Did it all go too far with fakery on modern cars? After a whole eternity of waiting, Toyota finally revealed the new Toyota Supra. The impressions are mixed, but it seems that the Internet warriors aren't fond of it. At all. And while I personally do like the exterior design and actually believe that the Supra will be a wonderful car to drive, I can pinpoint some obvious problems with it. One of the biggest concerns I had after I saw the prototype appear at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed was the incredible amount of fake vents on the Supra. Sure, I did say at the time that I don’t mind it a lot, but I believed that Toyota would, at least, make some of them real. It did not. Our live experience at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show taught us that the new 2020 Toyota Supra GR has as many as five different fake vents.

As much as I want this car to succeed (because I do believe it is seriously good), that much fakery simply puts me off and casts a massive shade over the whole Supra lore.

Fake Vents Are A Big Deal In The Industry Today

Yes, I do know that almost every performance car you can see on the roads has some fake stuff on it. For some, it is the engine sound, for others fake exhaust tips, unnecessary diffuser panels, faux cross-drilled brake discs, or fake carbon inlays. I could go on for ages. While the buyers of such cars obviously don't have a problem with this, I do.

Especially on high-risk sports cars such as the Supra. Per side, that is. Double it. There are actually 10 fake vents. Just for the show. So, let me rename the Supra vents into something politically correct - design cues. That’s what it is actually.

We have seen it on another big Detroit debut this year too - the Shelby GT500. It got ‘em too. If you wondered, that’s the most powerful Ford production car ever.

However, I am not mad at the GT500's fake vents. Not at all. That’s already a shouty, large car with the sounds of thunder under the hood and the brutality of the hammer on the wheels. The Supra isn’t like that. Let me put it this way. See where I am going with it. The Supra obviously needs some makeup. I am OK with that. But it needs dragons too, and I am sorry, but I don't see any dragons on the new 2020 Supra.

How Would the Supra's Fake Vents Work If They Were Real?

Let me list you all the fake Supra vents for you:

-* Two in the bumpers,

-* Two beside the front lights at the sides,

-* Two on the front fenders,

-* Two on the doors,

-* Two beside the rear lights.

All of them are needed for the Supra to capture that cool style and spirit that the FT-1 Concept showed in 2014. And it did, but not in the most honest way.

So, let’s go sci-fi now to show you how all of this would work if the vents on the Supra were actually real.

-* The two in the front, just above the lower intakes, could feed the engine with a bit more air. More cool air equals power.

-* The two next to the front lights could lead even more air to cool the brakes.

-* The two on the fenders are of most interest for me. If they were real, these vents would actually allow the turbulent air created by the spin of the wheel to leave the wheel wells. With that said, this further reduces the possibility of interaction between the high-pressure air within the wheel wells and low-pressure air under the car. In short, it helps a bit with lift and with the air turbulence on the sides of the vehicle.

-* The vents on the doors and before the rear wheels could be routed to help cool the rear brakes, or even driveline components.

-* Finally, the vents beside the rear lights could have the same job as the vents on the fenders - to let the air escape from within the wheel wells.

On the other hand, the actual race car - the Toyota GR Supra Racing concept for the Super GT competition does not have anything of the sort. Not even a remotely similar vent. This bears the question, is there any logic to this design cue? I really tried to find one and justify the integration, but simply could not. Granted, they look cool, but is that really enough?

Maybe, just maybe, some future higher performance version of the Supra will get active vent shutters in the front and open fender vents. If that happens, I will be much happier than right now.

The Toyota Supra Does Not Need Vents - Not Real Ones, and Definitely Not Fake Ones

In all honesty, the new Toyota Supra does not need vents. None of them if you will.And Toyota isn’t that. Actually, to prove to you that Toyota isn’t lazy, I will tell you that the new Toyota Avalon TRD has side vents just under the headlights. They are freaking real (although probably unnecessary)!

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Toyota GR Supra is a controversy on wheels. It seems that Toyota did all it could to create as much hype, talk, and a story about it as possible. A lot of people are furious, some are disappointed, others happy. And that is the main reason why I actually think that the new Toyota Supra GR is already a success. Everyone had an emotional outburst. But as we all know, the sex is best after the fight. So, fight now, drive later. I am sure you’ll fall in love again despite all the fake boobs and hyaluronic acid lips fillers.

Further Reading

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

Read our speculative review of the 2020 Toyota Supra

Read our full review on the 2020 Toyota Supra GR.

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

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