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New Supra Drag Races Old Supra, Toyota Ultimately Wins

Few imports are as popular with the aftermarket and drag racing scenes as the Supra. The Mark IV – codenamed A80 – is also considered collectible given how few examples of the breed escaped without modifications.
Toyota Supra - Old vs. New drag race 12 photos
Photo: Supercar Blondie on YouTube
2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)2020 Toyota GR Supra With Turbo 2.0-Liter Engine (Fuji Speedway Edition)
Supercar Blondie had the opportunity to drag race the 2JZ twin-turbo Supra against the A90 – codenamed J29 in BMW jargon – at the Dubai Autodrome. Approximately 325 horsepower against 335 horsepower doesn’t sound like a big difference on paper, but the two couldn’t be more different.

Toyota and Gazoo Racing couldn’t make a business case for designing an all-new platform from the ground up or modifying the TNGA for this application, hence the BMW vehicle architecture, inline-six engine, and ZF 8HP torque-converter automatic transmission. Forget asking nicely; even if you let your wallet do the talking, a six-speed manual isn’t available as an optional extra.

Before we get back to the drag race, let’s talk a little about the styling of the GR Supra. As the Australian vlogger explains at the beginning, pretty much all of the vents up front, on the hood and door edges, as well as the vents located next to the taillights are fake. Tetsuya Tada, the chief engineer of the GR Supra, tried to explain that the aftermarket can make them functional but racing driver Jackie Ding begs to differ. So why didn’t Supercar Blondie point out the obvious?

The video’s description includes a shout-out to Toyota's UAE division, so yeah, criticizing the importer’s baby would’ve been bad for Supercar Blondie’s relations with the manufacturer as well as Toyota UAE. And now, back to the drag race!

Obviously enough, the newcomer has the legs on the modern classic thanks to the lower and broader torque band as well as the quicker shifting of the eight-speed automatic transmission. A bit more boost and a better launch could’ve turned the tables in favor of the Mark IV, which happens to sport a unique spoiler.

It’s not the design that’s unique, but this A80 could be the only 1998 Supra to feature Will Smith’s autograph.

On an ending note, why does the headline read "Toyota Ultimately Wins" instead of mentioning the A90? As sales of sports cars continue to spiral downward, it's amazing that the Japanese automaker went forward with reviving the Supra. Not perfect and not as evocative as the A80, the GR Supra is a proper driver's car nonetheless.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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