Toyota confirms sub-$100k price for reborn Supra

BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 20th May 2019

TOYOTA Australia has confirmed pricing for its two-variant Supra line-up ahead of deliveries commencing in early September, with the reborn sports coupe priced from $84,900 plus on-road costs.

With the GT grade handling entry-level duties, the flagship GTS commands a healthy $10,000 premium due to its higher level of specification. As such, its driveaway price will comfortably break the mooted $100,000 barrier.

While Supra starts from $US49,990 ($A72,000) in the United States, Australia’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Luxury Car Tax (LCT) are likely factors in the pricing discrepancy alongside import tariffs.

Either way, Supra is significantly more affordable Down Under than the mechanically related BMW Z4 M40i convertible, which retails for $124,900 plus on-road costs.

According to Toyota Australia vice-president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley, “the GR Supra should be compared with vehicles in a much higher price bracket, including top-end European sports coupes”.

“It really is that good,” he said. “I am certain anyone who experiences it will appreciate the engineering, passion and precision that has gone into building what we believe is one of the best-value, most engaging drivers' cars on sale in the world today.”

As reported by GoAuto, Australian demand for Supra is so high that the Japanese brand has effectively sold out of its first 12 months of supply, which amounts to 280 units.

In order to manage expectations, Mr Hanley said Toyota Australia “developed a new online sales process to ensure a fair allocation of vehicles and provide customers with an exclusive experience”.

“The Supra is one of the most exciting cars we've had in our line-up for more than 20 years, and the anticipation and excitement from fans has been unprecedented with thousands of registrations of interest,” he said.

“The new centralised online sales process handled by a dedicated Supra concierge will ensure we keep customers updated at every step of the way and provide a bespoke and very personal experience, which is fitting for a vehicle of the Supra's calibre.”

Supra buyers will be able to log into a dedicated website at 12:00pm (AEST) on Wednesday, June 19 to fight it out in the first round of reservations. It will remain open until about 100 orders are placed.

In order to reserve a Supra, buyers will initially be required to place a fully refundable $1000 deposit. They will then be subject to a randomised balloting process that will notify them of the result within 24 hours.

If successful, buyers will be personally rung and asked to confirm their preferred grade and colour before being charged a subsequent $4000 fee to complete the reservation.

After this is finalised, sales management and deliveries for all orders will be handled by Toyota Australia’s extensive dealer network.

For those that are unsuccessful in the first round, they will receive information about timing for future reservation windows that will be determined in line with the availability of new stock. Multiple rounds are planned for the first 12 months of sales.

Standard equipment in the GT includes a mechanical limited-slip differential, adaptive dampers, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, and power-folding side mirrors with heating.

Inside, wireless smartphone charging, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, eight-way power-adjustable sports seats with lumbar support and heating, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and leather-accented upholstery feature.

Advanced driver-assist systems extend to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring, high-beam assist, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors, plus seven airbags.

The GTS adds high-performance brakes, 19-inch alloy wheels, a windshield-projected head-up display and a 12-speaker JBL sound system plus the exclusive options of Nurburg Matte Grey paintwork and Alcantara upholstery, both of which are priced at $2500.

Alternatively, seven other exterior colours are available, including Fuji White, Suzuka Silver, Goodwood Grey, Monza Red, Silverstone Yellow, Le Mans Blue and Bathurst Black.

As reported, the Australian-market Supra is exclusively motivated by BMW’s B58 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder engine that produces 250kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

These outputs are exclusively sent to the rear wheels via a ZF-sourced eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with launch control. This combination results in a zero-to-100km/h sprint time of 4.4 seconds.

2019 Toyota Supra pricing*