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Supra review 5th October 2019 Well, so much hyperbole, ‘the legend is back’, ‘fifty years of heritage’, ‘racing DNA’, the first global car by Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s rebranded motorsport department. Then there is the now legendary status of the A80 Supra with Smokey Nagata at the wheel driving at 197mph on the A1M at 4am in the morning. No pressure then? Much talk has been made of the collaboration with BMW and as is the way these days collaborations are extremely common in the car industry. Remember the Toyota/Subaru one with the GT86/BRZ? That turned out alright didn’t it? The new Supra shares its basic platform in terms of running gear with the BMW Z4, but there are a lot of differences with the most obvious one being that the Supra has a roof and the Z4 does not. Plus it looks so much better. They both share the reworked BMW B58 engine which Toyota improved upon and whilst to the die hards it isn’t a new ‘2JZ’ it is a 3 litre turbocharged straight six. This is a well liked engine with 340bhp though some tests of production cars by tuners have seen up to 380bhp and 369lb/ft of torque, though 500nm as in the spec sheet sounds more. At around 1500kg it’s no lightweight but par for the course for a car in this sector. As we shall find out, it’s not lacking in torque. This car is fully loaded with every conceivable option and many will be relieved to find Apple Car Play in a Toyota. Good news, I think. There were too many options to fully appraise when I only had the car for an hour, but as the only car available for test drives in the whole of the North West this would be something of a taster to gain initial impressions. I didn’t play with the sat nav, turn the stereo on or try out the adaptive cruise and lane assistance options. My mission on a cool and slightly damp morning in Macclesfield was to focus on what it drives like and how it feels. Getting into the car it feels similarly low to the GT86 and the driving position feels familiar. Nice and low and with the electrically adjustable seat I’m soon in a good driving position. I ponder if the accelerator pedal is a centimetre further to the right and note it being hinged from the floor. Richard from RRG Toyota Macclesfield tells me to try ‘comfort’ mode in full automatic as we head through Macclesfield. As I pull away from the lights I notice the throttle is soft in response and accelerates smoothly with no hint of what the power figures suggest. It feels a bit lazy to me, which is I suppose ideal if you’ve got no sensitivity in your right foot, but I prefer a sharper response. Solace is found in the ‘Sport’ button. Much better, it even holds gears longer which is uncanny. As we head out towards what used to be called Fools Nook and with a higher speed limit, I ease the throttle down. Wow, does it go. I’m pushed back in my seat, but soon have to ease off for traffic ahead. It gives a tantalising glimpse of what is to come. I note the seats are comfy and after the first few corners, the steering is direct. The control weights feel much as the GT86. That extra 300kg is well compensated by that powerhouse of an engine. We turn left at Boseley and head up the A54 on the uphill in the direction of the Cat and Fiddle (Buxton Road). At last a clear road ahead of me, so I push the throttle to the floor in second, I’m already in manual mode. Wow, it’s quick, really quick, one gear comes after another and I joke to Richard that I better think about trying the brakes as we head into the tricky double right left chicane before snicking up the hill on an unseen left. This is Macclesfield so predictably there’s a small stream crossing the road ahead of us mid-corner. I’m on sticky Michelin Super Sports. No matter though, reminding myself this car is a bit precious and registered to the managing director of RRG, caution wins. The car feels surefooted and has a nice direct feeling front end. We push up the hill and soon catch a straggler who after a time opts to pull over and let me past. This car has some presence on the road. The A54 has a lot of crests and dips. I push hard along these trying not to get airborne, and the car copes with compressions well, the undertrays remaining as good as new! The damping is good and the car feels controlled, no float and whilst we are in Sport mode, we are in normal mode for damping which is probably a good thing on a road such as this. There is zero slop in the suspension and as I push hard into an uphill left hander, the car feels direct and well connected. What dominates the experience is the power. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to a whole 213bhp and half the torque of the Supra that I am constantly gobsmacked by the mid range torque of this car. It flies and the rate it piles the speed on constantly impresses. What I do notice and perhaps this is due to the shorter wheel base compared to my GT86 is that the Supra responds, really well, but feels like it may be a little more of a handful when the rear does let go. I didn’t turn the stability control or traction off on this drive given it was the only available demonstrator in the northwest, but I could feel it cutting in as I applied the throttle mid corner interrupting my progress and making it feel like I’m point and squirting the car down the straights in-between corners. Given the power of the engine, it’s making the Cat and Fiddle feel a bit too tight and twisty. It’s almost as if it craves some long fast sweepers where I can properly load the suspension and get it to work a bit longer. I’m desperate to try adjusting the throttle mid corner but here I feel like I’m either on it or off it, again stability aids making it feel a bit too binary for my liking. Thinking about it more, as the wheels are smeared with 275 wide rear tyres and 255 up front, with these super sticky tyres it’s not easy to exploit the handling and response on a dry road. I need more time behind the wheel to try out the features properly, play with damping modes and it would be interesting to see what it feels like on a wet road. One thing that has not come to mind is the turbo. There doesn’t really seem to be any lag with pushing the throttle, there’s no wait for a response. Whilst I would prefer a more sensitive throttle, this is probably more about my conditioning with my super sensitive throttle on my own car. The engine is very responsive, but perhaps it’s the mid-range torque that really dominates, though it does run freely to the limiter if you’re brave enough. The Supra just simply decimates roads like these, shortening the straights and bringing the next corner to you at an ever increasing rate. My mind is trying to process it all. I should also add that I didn’t try automatic mode as such, though I was really impressed by the speed of the upshifts using the paddles, I was probably in too low a gear a lot of the time, trying to remember I have eight gears to deal with rather than six. User error I admit, but there is a lot going on when you have a lot less time to think between corners! With the Cat and Fiddle road bullied into submission by the Supra, I ease off and try to collect my thoughts. This would be a nice car to live with. The interior switchgear will be familiar to anyone who owns a current BMW and this is no bad thing. It feels in a different world compared to the hard plastics in my car and well, one would have to expect that given it’s twice the price. The infotainment systems are obvious BMW and there are a myriad of functions. I admit I was a little too busy driving to get a chance to try everything out. There is also a nifty head up display showing speed limit and speed, though I put the seat on its lowest setting so couldn’t see it, though it can be adjusted I’m told. I like the dash with the central tachometer. Why don’t all cars have this, speed is always secondary to revs after all. I’m finding it a bit difficult keeping an eye on the digital speedometer, it would be better placed in the middle of the rev counter I think, but that’s reserved for what gear and drive mode the car is in. It’s probably a matter of getting used to these things though. The seats are nicely supportive and feel better than the seats in my GT86 which are really good. I like the feel of the controls and thinner steering wheel is a nice touch. Visibility is good, though at first I’m drawn to the huge chunky A pillars and small windscreen. Five minutes behind the wheel though and I’m not noticing it. Visibility from the rear view mirror feels a little like looking down a tunnel with the long rear windscreen framing the view, though there is a very good reversing camera that does apparently stop you hitting things as well as highlighting any points where you are close. There’s a decent boot as well, though the shape of the opening would restrict bulky items. Having no rear seats helps though. As my drive nears its end, I’m given a lot to think about. Wow, that engine, the power, the ease with which you can make other cars disappear in you rear view mirror, the effortless overtaking, the way in which it pushes you back into your seat. If you’ve had a bad day, you could instantly improve your mood with one deft shove of the accelerator. I never felt like I could really properly assess the handling, which such high limits of grip and the stability control putting me on the naughty step. I absolutely understand that in a car with this kind of power how a less experienced driver could quickly find themselves in a whole lot of trouble very quickly in this car if it allowed more slip. Also with the short wheelbase, you will have to be quick to catch it. I think it will remind me more of driving mid-engined cars where opposite lock has to accurate and quickly applied. Things such as these I want to explore more. The Supra is enticing me to come back as there is unfinished business here. When RRG Macclesfield have their own demonstrator I look forward to getting to know this car better. I like it, a lot. Familiarity with this car makes me like the looks more. I love how it's got it's own look with a really obvious link to the MKIV Supra and bringing the old badge back.

If you have the same tyres after five years, you're not trying hard enough! Sent from my LG-Q6 using Tapatalk

Us Lee

Hi all. Essex Crew Evening get together for October. Propose Friday 25th Location Halfway House A127 Brentwood Essex CM13 3LL Arrive 19:00 approx. Hope to see you there for some good chat and grub.

Simply... Wash normally with a good quality car shampoo. If there are still marks use Autoglym Super resin polish (or an equivalent polish,but not just a wax) and that should restore the finish.

Typically when I’ve let a product get too dry to work with, I’ve reapplied the same product, left it for a very short time to “reactivate” it and then buffed/rinsed it away. Obviously there are situations where that won’t apply, like ceramics. If it were me, I’d try a normal two bucket wash, ideally with a decon shampoo, or a regular one with a higher than usual product:water ratio. Failing that, I’d snow foam it with the same product but following the manufacturers recommendation this time (so you’ll need a favour from someone with a PW and a foam gun). I’d be surprised if you’ve got anything more than a stain (as opposed to actual damage), just a matter of finding the right chemical to shift it. As always, least aggressive method first, in small test areas. Obviously, your results may vary, this is what I would do on my car, what you should do is down to you. Call a professional detailer if you are unsure.

I've seen plenty of cleaning products say to just use more product if it dries as it's the best thing to "wet" it again and then you can easily wash it off. Might be worth a try? Anything you do try though, I'd try somewhere less obvious as a small test patch, if it gets the marks off, do the rest of the car, if not, you've not really lost much.

I think you're basically looking at streaky drying with extra sauce on the lacquer. It might just need a regular water wash and dry to get rid of it. Going in heavy-handed might backfire, so take your time trying to rectify things. You could have a go at it with a clay bar if the easy approaches don't move it. Claying the whole car takes bloomin' ages and you have to start with a freshly washed car, but the result is pleasing once the car has years of road grime coating the paint - the surface feels glassy smooth again. It takes wax off too, so you need more time to properly finish the car.