Not even a year after the 2020 Toyota Supra went on sale, Toyota made a surprise announcement that the 2021 model would be impressively better. So much better, in fact, that it six-cylinder model sees a 0.2-second improvement in 60-mph sprints, all thanks to a power increase of 47 horsepower and three pound-feet of torque. A cheaper, four-cylinder model will also go on sale with an impressive price tag and great performance as well. This was great news for those who waited to buy Toyota’s BMW-based halo car, but it kind of sticks it to people who jumped into dealers right away. Now, Toyota is trying to provide justification for its actions, and you’ll either agree completely or throw your phone.
Toyota Likens the Supra’s Power Increase to Adding Safety Features in Other Cars
We’re almost always happy to hear when a performance car gets more power – that’s kind of what we live for – but when you introduce upgrades just months after a model has launched, it’s hard to prove that you weren’t just taking advantage of those willing to buy right away. And, rightfully so, a lot of 2020 Supra owners are pissed.
Now, in a media call with reporters, Toyota Group VP and GM, Jack Hollis, has voice Toyota’s official opinion on the matter. Fair warning – if you’re someone who bought the 2020 Supra right away, you’re probably not going to like what comes next.
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Hollis even likened the performance increase from 2020 to 2021 as being “just as important” as adding safety equipment in other Toyota consumer cars. Now, maybe that you can agree with, but doing it after the initial rush and hype for a new model – especially one as nostalgic as the Supra – has worn down doesn’t really sit right with very many. In fact, it’s like playing dirty pool: you can get away with it, but you’ll get a bad reputation for doing it.
Back to the point at hand, Hollis said that his job is to make vehicles better, and that’s not just limited to the Supra. He admitted that recent buyers of the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid might get upset as the soon-to-launch RAV4 Prime PHEV will offer more power and impressively better fuel economy.
Toyota Suggests It Would Be Happy if 2020 Owners Bought a 2021 Model
Now, maybe you can get past the sudden update to the 2021 Toyota Supra. Maybe you can’t. But, either way, what you probably won’t like is that Hollis suggested that he would be “really happy” if current customers return to buy a 2021 Supra. This statement alone almost makes it sound like Toyota was hoping to double-dip on the sales front. It actually makes complete sense:
-* Sell a new, nostalgic model one year
-* Next year provide an impressive performance increase
-* Current Owners trade in a slightly used model, just to take on a larger payment
-* The traded-in 2020 Supras, likely low mileage, are sold as certified used to those than can’t afford to or don’t want to pay full price
-* Toyota sells the same cars twice, making a decent chunk of cheddar in the process
And, that’s exactly how the whole story could play. Of course, for those that have waited, there’s now a good justification for waiting. After all, if you chose to wait for whatever reason, that wait will net you much better performance than you’re buddy down the street gets from his 2020 model. Then again, Toyota only sold some 3,800 examples of the Supra since it arrived in July 2019, which does make Toyota happy, but certainly limits the potential for the number of owners willing to trade-in.