I have been in the business of car journalism for more than a decade, yet, not once in all this time have I witnessed so much scrutiny of a car as we’re seeing right now with the new 2020 Toyota Supra. I can’t say it was unexpected, but literally, everybody is so mesmerized by the newcomer. Not necessarily in a good way, either. Personally, I do believe that this car is possibly one of the best to appear in this decade, but the question is, is this really a Supra? While that question may never be answered, I can tell you a lot of cool things about the new car, and we're here to talk about them.

Toyota Chief Engineer Claims that the 2020 Toyota Supra Can "easily" Lap the Nurburgring in 7:40

Tetsuya Tada, Chief Engineer of the 2020 Toyota Supra, revealed one curious fact a few hours after the Supra's debut. He told Road and Track journalists: "One day, perhaps, we cut the speed limiter and try the time attack (on the Nurburgring). But even just driving it as it is, it's really fast. On the old course, it's very easy to break eights—7:50, 7:40. It will do that easily."

Obviously, Toyota did not send it around the Nurburgring, but in its pursuit to control all the marketing damage the new Toyota Supra certainly caused, I do believe that Toyota will send it to lap the Green Hell soon

I told you it will be a glorious car. The true competitor to the Cayman S. That one managed to do 7:46.70.

The 2020 Toyota Supra's Exterior Design is Completely Unrelated to the2019 BMW Z4

Well, you can see this fact for yourself, can’t you!? After the first meeting between Adrian Van Hooydonk, BMW head, and Akio Toyoda, Toyota head, the whole plan was laid out.

“The design teams then went their separate ways, and I never saw what they did until we were finished. We had a meeting at the end where we shared with one another what we’d done, on the same wheelbase and mechanicals,” Adrian Van Hooydonk said earlier in 2018."

The design obviously does not have much in common, and it is quite impressive to think that the Z4 and the Supra have basically the same drivetrain, tech, and suspension. I hope they drive differently too.

Questionable Power - The 2020 Toyota Supra Probably Has More Power Than Specs Reveal

Our guy Jonathan wrote an awesome article in which he states he’s unsure about the maximum power output of the new Toyota Supra. However, the acceleration numbers for the new Supra stand at 4.1 seconds for 0-60 mph and 4.3 seconds for 0-62 mph. Honestly, this seems a bit too quick for 335 horsepower.

This is what Jonathan said in his piece:

“You probably remember the old fourth-gen Supra, yes? When it was first released, this thing came equipped with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder making 320 horsepower. Properly motivated, it could reach 60 mph in about 4.9 seconds.

That’s nearly a second slower than the fifth-gen model, which is an enormous gulf to fill with just an extra 15 horsepower, even when you consider the 100-pound weight difference, the traction-adding electronics, and contemporary sport tires.”

Now, the biggest competitor to the Toyota Supra is the Porsche 718 Cayman S. That’s actually the car Toyota aims to beat.

With 350 horsepower, a 2.5-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, PDK transmission, and Sport Chrono Package, the Cayman S will do 60 mph in exactly 4 seconds. However, I am writing here about a car that tips the scales at 3,054 pounds. That’s exactly 343 pounds less than the weight of the Supra. And the Porsche has a quicker PDK transmission at that.

Now, I have a strange feeling that in order to achieve 4.1 acceleration, the Toyota Supra has to tap a bit of overboost. True, nothing was said on the matter, but BMW and its specs for the Z4 M40i suggested that one would hit 60 in 4.4 seconds. Only to correct itself after the Supra was revealed. At the time, BMW noted the Z4 M40i will actually do 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. And that with the 382 horsepower engine.

All in all, I leave it for you to assess if the Supra can pull off 4.1 seconds acceleration with a 335 horsepower engine.

2020 Toyota Supra Specifications

The 2020 Toyota Supra Will Probably Replace The GT86, And That’s A Good Thing

Everyone was rather disappointed by 200-horsepower that BRZ/GT86 brought into play. So much so, that some Toyota officials said that the new Supra will be a perfect car for those who find the GT86 lacking power or performance.

In order to provide an acceptable replacement for the GT86, Toyota offers the Supra with a smaller, BMW-sourced, 2.0-liter engine with 255 horsepower. There’s even a 194 horsepower version in Japan. I don’t know about you, but a Supra-like this is most certainly better than the GT86.

The 2020 Toyota Supra Has a Floor That's Nearly Flat

Visual analysis of the new Toyota Supra may trick you into thinking that this car is all about aerodynamics. After all, what other conclusions can you draw with all of those vents? While most of them are fake, the thing is that the Supra is a small aerodynamic masterpiece. That’s really important for airflow under the car, as well as high-speed stability. And it says something about Toyota’s dedication to building sports cars.

The 2020 Toyota Supra's Central Light Is Actually A Reverse Light

Yes, a reverse light, but it is also a throwback to racing cars and especially to F1 cars.

So, does that make the rear light on the Supra a bit fake? I don’t think so. It is a cool throwback and a nice design cue.

The 1981 Toyota Supra (A60) Is 11 Inches Longer Than The 2020 Toyota Supra

Practically, the smallest. Yet again, this doesn’t come as a surprise as every subsequent Supra since the A60 was shorter than its predecessor. So, nothing wrong here, I guess.

The 2020 Toyota Supra's is Just as Stiff as the Carbon-Fiber Lexus LFA Supercar

Back in July 2018, I learned that the then-upcoming Supra will have the same body rigidity as the Lexus LFA. I mean, really? The LFA is one of the best supercars ever produced, and one of its main traits was that famed rigidity.

Then, Toyota Supra Chief Designer, Tada said that “It’s actually the same level of rigidity as the Lexus LFA supercar, and it has been achieved without using carbon fiber so we could keep the price point at an affordable level. That was the most difficult thing to achieve."

With that said, I would like to know about every single structural difference between the Z4 and the new Supra. If there are any, that is. It may well be that all is almost the same. And, while I’m at that, just imagine what a sensation would a Z4 Coupe be. Ouuh, boy!

The 2020 Toyota Supra Tips The Scales At 3,397 Pounds

I don’t know if this is light or not. However, compared to the Porsche 718 Cayman S, it feels somewhat heavy. The Cayman is more than 350ish pounds lighter. And that’s a lot. Yet, the Supra is less expensive, so I don’t mind it actually.

The 2020 Toyota Supra Has a Different Interior Than the 2019 BMW Z4

The inside may be full of BMW parts - like the buttons, the Infotainment (including slightly modified software, might I add), the seats and the stalks, but the dashboard shape isn’t anything like that of the 2019 BMW Z4. At least, that’s the difference. Honestly, I don't mind this cabin arrangement at all. If you can forgive Toyota for the almost exclusive use of BMW parts, then the inside is quite dashing.

The 2020 Toyota Supra has Ten Fake Vents

This is a thing. Ten fake vents on the outside of the Supra cast a massive shadow of doubt over the whole car. Why Toyota, why? Interestingly enough, massive Internet feedback on the fake vents made Tetsuya Tada, Engineering Chief for the Supra comment on the issue. He said to Road and Track:

"If you look at the vehicle today, there's holes all over the body," Tada said. "They're just capped on the production car. Those are for the racing model.

Now, I doubt this. My research included watching and reading about the Supra more than I really should, and let me tell you that not one of those fake vents is as ready as Tada suggested. To put it simply, they do not lead anywhere.

The 2020 Toyota Supra Probably Has More BMW Logos Than Toyota Logos

Well, sorry Toyota fans, but this is probably true. Now, you cannot see these BMW logos right away, but peek under the bonnet or glance at the suspension, and you will see BMW logos on almost every part there.

The 2020 Toyota Supra has some BMW 3 Series DNA As Well

Shared parts are a common thing with basically every major car producer. However, how do you feel knowing that the BMW 3 Series and the new Toyota Supra have basically the same knuckles, suspension arms, and even plastic aerodynamic pieces screwed to the lower suspension arms. I believe many other parts are shared with numerous BMW vehicles.

I Think This Is The Main Fact Why The 2020 Supra It Is Not The Car We All Expected It To Be

Actually, Toyota had a lot of issues with sales. No one wanted a Japanese gizmo next to proper American muscle - like the Corvette. However, after it became massively popular in the Fast and Furious movie and numerous video games of the time, its cult started to grow. The famed 2JZ reached the status of a deity and all of a sudden the Supra turned into a car that could smoke a GT-R, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or anything else. That is how the current generation of car aficionados grew up actually. They do not see the Supra as a car to fight the AMG A45 or the Audi RS3. No, no no. In their heads, the Supra should be something that can kill off a freaking 458 Italia. But it can’t. And it never could. At least not in its stock form.

So, I submit to you that the car world as a whole would be much happier if Toyota created a Supra that can withstand a GT-R attack. But in that case, what would the point of Lexus be?

I am really interested in this, would you be willing to swallow something called the Lexus Supra that sells for $100,000? For the kind of performance you expect of your beloved machine, that’s the utmost least amount of money that would be required.

Further Reading

Toyota Supra Returns After 21 Years with BMW Engine; And it's Not Cheap

Read our review of the 2020 Toyota Supra

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

Read our full, in-depth review of the 2019 BMW Z4