Toyota hands GR Supra a power upgrade ... and it’s on the cards for SA!

Toyota South Africa Motors has confirmed the GR Supra is in line for a power upgrade, with the updated model on the cards for a local introduction.

As revealed by the Japanese firm’s North American arm, the GR Supra’s BMW-sourced 3,0-litre straight six will be boosted from the current 250 kW to 285 kW (that’s a full 35 kW or 14 percent more). Interestingly, this extra oomph is offered slightly higher in the rev range (now from 5 800 to 6 500 r/min) and will likely cut a couple of tenths of a second from the claimed 0-100 km/h time of 4,5 seconds.

Toyota says it unlocked this added grunt by applying a “slew of upgrades throughout the engine”. It also added a new dual-branch exhaust manifold (with six ports instead of two), while a new piston design was implemented to reduce the engine’s compression ratio from 11:1 to 10,2:1.

Toyota South Africa Motors told CARmag.co.za the 285 kW version would be “introduced as a running change” pending fuel quality approval, adding that “timing hasn’t been confirmed yet”.

So, will fuel quality be an obstacle? Well, it’s worth noting BMW South Africa’s Z4 M40i, with which the Supra shares plenty (including that inline-six), and the M340i have also quietly been upgraded to 285 kW.

In mid-January 2020, Toyota South Africa Motors confirmed it had no plans to introduce the 2,0-litre, four-cylinder version of the Supra, explaining the 3,0-litre model “suits the local market best”.

See Full Toyota GR Supra price and specs here