Toyota Supra: История и Эволюция Спортивного Автомобиля

Sports car and grand tourer manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation

The Toyota Supra (トヨタ・スープラ) is a sports car and grand tourer manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation beginning in 1978. The name "supra" is derived from the Latin prefix, meaning "above", "to surpass" or "go beyond". The initial four generations of the Supra were produced from 1978 to 2002. The fifth generation has been produced since March 2019 and went on sale in May 2019. The styling of the original Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica, but it was longer. Starting in mid 1986, the A70 Supra became a separate model from the Celica. In turn, Toyota also stopped using the prefix Celica and named the car Supra. Owing to the similarity and past of the Celica's name, it is frequently mistaken for the Supra, and vice versa. The first, second and third generations of the Supra were assembled at the Tahara plant in Tahara, Aichi, while the fourth generation was assembled at the Motomachi plant in Toyota City. The 5th generation of the Supra is assembled alongside the G29 BMW Z4 in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr. The Supra traces much of its roots back to the 2000GT owing to an inline 6 layout. The first three generations were offered with a direct descendant to the Crown's and 2000GT's M engine. Interior aspects were also similar, as was the chassis code "A". Along with this name, Toyota also included its own logo for the Supra. It was derived from the original Celica logo, being blue instead of orange. This logo was used until January 1986, when the A70 Supra was introduced. The new logo was similar in size, with orange writing on a red background, but without the dragon design. That logo, in turn, was on Supras until 1991 when Toyota switched to its current oval company logo. The dragon logo was a Celica logo regardless of what colour it was. It appeared on the first two generations of the Supra because they were officially Toyota Celicas. The dragon logo was used for the Celica line until it was also discontinued. In 1998, Toyota ceased sales of the fourth generation Supra in the United States.

The first generation of the Supra was based largely upon the Toyota Celica liftback, but was longer by The doors and rear section were shared with the Celica but the front panels were elongated to accommodate the Inline 6 instead of the Celica's 4 cylinder engine. Toyota's original plan for the Supra at this time was to make it a competitor to the very popular Datsun (now Nissan) Z car.

In April 1978, Toyota began production of the Supra in Japan, as the Celica XX, and sold it alongside the Celica at Japanese dealership sales channels called Toyota Corolla Store. The Supra was offered with a 2.0 L 12 valve SOHC inline six engine (M EU, chassis code MA45) or the 2.6 litre 12 valve SOHC inline six engine (4M E, chassis code MA46). The Japanese model was equipped with the smaller 2.0 L engine so that buyers would not incur an additional tax under vehicle size and engine displacement regulations. Both engines were equipped with electronic fuel injection. The installation of the larger engine did obligate Japanese buyers to pay a higher annual road tax, making owning the car more expensive than the smaller Celica. The Supra was first exported outside Japan in January 1979. The federalized model was originally equipped with a 2.6 litre 12 valve SOHC inline 6 engine. Transmission options for the model were either a 5 speed manual (W50) or an optional 4 speed automatic transmission (A40D). Both transmissions featured an overdrive gear. The top gear in the 5 speed was its overdrive gear whereas the automatic transmission featured an overdrive gear that would engage at speeds over The drivetrain for the Supra retained the T series solid rear axle configuration of the Celica in the Japanese MA45 version and a larger F series (and optional Limited Slip Differential) in the MA46 and MA47. The car also came standard with 4 wheel disc brakes and featured a four link rear suspension with coil springs, lateral track bar, and stabilizer bar. The front suspension consisted of MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar. The interior of the Supra had optional power windows and power locks as part of the convenience package. The convenience package also included cruise control and special door trim with door pull straps with an optional sunroof. As for standard features, in the centre console there was an extendable map light and a flip top armrest, which provided storage. Some other features were the tilt steering wheel, deep zippered pockets on the backs of the front seats, and a tonneau cover under the liftback. The dashboard also contained a state of the art AM/FM/MPX 4 speaker stereo radio, analog clock, and tachometer as part of the instrument panel.

In 1981, for the 1982 model year, in the North American market, the Celica Supra's engine was the 2.8 litre 12 valve (two valves per cylinder) DOHC 5M GE. Power output was SAE net and of torque. The engine used an 8.8:1 compression ratio to achieve the power and featured a vacuum advanced distributor. When the car debuted, it had a , a acceleration time of 9.8 seconds and a time of 17.2 seconds at
The standard transmission for this year was the W58 5 speed manual with the A43DL 4 speed automatic transmission being an option for L types. Both transmissions featured an overdrive gear and the automatic featured a locking torque converter. The top gear in the 5 speed was its overdrive whereas the automatic transmission featured an overdrive gear that would engage at speeds over The 1982 model's rear differential featured a 3.72:1 ratio. The Celica Supra's four wheel independent suspension was specially tuned and designed by Lotus and featured variable assisted power rack and pinion steering and MacPherson struts up front. At the rear, it had semi trailing arm suspension with coil springs and a stabilizer bar. Braking on the Celica Supra was handled by four wheel disc brakes. On the interior, this generation had standard power windows, power door locks, and power mirrors as well as a tilt steering wheel. The power door lock was located in the center console next to the power mirror control. The analog dash of this model only showed a top speed of in North America. The optional automatic climate control was renovated and was now seen as a standard feature on the A60. Cruise control and a retractable map light was standard in this generation. Some options included the addition of a sunroof, two tone paint schemes, and a five speaker AM/FM/MPX tuner with a cassette player (Fujitsu Ten Limited). The optional cassette stereo had a 105 watt power amplifier and a seven band graphic equalizer. The standard stereo was a five channel AM/FM/MPX tuner. Leather interior was an option on the L type model, but the P type models limited to standard striped cloth interior. The AM/FM antenna was integrated into the front windshield rather than a typical external mast antenna. There was a key lock on the gas tank door (in lieu of a remote release) and the hatch and rear bumper were black regardless of exterior colour on the rest of the car. The P type was available with an optional rear window visor above the hatch glass. The tail lights had a reverse light in the centre and the door handles opened the doors by pulling sideways. The front nose badge and B pillar only read "Supra" for the first several months of production, but were changed to read "Celica Supra" midway through the model year. The L type had front and rear mudflaps but P type of this year did not.

In 1982, for the 1983 model year, there were not many changes but there was an increase in power output to and of torque from the same 5M GE engine. The only real change in the engine area was the switch from a vacuum advanced to an electronic advanced distributor, yet that did not increase the power output. Toyota switched to a 4.10:1 rear gear ratio for the P type and a 3.73:1 for the L type. As for the optional automatic transmission, they replaced the A43DL 4 speed with a newly designed A43DE 4 speed. It had an electronic controller that would adjust its shift pattern for a balance between performance and economy. It was the first in the industry to provide an electronically controlled transmission (ECT). This allowed the driver to choose either the "power" driving mode or "normal" driving mode at the touch of the button. The power mode provided the quickest acceleration and the normal mode provided the best all around performance. The interior virtually had no changes, but changes to the exterior included a switch to a power mast antenna, mudflaps on all models, and the addition of headlight washers on the P type. All B pillar and nose badges for cars sold in North America read "Celica Supra" and only the P type was available in two tone colour schemes.

In 1983, for the 1984 model year, the changes were significant. Power output was increased on the 5 speed models to and of torque. The increase was achieved by a mixture of a redesigned intake manifold with D shaped intake runners and an increase in compression ratio to: 9.2:1. Other changes would be a redesigned, more integrated sunshade and spoiler on the rear hatch. The rear spoiler was changed from a one piece to a two piece. The option of a leather interior remained exclusive now for the P Type. Toyota added a standard factory theft deterrent system and the outside mirrors were equipped with a defogger that activated with the rear defroster. All Supras this year received automatic off lights that also encompassed an automatic illuminated entry and fade out system. While 1985 was to be the last year of production of the second generation model, delays in production of the third generation model led to a surplus of second generation models. During the first half of 1986 the 1985 P type was still offered for sale, with only minor cosmetic changes as well as the addition of a now mandatory rear mounted third brake light on the hatch. These were all labelled officially as 1986 models. The P type were the only model available for the 1986 model year. Production for the A60 Supra ended in December 1985 in order to make way for the upcoming A70 Supra.

The second generation of the Supra came in a variety of options around the world as well as only being offered during select years.

The third generation Supra was introduced in February 1986 as a stand alone model, officially being separate from the Celica. Whereas the Celica became a front wheel drive sport coupe, the Supra retained its image as a rear wheel drive sports/GT car. The new Supra would continue to move upscale and become a showcase for Toyota's technology. The Supra was powered by a 3.0 litre DOHC inline six cylinder engine rated at Notable features included an electronically controlled independent suspension (called the Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension – TEMS), and some came with a removable Sport Roof panel (Targa top).

The A70 Supra Turbo was introduced in 1987. The intercooled, turbocharged version of the 3.0 litre inline 6 cylinder engine boosted power to and of torque. The engine, designated as 7M GTE, was one of the first distributor less mass production engines in the United States. This was accomplished with 3 coils being shared using the wasted spark system. The Turbo model also included an engine oil cooler and an integrated rear spoiler. The sports package, which was standard on the Turbo and optional on the base model, included a limited slip differential (LSD), TEMS, and headlamp washers. A new 4 channel anti lock braking system (ABS) was optional on both models. In 1987, a new beige/tan colour combination was implemented, and only 1,000 cars were produced with this scheme. Toyota installed its variable induction technology into the DOHC twin turbocharged 1G GTE engine called T VIS and also included it into the 7M GTE engine as well.

Changes for the 1988 model year were nominal with the exception of the discontinuation of two toned brown exterior paint. The spoiler mounted brake light changed from a square to a trapezoid shape. Seat pattern was changed from squares to lines, and "foil" on climate control and switch gear changed from light to dark gray. Japanese buyers could select from six different trim packages starting with the top level 3.0 GT Turbo Limited with the 7M GTEU engine, followed by the 3.0 GT Turbo, GT Twin Turbo with the 1G GTEU DOHC 2.0 L engine, the GT with the 2.0 L DOHC 1G GEU engine, the G with the 1G EU engine and the S with the 1G EU engine as the base model. All Japanese models came with either a 5 speed manual transmission or the 4 speed automatic transmission with ECT s except the G and the S on which the ECT s wasn't available. In Japan, the 3.0 GT Turbo Limited, the 3.0 GT Turbo and the GT Twin Turbo were installed standard with a digital instrument panel, the 3.0 L models came with an AM/FM Cassette stereo with an integrated CD player and cruise control. Climate control was also standard on all turbocharged models, and leather interior was only available on the GT Turbo Limited.

Changes for the 1989 model year include modifications to the wastegate actuator, feed location and engine management increased power output by on the turbo model. The engine mount and brace were also revised in late 1989. The changes made to the cross member and mounts made to accommodate the (1JZ engine) for Japanese models. The protective body molding was also changed by taking away the steel reinforcement. This made the molding lighter and prevented the rusting problem found on the previous year models. The "white package" was introduced as well, featuring white body molding and white "saw blade" wheels. Interior choices were limited to blue and burgundy only. Other than pure cosmetics changes, there was nothing different from other models. All models received rear 3 point seat belts to replace the previous years' two point lap belts. New tail lights, front bumper with integrated lower grille (as opposed to the previous years' detachable grille), side mirrors, turn signals, upper grilles, foglights, steering wheel, door panels, climate control, window switches and bezels, and stereo are added. Addition of coat hooks on B pillar and removal of rear seat pockets round out interior changes. Turbo models received three piece spoiler with an integrated LED brake light. 1989 also marked the end of headlight washers in the US and SuperMonitor; an advanced system offered by Toyota able to calculate miles able to be traveled on current tank, ability to check vehicle codes from inside the cabin, among other features.

For the 1990 model year, changes included larger protective laminate in front of rear wheels, lower redline (owing to the heavier crank with cylinders 2 & 5 counterbalanced), redesigned steering wheel with cruise control relocated to a stalk on the right side (US only). In addition to a driver side airbag and airbag indicator light on dashboard (US only), the left side of the switch panel was also redesigned, which replaced one of the coin slots with the dimmer. The lower dashboard panel became a two piece design, which was also much heavier than the previous one piece panel owing to a change in material. Finally, the memory lever on the steering column was removed. In short, a plethora of the changes for the 1989 and 1990 were to the interior.

For the 1991 model year, the wheel design was changed to 5 spoke wheels. Both models had 16x7 inch aluminium alloy wheels that were fitted with 225/50/16 tyres and full sized spares on steel wheels. Body molding changed in colour to better match the exterior. The front "Supra" emblem was also changed to the current corporate oval Toyota symbol was used from this model year onwards. The speedometer was also revised, and included more lines that were removed in 1989, but still did not have as many (one line per mph) as 1986.5 to 1988 models. New interior colours, namely shadow gray and deep red, were introduced, which marked the end of medium gray, tan and burgundy. Blue interior became only available on white packages, and those with blue paint. Burgundy was replaced with white package only deep red. Every other body colour received a shadow gray interior, with leather interiors retaining medium gray seats and interior inserts. Front speakers were changed from 3.5 inch to 6.5 inches and the speaker cover was also enlarged to accommodate them. Beginning in 1991, Toyota began to offer a factory spoiler style panel sunroof. These sunroofs are now highly sought after and rare since they were introduced in the ending production years of the A70 Supra.

For the 1992 model year, the leather shadow gray interiors received black seats and inserts. Non turbo models lost the option of a targa top, and a new optional subwoofer was available. Subwoofer equipped Supras did without the rear bins and wooden "floorboard". Instead, rear carpet was molded to the spare tyre, and there was a cut out for the woofer housing.

The Japanese models of the Supra were given the chassis codes JZA70 and GA70 respectively. The JZA70 has a 2.5 litre parallel twin turbocharged 1JZ GTE engine, and the GA70 has a 2.0 litre twin turbocharged 1G GTE and a naturally aspirated 1G GEU engines respectively.

In addition to the introduction of the JZA70 in 1990, Toyota introduced a special version of the JZA70 with the 1JZ GTE engine known as the 2.5 Twin Turbo R model (JZA70 R). It boasted additional upgrades, including lighter sway bars, a larger intercooler, Torsen differential, Interbred TEIN/Bilstein sports suspension, Shadow/Dark grey interior trim, MOMO steering wheel and gear knob and Recaro seats and door trim. The wheels were painted charcoal grey, and the front bumper lip featured channeled air ducts for the front brakes. The Twin Turbo R introduced a new and exclusive colour option in 1992 for the JZA70 R model known as Jade Mica Green. (Note: this colour was also available in Europe) The JZA70 R model is the lightest and fastest model of third generation of the Supra.

In 1994, Toyota Racing Development displayed a replica of the 1994 JGTC BLITZ Racing Team Supra GT500 race car, known as the TRD3000GT. The differences with the standard Supra was mainly with the body kits, aiming for better aerodynamics. The new body kit made the car 60 mm wider at the front and 50 mm wider at the rear. This allowed wider wheels to be fitted, which in turn improved the car's lateral grip. The engine and suspension also got small modifications. Only 35 examples of these were ever produced, each of which came with its own specially numbered VIN plate that officially re classified the car as a TRD3000GT rather than a Toyota Supra.

In 1995, for the 1996 model year, in the US the turbo model was only available with an automatic transmission owing to OBD II certification requirements. The targa roof was also made standard on all turbo models.

In 1996, for the 1997 model year, manual transmission returned for the turbo engine along with a redesign of the taillights, headlights, front fascia, polished wheels, and other minor changes such as the radio and steering wheel designs. Each of the Supras had a badge indicating "Limited Edition 15th Anniversary". All turbo models came standard with the rear spoiler.

In 1997, for the 1998 model year, updates were a 3 spoke steering wheel, a redesigned radio, and VVT i on the naturally aspirated engine. In Japan, the turbo engines were installed with VVT i. The SZ R model was also updated with the introduction of a six speed Getrag V161 transmission, the same one used for the twin turbo RZ models. The RZ S received a tiptronic gearbox with steering wheel mounted gear controls. The RZ and SZ R were both factory fitted with Toyotas REAS suspension and carbon fibre steering wheel to aid in the light feeling of steering. The RZ only came with a six speed manual gearbox that was also used on the SZ R and was factory fitted with Recaro SR2 front seats. The RZ model series of this time would end up being one of the rarest halo cars of the Japanese manufacturers, with about 653 units being produced for the 1998 model year up until the end of production in 2002, being outsold by the Nissan Skyline GTR, Mazda RX7 and the Honda/Acura NSX.

The fifth generation Supra was released in January 2019 after 17 years off the market as the GR Supra, part of Toyota's Gazoo Racing (GR) family of performance cars. It was developed in partnership with BMW, sharing the platform and many parts from the BMW Z4 (G29) with BMW derived 4 and 6 cylinder turbocharged engines and maintaining rear wheel drive layout from the previous Supra. The model is designated with BMW model codes "J29" or "DB", however Toyota used the "A90" and "A91" codes for promotional and marketing materials for the fifth generation Supra to maintain the lineage from the previous Supra. The GR Supra is manufactured at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria alongside the Z4. The fifth generation Toyota Supra was launched in total seven colour options including CU Later Gray, Stratosphere, Burnout, Absolute Zero, Nocturnal, Renaissance 2.0, and Nitro Yellow. Apart from the cosmetics, in 2023, new driving modes are introduced called Hairpin+. This mode allows additional wheel spin on one of the rear tyres to help rotate the Supra around ultra tight hairpin turns.

The Supra has been used in many levels of motorsport, with some prominent examples being in Group A (international) and JGTC/Super GT (Japan).

The A60, with its all new design, quickly became a success in the US where it was awarded the Import Car of the Year by Motor Trend. It also made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1983 and 1984. In 1994, the A80 Supra won Popular Mechanics "Design & Engineering awards". It won "Best Sports Coupe" for 2020 and 2021 in MotorWeek magazine's Drivers' Choice Awards. In 2019, the fifth generation GR Supra won Auto Bild magazine's "Golden Steering Wheel" award for Best New Sports Car, and was named the "Car of the Year" by Esquire magazine. In 2020, the GR Supra won Sport Auto magazine's "Best Handling Car 2020", and was Automobile magazine's 2020 Automobile All Stars winner. In 2021, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) awarded the fifth generation GR Supra as the "Sport Compact of the Year".

1979 – Celica Supra A40 introduced with SOHC 4M E I6 engine. 1981 – A40 engine displacement increased to with the introduction of the SOHC 5M E I6 engine. 1982 – A60 Celica Supra introduced with a DOHC 5M GE I6 engine. 1986–1986.5 – A70 Supra introduced on its own platform with DOHC 7M GE I6 engine. 1987 – Option of turbocharger available for the DOHC 7M GTE engine having a power output of 1989 – Redesign implemented. Turbo model's power output increased to & 1993 – A80 Supra introduced with Turbo (2JZ GTE) or naturally aspirated (2JZ GE) DOHC engine. 1996 – Turbo model only available with automatic transmission owing to OBD2 certification requirements. Targa roof standard on all turbo models. 1997 – Manual transmission available on all turbo models. Restyled front bumper and grey (instead of black) taillight surrounds. Restyled headlights, now black on the inside with chrome rings (all chrome previously) and a clearer lens. All 1997 models labeled as 15th Anniversary model. New grey dash panels to replace the previous black. Japanese production stopped in September. 1998 – Slight restyling of interior. 3 spoke steering wheel introduced. Slightly updated seat design (headrest is no longer separate) VVT i on non turbo models which increased power. Turbo variants discontinued in the US that require California emissions. 1999 – Export of Supra ended in the US, production continued in Japan. 2002 – Production of A80 Supra ended in Japan. 2019 – Fifth generation Supra introduced at the January 2019 North American International Auto Show.