now, I’d like to explore and propose to you what the modern Toyota Racing Development team prepped for the latest Supra. I told you numerous times that I like the way the new car looks, but can the TRD Concept further sharpen my desire for it?

2020 Toyota Supra vs 2020 Toyota GR Supra Performance Line TRD Concept

Front Comparison

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At first glance, the new GR Supra Performance Line TRD Concept does not seem to bring a lot of novelties into play. Yet, that’s the thing with TRD - to accomplish massive goals without massive changes. Isn’t that what separates chevaliers from plebeians!? While the standard Supra still looks more than adequate to fight in the same style ballpark as basically any other similarly sized sports car (including the Cayman), the TRD Concept does invite a certain aftermarket flare we’ve become accustomed to with the endless Toyota Supra A80 customizations.

The splitter is more pronounced and definitely chubbier at the ends. Now, this may seem to be just a style decision because it looks cooler, but adding bigger splitters (actually a lip kit in this case) on cars does generate some clear aerodynamic benefits. In the case of the GR Supra Performance Line TRD Concept, the massive front splitter basically helps the high-pressure air that builds up in front of the bumper to move quickly over the car. At the same time, it clearly separates high-pressure air and low-pressure air (beneath a moving car). This considerably reduces lift at high speeds and, in reality, increases traction. And, needless to say, you need a lot of traction when moving really fast.

You will notice that both the standard 2020 Toyota Supra and the GR Supra Performance Line TRD Concept have splitters. They do the same job, but the one on the TRD does it a bit more effectively.

The other main task of the chubbier front splitter is to give the 2020 Toyota Supra a slightly wider stance. And it does just that unequivocally.

Side Comparison

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Moving to the side, TRD developed two separate pieces to drizzle the Toyota Supra with more panache. The side skirts are considerably more pronounced. Yet, we can see a tad of fakery here as the winglets at the ends of the skirts aren’t actually winglets, but only design cues crafted to make the Supra look more aggressive and decisive.

It does have some function. The unique design of the door garnish actually splits the air that travels on the sides of the doors and breaks any vortexes that usually appear there. Smoother airflow at the sides makes the job easier for the rear aerodynamic components that can further amplify the intended aerodynamic purpose.

Now, Toyota did note that the side skirts actually help lower the center of gravity further, but I am not quite sure how that is accomplished. As they are made from carbon fiber, these side skirts should be lighter than those on the standard car. So, how on earth do they lower the center of gravity? Nevertheless, even if they somehow manage to do it, I can’t imagine that the center of gravity would be lower by any reasonable measurable, let alone a noticeable amount.

Do they look cool?

I most certainly think they do.

The final change on the side of the GR Supra Performance Line Concept TRD is the installation of the new wheels. Nothing special about these new, 19-inch, forged wheels except maybe for the more intricate design and black paint. I don’t find them particularly interesting though.

Rear Comparison

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Ok, I admit, I expected to see a big ass spoiler at the back of the new Toyota GR Supra Performance Line TRD Concept. You know, like on the Supra A80. There's nothing of the sort here, though. Toyota Racing Development instead fitted a carbon extension to the rear decklid spoiler. Actually, I do like it, but something like this would be neater for sure:

Now, I haven’t seen the car in person, but I guess that the rear spoiler does add a bit of heft to the whole Supra idea.

At the far sides of the lower end at the rear, TRD integrated far bigger air spats. These direct the airflow to the center and create much smoother air turbulence behind the 2020 Toyota Supra A90.

2020 Toyota Supra Specifications

Engine

3.0-liter twin-scroll turbo six

Horsepower

335 HP

Torque

365 LB-FT

Transmission

8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters

0 to 60 mph

4.1 seconds

Top Speed

155 mph


Conclusion

Obviously, all the added pieces were precisely developed in the air tunnel and, I firmly believe, do improve the airflow and the aerodynamic characteristics of the 2020 Toyota Supra A90. However, its sheer effects can only be experienced at higher speeds and, preferably, on the track. As Toyota Racing Development is not a “half-ass-job” sort of a company, it did infer that there will be more to come for the new Supra. I expect serious suspension tweaks, maybe some kind of a power upgrade, and (one can hope) some cool touches inside. All of this before the arrival of the 2020 Toyota Supra GRMN.

Further reading

Read our review of the 2020 Toyota Supra

The 2019 Toyota Supra TRD Performance Concept Debuts in Japan

Check out our full review of the 2014 Toyota FT-1 Concept