The Toyota GR Supra (model code J29/DB or A90/A91 for marketing purposes) is a sports car manufactured by Magna Steyr for Toyota from 2019 to 2026. The fifth-generation Supra, the GR Supra was sold under and developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) brand in collaboration with BMW. It is the successor of the A80 Supra, which ceased production in 2002.
The GR Supra rides on a platform developed by Toyota and BMW, with a short wheelbase, wide track, and low centre of gravity, that also underpins the G29 BMW Z4. Initially, BMW considered using a pre-existing platform of their own to underpin the new Supra, but chief engineer Tetsuya Tada declined. Both cars are manufactured at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria.
The fifth-generation Supra uses BMW model code conventions, designated as a J29 series with DB model codes. However, Toyota used the "A90" and "A91" code for promotional and marketing materials for the fifth-generation Supra to maintain continuity from previous Supra generations.
The GR Supra ended production in March 2026 after a seven-year lifespan with no planned successor.
Development
Motor Trend had reported that a possible Supra successor could be based on the FT-HS (Future Toyota-Hybrid Sport), which debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. The publication also reported that the fifth generation of the Supra could be powered by a 3.5-litre V-6 hybrid system generating over . Toyota quoted that it was not rushing for the Supra successor but instead was waiting to see how the sales and interests of the GT86/FR-S went.
In 2010, Toyota applied for a trademark for the Supra name. The trademark had to be used within three years for it to be valid. In December 2011, Autoguide reported a possible Supra replacement that would sit above the GT86. Tetsuya Tada, the chief engineer of the Toyota 86/Scion FR-S told reporters in Germany in 2012 "the president (Akio Toyoda) has asked me to make a successor to the Supra as soon as possible."
In late 2013, AutoBlog reported a Supra successor concept would be making its debut at the January 2014 North American International Auto Show. On 13 January, Toyota unveiled its new FT-1 concept car. Little is known about this new concept car; other than that it has a front engine and rear wheel drive layout. Toyota also stated that their new concept car draws inspiration from Toyota's past sports cars like the 2000GT, Supra, MR-2 and the 2007 FT-HS concept car. Toyota did not state whether the FT-1 would use the Supra name, or if it was even bound for production. However, Toyota did state if the FT-1 is approved from production, a price tag of around was to be expected for each unit. Upon the car's reveal, chief designer—Nobuo Nakamura—confirmed that the FT-1's design was used for inspiration for the Supra but the two cars differ in many ways. The production Supra was smaller and more of a pure sports car design, as opposed to the FT-1 being a larger grand tourer. According to Akio Toyoda, the new Supra's design and performance identity were inspired by the Toyota 2000GT. The interior design, layout, and parts (like the materials, seats, and steering wheel) were also done by Toyota, while only small interior switchgear come from BMW.
On 10 February 2014, Toyota submitted an application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office to renew the Supra trademark. In June 2016, a trademark application for the Supra nameplate was filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. According to Autocar, the new Supra was set to debut in 2018. The publication reported that the car would likely feature a rear wheel drive; and four-cylinder engines were expected to be available, and it had been confirmed that the car would offer a turbocharged inline-6 engine. It was believed that the engines would be supplied by BMW. Kleine Zeitung reported that the new jointly developed Supra will be produced at a Magna Steyr facility near Graz, Austria, alongside the BMW Z4 (G29). Although the sports car's name was yet to be officially confirmed, Toyota global chief engineer Tetsuya Tada said that it will likely carry the nameplate Supra, due to its historical significance to the nameplate. The final decision regarding the car's name was not made until the later stages of production.
On 12 July 2018, a pre-production version of the Supra was unveiled with a camouflage paint scheme at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The car was confirmed to be a collaboration between Toyota and BMW with the new BMW Z4 (G29), but that the Supra is intended to be "much more hardcore and track-focused". Additionally, it was noted that the Supra was specifically engineered for an ideal 50–50 front-rear weight distribution. Tada also disclosed that the Supra was developed with benchmarking against the Porsche Cayman S (982), akin to the previous generation Supra's rivalry with the Porsche 968.
Launch The fifth-generation Supra was unveiled at the January 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The launch marked a 17-year hiatus since the previous generation was last sold. It was unveiled by Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, who announced the Supra was tuned and developed with extensive testing at the Nürburgring, and how its performance and design lineage can be traced to the famed 2000GT. Two-time Formula 1 champion and Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Fernando Alonso was also present to help launch the Supra. The European launch was held at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show.
The first production model was auctioned at a price of at a Barrett-Jackson auction to Craig Jackson (chairman and CEO of the Barrett-Jackson auction house) in January 2019, with 100% of the money going to the American Heart Association and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The auction car has a one-off matte grey exterior colour which is not offered on the standard Supra, as well as a red interior, metallic black five-bolt wheels, red wing mirrors, a signature from Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda on the dashboard and VIN 20201.
The Supra went on sale in Japan on 17 May 2019. In the United States, sales began on 22 July 2019 with a starting base price tag of . In Australia, sales began on 2 September 2019.
Engineering and specifications Powertrains
The Supra is powered by two BMW-sourced engine options: a turbocharged B48 2.0-litre inline-four or a turbocharged B58 3.0-litre inline-six. The 2.0-litre engine was initially offered in Japan, some Asian countries and Europe; the United States received the engine in 2020 for the 2021 model year. The 2.0-litre engine has a power output of from 4,500 to 6,500 rpm or 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and of torque from 1,450 to 4,200 rpm or 1,550 to 4,400 rpm, while the 3.0-litre engine has a power output of from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm or 5,800 to 6,500 rpm and from 1,600 to 4,500 rpm or 1,800 to 5,000 rpm.
Drivetrains
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a ZF 8HP 8-speed automatic transmission that was fully re-calibrated by Toyota, who also added their software to the gearbox for the Supra. Toyota initially considered to give the new Supra a dual-clutch automatic transmission, but went with the ZF 8HP for its smoothness, reliability, and weight savings.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: A manual transmission was initially not offered, due to the torque-converter automatic having quicker shifts, its ability to handle a lot of torque with self-awareness on its aftermarket potential, and wanting to differentiate it from the 86.
A specialized ZF S6-53 (GS6L50TZ) 6-speed manual transmission option was made available in 2022 for the 2023 model year for the six-cylinder engine only. Like the automatic, the manual transmission was built from a combination of ZF parts and custom Toyota parts, but receives a rev-matching function and a shorter final drive ratio compared to the automatic.
Performance A test conducted by Car and Driver in December 2019 recorded the acceleration of the 3.0 L model from in 3.7 seconds (with 1-foot rollout), which is 0.3 seconds faster than the time claimed by Toyota. The time was also recorded in 12.2 seconds at . A test in August 2020 recorded the acceleration of the 2.0 L model from in 4.7 seconds and a time of 13.3 seconds at .
German magazine Sport Auto set a lap time in August 2019 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with a 2020 GR Supra on factory Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres of 7:52.17 minutes.
Engineering Before production, Toyota wanted to develop and engineer a rear-wheel drive sports car that would compete against the Porsche Cayman S (982), while BMW wanted to build a roadster, which gave them the idea of co-developing an all-new platform that would handle both coupe and convertible variants with great rigidity and handling of torque. The platform takes some elements from BMW M's cars, such as the suspension design, forged control arms and electronic differential, all while being able to reduce costs for production and the final product. After co-developing the platform together, Toyota and BMW went to develop the rest of the two cars separately, such as chassis development, exterior and interior designs, and tuning of both drivetrain and suspension. For example, on the Supra, the side sills are significantly wider and stiffer, there is more chassis bracing, and Toyota moved the engine backwards in the engine bay for better weight distribution. The fake vents on the car's exterior were also leftovers from its race car prototype, and were designed so that the aftermarket car community could make them functional.
Final Edition In late November 2024, Toyota unveiled the A90 Final Edition for Europe and Japan, which serves as the last edition of the A90 Supra.
The A90 Final Edition includes parts sourced from and inspired by the GT4 race car, such as carbon-fibre front spoiler, canards, removable bonnet duct, and swan-neck rear wing, as well as the rear subframe from the race car and extra bracing. This special edition receives various upgrades such as new KW suspension, Akrapovič titanium exhaust, Brembo 15.6-inch front rotors and four-piston calipers, forged 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, and carbon-fibre Recaro Podium CF seats.
The model has a and power increase over the standard 3.0 model, bringing total power to and torque to . Power upgrades were achieved through revising the intake air path, adapting the low-back-pressure catalyst for reduced pressure loss, and optimizing engine controls. Additionally, a baffle plate has been added to the engine oil pan to prevent uneven oil distribution under higher g-forces, and cooling has been improved by adding a sub-radiator, enlarging the differential gear cover cooling fins, and strengthening the radiator cooling fan.
The A90 Final Edition is limited to 300 units, with 150 going to Japan, and the remaining 150 for Europe.
Markets
Japan The Supra is offered in three trim levels, which are the SZ, SZ-R and RZ. The SZ model is powered by the 2.0-litre engine and is equipped with 17-inch single tone wheels, manual seats, black fabric upholstery, dark silver trim and a 4-speaker sound system. The SZ-R model is powered by the variation of the 2.0-litre engine and is equipped with 18-inch two tone wheels, eight-way powered seats, Alcantara/black leather upholstery, carbon fibre trim, 8.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system with 12-speaker JBL stereo sound system and a head-up display.