UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT), the official distributors of Toyota vehicles here in Malaysia have officially introduced the All-New 2019 Toyota GR Supra. The All-New GR Supra (A90) is the current Toyota sports car flagship and brings back the 'Supra' moniker and is a joint venture car by Toyota and BMW which supplied the Z4 chassis and drivetrain for Toyota to spin its magic.
The All-New GR Supra was introduced in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur by UMWT’s Chief Motorsports Officer (also Deputy Chairman of the company), Akio Takeyama. He gave a short but very interesting introduction speech which explains why the A90 GR Supra is what it is. Aside from the launch of this iconic Sports car, UMWT also launched the GR Garage concept, where this is a place for Toyota motorsport enthusiasts to cater to their needs. Parts of the speech as well as the GR Supra can be seen in the video embedded above. Watch it to see the Supra do some donuts and listen to it do an acceleration run!
The GR Supra is the product of a reinvented Toyota. Over the past half a decade or so, Toyota's have decided that their cars needed to be more interesting. Their engineers have been task to provide a truly emotional experience for the driver. In the Supra, part of this comes from the exhaust sound which strengthens the car’s character but also enhances the whole driving experience. You can hear the exhaust note in the video above too.
“This time, as never before in the past, so much attention has been paid to its handling capabilities. Our President demanded nothing less than the highest performance and the considerable engineering resources and experience of the company were all drawn upon to develop the All-New GR Supra. This is a sportscar in its purest form, with no compromise,” said Mr. Takeyama.
The All-New GR Supra is the fifth generation of the model line which first began in 1978. The Supra in its various forms has been popular choice of racing teams over the years. It is also popular in pop culture, where Supra also appeared in videogames (Gran Turismo, Need for Speed) and movies such as ‘The Fast & Furious’ series. The most famous Supra is the one that preceded this A90, the 1990s to early 2000 A80 Supra with its also in-line turbocharged straight-6 engine.
Now why is the New Toyota Supra called the GR Supra? Well, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is the umbrella organization for Toyota’s global motorsports programme. In the past year, it has achieved top level success in winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Manufacturers’ Championship in the FIA World Rally Championship and the 2019 Dakar rally. It has motorsport pedigree and now Toyota wants to add a little more glamour to their sports car line up (not that it needed to).
So starting with the All-New GR Supra, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing transfers the technical knowledge it had gained and will gain from the racetrack and rally stages to the development of future Toyota sports-focused GR models and also its wider range of vehicles. The All-New GR Supra is the first GR model to be developed and produced by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for the global market.
The GR Supra will be offered here in a single variant - the GTS spec. This comes with a 3-litre turbocharged in-line 6-cylinder engine producing 250 kW/340 PS of power and peak torque of 500 Nm. It is a traditional rear wheel drive sports car with the exception of a new quick- shifting, sports-tuned 8-speed electronic automatic transmission with a launch control function that enables a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in just 4.3 seconds. Lightweight 19-inch forged alloy rims are standard fitment.
Being that it is developed from a BMW platform, it starts off with having a 50:50 weight distribution,. What is also has is the superior driving dynamics courtesy of Adaptive Variable Suspension and Electronically Controlled Limited Slip Differential (LSD). Drivers can also further customize some of the settings to extend the performance envelope of the sportscar and reduce the intervention of electronic aids.
But Toyota claims that while All-New GR Supra was developed for the sporty driver, the interior is no less comfortable for long-distance cruising. Befitting its flagship status, the GR Supra's interior is finished in fine materials with a long list of features including dual zone climate control; keyless smart entry and start; leather upholstery, Heads-Up Display, electrically-adjustable sports seats with power lumbar support; electrochromatic rearview mirror; and a 12-speaker JBL audio system.
Having driven the GR Supra (this yellow one pictured above), I must attest that the car actually is quite comfortable over uneven roads. It is also simple to maneuver and drive. The 8 speed automatic is also responsive (it must be an 8 Speed ZF based on the one used in the Z4 - meaning it could have the best sports automatic around) and that steering is magical - so darn telepathic and quick! The video review will be up shortly. It was a very short drive but you can tell that it was a great drive. Oh, the balance is very, very good.
Of course, you may think of the GR Supra as something totally Japanese in terms of exterior styling. There are many vents and scoops as well as unique character lines everywhere. Most of the vents are just purely for show but I have to say the new Supra looks like a Supra. Its Supra cues - mainly that long bonnet compact cabin and rear still stands out. It also looks so much better in the metal than in the most photos of the car.
Aside from that, Malaysian customers can choose Prominence Red, Lightning Yellow, White Metallic, Deep Blue Metallic, Silver Metallic, Matte Storm Grey Metallic, Black Metallic and Ice Grey Metallic colours for their fully imported Supra. The On-the-Road selling price without insurance of the All-New Toyota GR Supra starts from RM 568,000 for private registration in Peninsular Malaysia.
GR Garage Launch
Besides introducing the All-New GR Supra, Mr. Takeyama also announced the GR Garage is making its appearance in Malaysia. Selected authorized Toyota dealers will set up a "Shop in Shop" concept to sell GR products – starting with the GR Supra, GR high performance products and GR merchandise. As a start, there will be five outlets – 3 in the Klang Valley, and 1 each in the North and South regions.
The GR Garage concept was introduced in Japan some years ago and Malaysia is the first market outside Japan to also offer it to consumers.
“The TGR Festival, Vios Challenge and Toyota Velocity Esports Championship have shown how Toyota is injecting more passion into its motorsports activities. However, we find that this is not enough to cater for car enthusiasts and motorsports fan’s needs in Malaysia. So we have come up with a new platform - the GR Garage, a place where they can gather and talk about their passion of cars… especially sportscars and motorsports.” Takeyama elaborated on the GR Garage concept.
The All-New Toyota GR Supra and the location of dealerships with the GR Garage, customers can visit toyota.com.my/vehicles/gr-lineup/supra or call the Toyota freephone line 1-800-8-TOYOTA (869682).
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