The fifth generation Supra has already received more than enough criticism for collaborating with BMW and sharing much of the same DNA as the Z4. Well, if you're a Mk4 Supra purists, chances are you were filled with rage once again as last week when Toyota USA announced they'll be offering a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder option to live alongside the 3.0-liter inline-six. A four-cylinder Supra? Are you serious? A Supra was meant to have the roar of six, not the purr of a four banger, right? Well, after attending Toyota's press conference of the A91 Supra at Daytona International Raceway, I was able to dive a little deeper into the new 2.0, sit in on an informative roundtable with Supra chief engineer Tatsuya Tada, and also snap some real photos of the first 2.0-liter Supras on American soil (since first photos are from the official press release). I'm still not sold on the four-cylinder Supra, especially as a 3.0 A90 Launch Edition owner myself, but what I learned from the Toyota team and Tada-san made some sense. It'll just be a question of whether the American market will feel the same way.
© Super Street Online Staff2.0L Four-Cylinder Turbocharged EnginePop the hood and the four-cylinder engine bay doesn't look too much different except a different engine cover (four painted lines instead of six) and more space in front. The 2.0-liter inline-four is a powertrain shared with the BMW Z4 and recognized as the B48. Features a single twin-scroll turbo, direction injection and continuously variable valve timing. Horsepower is rated 255hp at 5,000 to 6,500 rpm, while torque is 295 lb-ft at 1,550 to 4,400rpm. We will not be getting the 194hp iteration that's available in Japan. The same eight-speed ZF automatic from the inline-six model is used in the four-cylinder. Lastly, Toyota estimates its 0-60mph is 5 seconds flat.
Associated downgrades with the 2.0 modelAside from the smaller engine, the four-cylinder Supra will be stripped of its active diff and active suspension. The front brakes have also shrunk - the rotors going from 348mm to 330mm, and the calipers changing from a four-piston Brembo setup to single-pistons. Inside, the radio is affected with a basic four speaker system coming as standard, as well as manual seats. 18-inch cast wheels are equipped as opposed to the 19-inch forged ones offered in the inline-six, and if you're looking close enough, you'll notice the exhaust tips are slightly a smaller diameter.
© Super Street Online Staff4 reasons why the four-cylinder might not be as terrible as you think