Photo: Litchfield Motors
There’s no denying Toyota could’ve done better with the revival of the Supra. Slapping the GR prefix for Gazoo Racing doesn’t mean much when the BMW Z4 M40i comes with more suck-squeeze-bang-blow out of the box, and the lack of a manual transmission adds insult to injury.
But love it or hate it, the GR Supra has an inline-six turbo under the hood and rear-wheel drive. The Bavarian underpinnings are a godsend for the aftermarket, and Litchfield Motors from the United Kingdom is much obliged to tap into the car's performance potential.
The Gloucester tuner wasted no time in getting the Japanese sports car – which is actually made in Austria – on the dyno. A bit of research and development later, a re-flash of the ECU unlocked 420 horsepower from the 3.0-liter engine. A few hardware improvements such as the exhaust system and intake should translate to 450 horsepower, no doubt about it!
Litchfield Motors is also evaluating the chassis of the GR Supra, promising to come up with replacement bushings and a lowering spring kit for superior performance in the twisties. Bilstein and KW, two of the most acclaimed companies in the business, are also developing kits of their own.
“The body has not been forgotten and we have been busy scanning in parts which will form the basis for some new cosmetic and functional carbon upgrades,” added the British outfit. Given that the GR Supra is chock full of non-functional air vents and heat extractors, we’re gladly waiting to see if Litchfield Motors will address this issue with utmost attention to detail.
Can you believe the fifth generation of the Supra is £52,695 in the United Kingdom for the 3.0 trim level? How about the fact Toyota charges £18 for a safety kit? This madness gets worse in the United States, where dealerships mark up the price to $100,000 and beyond. Given these circumstances, it appears that Toyota is riding the hype train like there’s no tomorrow.
The biggest question is, would you spend that kind of money on a Toyota that isn’t even a Toyota?
The Gloucester tuner wasted no time in getting the Japanese sports car – which is actually made in Austria – on the dyno. A bit of research and development later, a re-flash of the ECU unlocked 420 horsepower from the 3.0-liter engine. A few hardware improvements such as the exhaust system and intake should translate to 450 horsepower, no doubt about it!
Litchfield Motors is also evaluating the chassis of the GR Supra, promising to come up with replacement bushings and a lowering spring kit for superior performance in the twisties. Bilstein and KW, two of the most acclaimed companies in the business, are also developing kits of their own.
“The body has not been forgotten and we have been busy scanning in parts which will form the basis for some new cosmetic and functional carbon upgrades,” added the British outfit. Given that the GR Supra is chock full of non-functional air vents and heat extractors, we’re gladly waiting to see if Litchfield Motors will address this issue with utmost attention to detail.
Can you believe the fifth generation of the Supra is £52,695 in the United Kingdom for the 3.0 trim level? How about the fact Toyota charges £18 for a safety kit? This madness gets worse in the United States, where dealerships mark up the price to $100,000 and beyond. Given these circumstances, it appears that Toyota is riding the hype train like there’s no tomorrow.
The biggest question is, would you spend that kind of money on a Toyota that isn’t even a Toyota?
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