2021 Toyota GR Supra 2.0 Real-World Acceleration Test: 5.6 Seconds to 60 MPH

Finished in Nitro Yellow, the GR Supra tested by Dave Erickson of Everyman Driver couldn’t do better than 5.6 seconds in dry, sunny weather with Sport Mode turned on. It’s a very good result if we compare the 2.0-liter model to a hot hatchback such as the Civic Type R, but nevertheless, it’s underwhelming for a car that retails from $43,090 before taxes and extras.

Honda, for example, charges $37,895 for the front-driven corner carver while the V8-engined Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger are listed from $36k and $35k at the time of writing. Value, therefore, isn’t exactly the strongest point of the GR Supra. As a matter of fact, enthusiasts have a lot of beef with the GR Supra over the BMW hardware and the fake air vents.

Looking at the bigger picture, Toyota didn’t have a choice but compromise with German underpinnings, powerplants, and the eight-speed transmission supplied by ZF Friedrichshafen. Sports cars don’t sell nowadays, and whatever numbers you’re offered, there’s always a more powerful and faster sports car out there, defeating the purpose of one-upping one’s rivals.

Just like the boxer-engined, Subaru-based GR 86, the GR Supra was developed as a brand awareness tool by a company that often tops the U.S. automotive reliability charts. And because the RAV4 and Camry are designed to be reliable, Toyota is also regarded as a pretty humdrum brand.

Back in the days when horsepower and torque figures didn’t matter all that much to American motorists, the sports car was all about the driving experience. The MX-5 Miata is probably the only sports car that still focuses on the driving experience instead of irrelevant numbers, but even the Japanese roadster has a hard time in these crossover-crazy times.