Toyota Supra: More Power Than Advertised?

Not everyone was enthusiastic about Toyota’s decision to co-develop its Supra with BMW. As an icon of the brand, some complained that Bavarian involvement sullied what should have a been a purely Japanese automobile. We wouldn’t go that far (though certain telltale signs of BMW’s hand come off as slightly off-putting). Still, an interior that borrows heavily from the Z4 is hardly a major issue, especially since everyone knew they’d be platform partners going into this.

As well, partnerships can bring advantages. In addition to actually resulting in the car being built, Toyota’s relationship with the Germans means an engine that miraculously makes more power the second you place it on a dynamometer.

Following some on-the-pavement testing of the Toyota Supra, Car and Driver noted that the coupe’s BMW-sourced twin-scroll turbo 3.0-liter inline-six was outperforming vehicles that should have been a little out of its league. Are the A90 Supra’s power specs understated?

Possibly. This is a powerplant from BMW, after all.

Scheduling some time with an all-wheel-drive dyno, the outlet suggests the Supra’s stated 335 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque are a misnomer. The real numbers should be closer to 339 horsepower and 427 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

From Car and Driver:

For our test, we headed to Livernois Motorsports and Engineering in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. We strapped the Supra to the Dynojet all-wheel-drive dynamometer, as the car’s stability systems only play nice when all four wheels are spinning. For this observation, we ran the test in the eight-speed automatic transmission’s fifth-gear ratio of 1.32:1 to achieve a full sweep of the tachometer. We experimented with the 1.00:1 ratio of sixth gear but were unable to reach the engine’s redline. The power output in sixth gear, however, matched our results of those in the higher gear.

All dyno-derived figures, of course, come with a complimentary grain of salt. C&D‘s findings aren’t likely to appease those who bemoan the fact that Toyota’s pride and joy utilizes a German motor, though it could help silence complaints that the new car barely makes more power than a 2JZ-equipped Mk4. We’d recommend a side-by-side showdown to settle things once and for all.

Sadly, there probably aren’t enough unmodified examples of the A80 left to make that a reality.

[Images: Toyota]