Toyota Supra (A80) | Spotted
For the price of a new manual Supra, how about an old one?
So for the first time in a quarter of a century, UK buyers are being offered a Toyota Supra with a manual gearbox. Which feels a pretty courageous (and commendable) move by Toyota, given the general shift (no pun intended) away from three pedals. And, let’s be frank, the relatively modest success of the A90 Supra; it’s not a car you see every day, and here’s a new option that will probably only appeal to a small subset of potential buyers.
But it’s happened, and enthusiasts should be pleased about the concession. Especially as, by all accounts, it’s a decent six-speed, making for the most engaging and enjoyable Supra yet. It certainly impressed on circuit when we drove it in Spain, and the opportunity to try one in the UK is a genuinely exciting prospect. Which maybe hasn’t always been the case with this A90 Supra.
It’s all the excuse needed, moreover, to feature an old manual Supra. Because it really is more than 25 years since six-cylinder, six-speed Supras were here; Toyota may have made A80s right up to 2002, but such was the reception over here - only 600 were sold in almost three years on sale - that the last ones were sold in late 1996. It’s easy to forget nowadays with the nitrous-fuelled Supra cult that exists, but the model was intended as a comfy, cushy sports GT back in the day rather than a 10-second car. Even with the tweaks for UK versions over the JDM equivalent, with some more power, larger brakes, tweaked suspension and the bonnet scoop, it was no road racer. One magazine put the Supra up against the Aston Martin DB7 when it was new, in fact. And while it was very good, the same problem that afflicted so many similar cars meant the Supra came a cropper as well: buyers wanted prestigious badges on their expensive two-door coupes. You could argue it’s a problem that still holds the current Supra back today.
It must have been hard back in the mid-1990s to imagine the reverence that surrounds the fourth-generation Supra today, and it shows absolutely no signs of going anywhere. There are videos on YouTube that have racked up millions of views merely featuring the 2JZ-GTE engine - the Supra’s famously durable twin-turbo straight six - before even considering those about the car itself. Thanks to Fast & Furious, Need for Speed, Max Power and the fact a 2JZ can make 2,000hp, the Supra became an icon to young enthusiasts. Even if most of the cars sold in the UK definitely had a four-speed auto and probably went to the golf club a lot.
All of which makes this Supra quite the discovery. Not only is it a manual, UK car, it’s also got a very low mileage - just 48k showing - and is said to feature not one single modification. Even the radio is as it left the factory in 1995. Given that’s now 27 years ago, and with everything that’s happened to the Supra’s image in that time, it’s an incredible survivor. Looks great, too; firstly just from the perspective of seeing the standard seats, wheels and engine bay, as well as the condition they’ve survived in.
You know the bit that comes next. The privilege of owning a Supra this special won’t come cheap. Opt for the Pro Special Edition of the new manual Supra and it’ll cost £55,995 - this one is even a little more than that, at £59,995. Which will likely draw some comments. But such is the fervour around the Japanese icons now. For context this NSX is a similar mileage to the Toyota and more than £100k, this R34 GT-R is one of the UK allocation but heavily modified and £140,000, while this Impreza P1 with more than 90,000 miles is £45k. They’re bonafide classics now, with price tags to match. And even if now is no longer the time to buy to make money, the rarity and significance of a UK, manual A80 Supra will ensure it has appeal for long, long while yet.
SPECIFICATION | TOYOTA SUPRA (A80)
Engine: 2,997cc, straight six, twin-turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 324@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 315@4,000rpm
MPG: 25
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1995
Recorded mileage: 48,000
Price new: £42,839 (UK price 1996)
Yours for: £59,995
Lotus Emira / Cayman GTS - V6 supercharged / flat 6, manual, better looking and most likely better driving and faster, with warranty etc
Yaris GR - if you want rally inspired car (ok boat has sailed for new ones)
Mustang - if you want V8 and manual
I think these have an active front spoiler lip as well as the large fixed rear wing.
Did you know Skylines have Active Aero?
Peak Mk4 Supra era for me was 2002ish-2012ish before the prices went through the roof... A UK TT manual for circa £10-15k @ 10ish years old made for an excellent used sportscar... Tuneable, a good GT if you wanted it to be etc. At the time I didn't buy one but did have a Mazda RX-7 which is a similar car really for the same reasons...
Fast forward to now and the A80 is VERY dated, not fast relatively to anything modern (even if they are running big turbos) and quite frankly are TERRIBLE value for money. I would never buy one at this sort of price. Even though I do have fond memories of them.
The salesman told me off for fiddling with the new Supra in the showroom, as I set the alarm off trying to activate the spoiler.. I've had a dislike for the Supra and Toyota ever since then.
I can think of a great many cars I would buy with the money than this one, but the world would be a dull place if we all liked the same thing.
A 27 year old Supra or a brand new Cayman GTS - one of the best driver's cars ever made - for virtually the same money?!!
I like A80s but there has to be no comparison in terms of driving and owning.
Or usability too, if you live near London and are forced to shell out ULEZ every time you want to take an older car out.
I cannot believe the price even the most basic spec ones now.
A few years after, I looked at Spirit R's and spent 9 months searching for the right one with a 30k budget, passing on half a dozen decent examples that didn't meet my standards... I gave up in the end. Now look at the prices they're listed for. It's frightening.
Don't have a clue if they're selling for that, mind you.
Today though, just a few years down the line, with prices being what they are, more or less doubled or trebled in some cases, I really can't see or justify to anyone the amount they will end up paying to get hold of one, is getting anywhere near value for money.
I would class myself as a die-hard fan of them but still wouldn't pay the asking prices these days, given the mileage and the age of the components on the car. For me its a case of been there and done that, and now want to find something as a step up.
But counter to all that, they simply don't make good analogue cars any more, most similar cars in modern form are sanitised and have electronic mimicry to stand in for good old mechanical components or functions.
On top of that there is so much automotive fakery on modern offerings, to the point that it all becomes a 'hate' feature of cars. The MkIV is a good allrounder with bullet proof reliability and when it is just slightly modified the car transforms from the "old fashioned" look and feel to a lively Sports GT.
The question is though, can you convince yourself if all that is value for money on what will now be a tired chassis, body work that may be faded or bubbling in places, a power delivery that has an amount of noticeable turbo lag with turbos that may have past their best, with mileage (if not clocked) that will show upwards of and over 100,000, and all the other features of a car that is approaching 30 years old?
For me its a no, but if I could buy a brand new MkIV Supra from Toyota from a showroom in the same 1992-1995 model year specification that came as the UK model, then it would be a definite yes, even if that happened to be in the £60k ball park.
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