Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co (AAB) has unveiled the fifth-generation Toyota GR Supra in the Losail International Circuit. The launch event offered sports cars enthusiasts, including Toyota 86 club members, the opportunity to meet and interact with the GR Supra chief engineer Tetsuya Tada, who headed the vehicle’s development.
He recalled that the history of Supra development is marked by the pursuit of driving pleasure created by the relationship between driver and car.
“The all-new GR Supra really reacts the way you want and feels good to drive. I can definitely say that the acceleration delivered by the GR Supra’s straight-six turbocharged engine feels truly exhilarating. The solid torque it provides continuously elevates the acceleration feel to a sublime level,” Tada said.
“We aimed to ensure that the car properly hugs the road surface and delivers excellent stability, offering supreme driving confidence regardless of road surface conditions.”
Yugo Miyamoto, chief representative, Middle East and Central Asia Representative ‎Office, Toyota Motor Corp, said: “The Supra is one of Toyota’s most iconic models, and we wanted to create a vehicle that honours its legendary reputation and carries its sporting legacy into the future. With an exhilarating blend of power, balance, and agility, it offers the ultimate expression of driving pleasure.”
The Supra name evokes the power, performance, and handling that defined a succession of world-class cars for a quarter of a century, which built a reputation both as formidable performers on the road and all-conquering machines on the racetrack.
The all-new GR Supra is the first Toyota global model developed entirely by Gazoo Racing (GR).The team has been developing its cars and people through its participation in motorsports with the goal of making ‘ever-better’ cars ever since first competing in Germany’s 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race in 2007.
GR’s years of knowledge and expertise have been channelled into bringing the Supra back to life in the form of the all-new Toyota GR Supra, an all-new expression of pure sports car performance that people the world over will find fun to drive.
The launch of the all-new GR Supra marks the end of a 17-year hiatus since the production of the previous generation concluded in 2002.
As with all previous generations, the 2020 GR Supra is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle powered by an inline six-cylinder engine.
Extensive attention has also been paid to the fundamental elements of wheelbase, tread, and centre of gravity, thus achieving superior handling performance befitting a pure sports car.
The 2020 GR Supra’s 3.0-litre turbocharged engine produces up to 335hp and 500Nm of torque.
The torque comes on strong even from very low engine speeds, thanks to a combination of a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection, and continuously variable timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts.
Engine response is further enhanced thanks to the inline six’s variable intake-valve lift system, which adjusts intake valve timing and duration for optimal performance.
The 8-speed automatic transmission delivers speedy up and downshifts, and features paddle shifters for manual control when desired.
Short ratios for the lower gears and a launch control function, which is not intended for use on public roads or repeated short interval use, enable powerful acceleration with maximum traction.
The 2020 Supra offers two driving modes: Normal and Sport.
The Sport Mode sharpens throttle response, increases steering weight and improves transmission shift crispness.
This mode also engages a more aggressive active differential tuning and amplifies the exhaust sound.
Meanwhile, Traction Mode can be activated as part of the Vehicle Stability Control System to provide track-driving capability by reducing the intervention of the traction and stability control functions.
Launch Control is available only when the vehicle is in Sport and Traction modes.