1993 Toyota Supra Turbo Test Drive

Toyota was feeling adventurous when it planned the replacement for the Supra coupe. In the late-1980s, Toyota produced the exceptionally avant garde 4500 GT super-coupe for research purposes. Serious passion went into its conception at every level.

The 4500 GT’s influence was clear when the twin-turbo Supra was launched in 1993. Project manager Isao Tsuzuki described it as “a race car that could be driven with confidence on American streets and highways.”

The 1993 Supra was one of the best looking cars ever produced in Japan, a dramatic three-door bodyshell with a giant frontal air intake and huge head lamps. Under the hood was a 3.0 liter, 24 valve straight six engine bolstered by twin sequential supercharger. With 320bhp and a massive 300 lb/ft of torque available, the Supra was an exceptionally fast car. Tsuzuki put huge effort into making the new Supra 300lb lighter than the old car had been. The upshot was a better power to weight ratio than a Ferrari 348. Inside, lessons had been learned from the 4500 GT.The dashboard swept up and around from the center console, housing brilliantly situated hvac and audio controls. On the road, the Supra was not only devastatingly fast overtaking in third with full boost was a mind bending experience, but exceptionally stable and secure, despite such massive power being directed to the rear wheels.