Toyota Announces 2.0-liter Supra With Some Unique Perks

Up until now, the 2020 Toyota Supra has only been available with a 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six sourced from BMW. Producing 335 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque, the mill is best suited for those interested in track-day excursions and tempting fate on sweeping backroads. However, there’s a new entry level model coming to Europe that caters to those seeking the Supra experience who find themselves a few grand shy of being able to buy the thing.

On Tuesday, Toyota announced the “first extension of the GR Supra sports car range” will carry a 2.0-liter turbo making 258 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. While the manufacturer calls it a new engine, it’s technically another mill sourced from BMW (the Z4 already uses it). But that shouldn’t keep it from being a welcome addition to the GR Supra party.

Like its more ambitious sibling, the 2.0-liter Supra still sends all of its power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. However, it’ll take owners roughly a second longer to hit 60 mph with this pairing. According to the manufacturer, the base-trimmed coupe takes 5.2 seconds to reach 100 kph (62 mph) and runs into the same 155 mph electronic limiter.

Fortunately, this comes with a few hidden benefits. In addition to being 100 kg lighter than the straight-six variant, the 2.0-liter Supra also has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Toyota says this makes it handle better when the going gets curvy, an argument we’ve heard echoed among advocates of the EcoBoost Mustang. Better still is that the 2.0-liter Supra doesn’t appear to have any badging that would out itself as the “lesser” model. Owners can enjoy the coupe’s superior handling without a giant “2.0” emblazoned on the side panels.

Toyota has only announced the model for the European market, with production commencing soon, though there’s good reason to believe it’ll eventually migrate to North America. Japan already has the 2.0-liter variant on offer, as well as an even tamer 194 hp model. While the latter car would assuredly cannibalize — or be cannibalized by — the Toyota 86, the former would make a great alternative to long-term Supra fans without the means (or desire) to purchase the 3.0 liter. The manufacturer also said to expect “global sales” of the 2.0 liter Supra to begin in March. Pricing, while TBD, should come in well below the $50,000 MSRP of the more powerful coupe.

There’s also to be a Fuji Speedway edition (pictured), with 200 being made for Europe. The model receives optional Connect and Sport packages — adding sport brakes, an adaptive suspension and a locking differential — and dons the paint scheme mimicking the GR livery. Special wheels will undoubtedly jack up its price further, potentially placing it just behind top-trimmed Supras. But the standard 2.0-liter variant should maintain a more comfortable distance.

[Images: Toyota]