2021 Toyota Supra gets 47 more hp, but worse fuel economy
Back in February we learned that, just one model year after its debut, the Toyota Supra would be getting a power bump. The 2021 iteration of the reborn sport coupe will now deliver 382 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque from its 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six, up 47 hp and 3 lb-ft compared to the 2020 Supra. Also joining the lineup is a turbocharged four-cylinder base model good for 255 hp.
The additional juice comes at the expense of fuel economy (which, by the way, isn’t likely to dissuade anyone plunking down 50 large on a car with the approximate utility of a Miata). While the 2020 model returns an EPA-rated 24/31/26 mpg city/highway/combined, the 2021 Supra manages 22/25/30 mpg. The BMW-sourced inline-six remains paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission—no manual gearbox in sight.
The update brings the Supra in line with the BMW Z4 M40i convertible (382 hp and 369 lb-ft) with which it shares a platform, engine, transmission, and much more.
When the Supra arrived, there were several reports circulating online concerning dyno tests that suggested the Supra was underrated at 335 hp and 365 lb-ft. Cynical readers might just conclude that Toyota “fixed the glitch,” as it were, or simply performed a software tune of some kind. Those assumptions would be off the mark; a Toyota spokesperson clarified that the Supra benefits from some hardware updates to the engine and a higher compression ratio. On the menu for 2021 is a new piston design, as well as a new dual-branch exhaust manifold with six ports replacing the two ports in the 2020 model. The exhaust changes help improve airflow and heat management, contributing to a 0–60 time of 3.9 seconds.
As to the haters who complain about the Supra’s BMW-ness, consider that without the partnership between these two automakers, it isn’t likely the Supra or the Z4 would have made it to production at all. And a world with two more sports cars in it is one worth celebrating.
