The Mark IV Toyota Supra Turbo was a failure

The Mark IV Toyota Supra Turbo was a failure that killed the name (and genre). Then a movie came out that changed its legacy.

This month I’m excited to bring you four iconic Japanese sports cars, and while the remaining three are modern, we’re going to start with this 1997 Mark IV Toyota Supra Turbo. It’s nearly 30 years old, it’s a hero car of mine, and it’s going to serve as a baseline for the others to discover how far Toyota, Nissan and Subaru have come.

And I do hope they’ve learned something, because this car was a failure in the biggest way possible.

Mark IV Toyota Supra

1997 Toyota Supra Turbo Quick Take

Get one:

Engine of the Gods. Everyone stares. Styling that’s held the test of time. Eager to play.

Don’t get one:

The chassis needs a Viagra. Dated inside. Ferraris are cheaper now.

Soul Score: 9

Legends never die.

The 1997 Mark IV Toyota Supra Turbo Overview

Mark IV Toyota Supra

I suppose that, because I grew up in the back of Maximas and Altimas, Japanese sports cars always held a certain lore. I’d see one in the showroom (if I was lucky) when my parents would take the family battle wagon in for service. What a treat that was.

Then The Fast and the Furious came out, and suddenly those icons of the 90s were movie stars – none more so than this Mark IV Toyota Supra Turbo. Oh the irony of that Ferrari F355 scene – now it’s this car that’s more than you can afford, pal.

But let’s forget about all the Hollywood stuff, because that’s not what gives the Supra its special touch. Maybe it’s the rarity, maybe that iconic 2JZ engine, or even that big clothesline wing, but out of all those 90s beasts, this seems to be everyone’s favorite.

And uh, you know, I might have a problem with that.

Performance Score: 8. Pop the hood

This Supra is modified – good luck finding one that’s unmolested. Still, I think it’s better this way, as you’ll soon find out.

Engine

Toyota Supra
From 6,000 to redline, hang on tight.

2JZ engine, no shit…

Originally conceived with two sequential turbochargers (one small for low RPMs, one big for higher up the rev counter), most Supra bros remove them and install one GIANT snail. The result is some lag, followed by some good pull, finished off with about 1,000 RPMs of you screaming at the top of your lungs. Nothing on the planet makes you squeeze your butt together like that last bit of tachometer.

You don’t need to hit that redline every time because the engine feels smooth and plenty powerful enough around town. But if you want it, it’s there.

Toyota Supra
Only the larger intercooler gives clues.

I’m not sure what Toyota was thinking when they made this engine  – to say it’s over-engineered is an understatement, especially because the tuner thing wasn’t nearly as big when the Supra was being designed in the early 90s. Lucky us.

Another mod here is the addition of an electronic throttle body, and it’s just a revelation. Even though the engine is explosive, the pedal makes the Supra feel much more modern and easier to control. A brilliant addition by Jason, the owner.

Driving around with the roof off, I can tell you that the car sounds like nothing else, and hearing that giant turbo spool is enough to make you giggle like a school girl.

Transmission

Toyota Supra
I coulda’ been a Camaro.

Like the engine, the original Getrag six-speed manual was built to take some punishment, but no one can outrun time. Parts have become impossible to find, and if you blow yours up, expect to pay upwards of $18,000 for a new one.

Toyota Supra
The footwell was a bit tight for my size 13 Nike shoes.

An unlikely hero comes to the rescue in GM – this Supra takes the Tremec six-speed transmission out of a last generation Chevrolet Camaro. Worked over by Grannas Racing and turned into a kit, the ratios are made close enough to the stock unit. Shall we also mention that even with labor, it’s a quarter of the price?

If I wasn’t told, I wouldn’t have known, so seamless is this six-speed’s integration. It is notchy and requires some muscle to move, but that’s just typical of both the Tremec and a car with over 600 horsepower.

Steering and Chassis

Toyota Supra
Ahh, feedback.

The Supra has an overall sense of things not being as solid as what you’ll find in a modern car, and that’s sort of a duh given the age and mileage. There’s some shakes and rattles over bigger bumps – it’s the same thing I experienced in last year’s 3000GT review.

It doesn’t really ruin the experience. First, I insisted we take off the top for pictures (and because I wanted to look cool), which reduced body rigidity. But the chassis is still plenty communicative, more so than what’s built today. The steering has that old-school build-up of feedback that used to be common. I want to hug it.

Toyota Supra
The Supra’s chassis is well-balanced.

It’s still a capable grand tourer, with a relaxed ride on local roads.  There is rudimentary traction control, but it’s essentially on or off, and if it’s on, it’s used to save your ass, not help you perform Paul Walker drifts. But to live with day-in and day-out is no longer this Supra’s mission. It’s a bit too rough and old school for that.

Brakes

Toyota Supra
Nothing fancy to stop the speed.

There’s an initial dead spot when you hit the brake pedal in the Supra, but once they grab, you’re okay. I don’t want to call them tiny – let’s say era-appropriate. If you plan on tracking the car, bigger units would be a good idea. Remember too, this Supra is only 3,400 pounds, about 100 pounds less than the most basic E9X M3 – less weight means less brakes needed.

Toyota Supra

The best compliments I can give a car are “easy to get used to” and “easy to drive fast”, and the Supra checks off both. I admit I was intimidated to hop in, but this car made it easy to get comfy right away.

This is no Hallmark sentiment: the Mark IV Supra really isn’t like anything else I’ve driven before.

Lifestyle Score: 6. We have…liftoff

Toyota Supra
Do not attempt if chance of rain.

I know why Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota offered a back seat (insurance), but none of these 90s Gods are going to let you bring your family along for the ride unless you use detachable limbs and store them in the trunk. And if the roof is off (it goes in the truck), then I guess the kids are crawling at your destination. A modern 911 T has much more room back there.

Toyota Supra
I’ve had worse. But also better.

The front isn’t much better – merely okay seats with tall backs do manage to hold you in place for up to 7/10ths driving. I was surprised to find it a bit cramped, despite the Supra’s width. Were we all smaller in the 90s?

Toyota Supra
Removing the top is still worth it.

As mentioned above, taking off the roof means storing it in the trunk (or your garage), but the rear seats fold down and offer enough room to run errands in style. Honestly, it’s more than the new Supra offers.

Toyota Supra
I’ve lived this life. You can manage.

Finally, that roof needs a pit crew to be taken off – use the factory supplied ratchet to remove 5 bolts, then use some muscle to lift. This car was expensive back then. Is this the best system they could come up with?

Fuel Economy: N/A

Toyota Supra
Can confirm. Needs gas.

In stock form, the Mark IV Supra will get up to 22 MPG on the highway (but only 15 around town). The new Supra will manage up to 31 on the highway while producing more power in stock form, so score one for modern times.

As it stands – just know that modifying your car like this will mean more visits to the pump. Whatever.

Features and Comfort: 4. The 90s were rough

Toyota Supra

We tend to think of this Supra as heavy (it was back then), modern (it kinda was), and full of luxury (it wasn’t really). That said, Lexus had a heavy hand in its design, because the same stretched chassis was used on its SC coupe. The result is a car that felt more Lexus than Toyota in quality.

Super Supra

Toyota Supra
I’m cool with it, but it makes no sense.

Without a screen to bury everything in, cars of the 90s couldn’t really share layouts inside. That means you might recognize the steering wheel from a Toyota Camry, but nothing else inside the Supra really fits, from the ignition that faces you instead of being stuck on the steering column, to the selfish design of the slanted dash.

Toyota Supra
The best place to put the special badge is the place where you dump your fire stick.

Sit in those leather buckets and stare at a dash that’s easy to read with four big dials, but it’s flanked by a giant black plastic desert. You get cool-looking circular air vents, the passenger gets Toyota hand-me-downs. And while cars like the 3000GT had automatic climate control, you must make due with old-school dials. There is a nice little 15 Anniversary badge on the cigarette ash tray, an afterthought if ever there was one.

Toyota Supra
The large gauges are easy to read.

All that said, this was a pretty high-quality interior for 1997, and nothing is here to distract you from enjoying the Supra.

Wings and things

Toyota Supra
A must.

Every time you see a Supra without the clothesline wing, Vin Diesel sheds a tear. It was an option, especially on non-turbo cars, but I think it’s one of the most distinctive features of the Mark IV Supra. What else was as extreme…a ’99 VR-4?

Toyota Supra

Painted Alpine Silver Metallic, the Supra is a timeless design outside. It could be on sale today. And please, skip the Bomex body parts and what have you – the car looks great out of the box. 17-inch chrome wheels were standard (they look nice yet also ridiculously small), but this example has since replaced them with a pair of polished Blitzes.

Toyota Supra
Polished five-spoke keeps it era appropriate.
Toyota Supra
The only visible badge outside.

Naturally, you’ll want to change out the exhaust for a gigantic can. In a nod to simplicity, the 300ZX and 3000GT gave you four pipes, while the Supra has just one. However, you do get functional side scoops, and they sort of stick out like a nun wearing thigh-highs.

Toyota Supra
Side vents!

Who put those on you, Supra?

But you know, they were fake on the Mitsubishi.

The Mark IV Toyota Supra Turbo killed the genre

Toyota Supra

This car is special. It brought smiles and stares even during my short time with it. The memes are real…“Is that a Supraaaaa?!” We’ll call it Supra-face.

It’s also a hoot to drive. Unrefined by today’s standards, it’s the kind of thing you’d want to save for weekends and back roads. People did not know how good they had it back then, with cars like this readily available. It sold so poorly that Toyota discounted the car by nearly $10,000 in 1997 in an attempt to spur sales. Alas, nothing worked. Shortly after 1998 it died, and all its friends died soon after.

Toyota Supra

It took them over 20 years to make another, and they did so begrudgingly (and with a thick German accent).

Today a car like this example can be worth nearly $100,000, and you might think that’s expensive for what amounts to a 30-year-old Toyota. But if you’ve always wanted one, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. A car is more than the sum of its mechanical bits, or its performance. The Supra makes you and everyone around you just a little bit happier.

Maybe the movie added to the lore, but it’s not responsible for it – the Supra makes its own legacy.

Toyota Supra

1997 Toyota Supra Turbo Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE

Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door hatchback

PRICE

Base: $40,250 (1993)

POWERTRAIN

3.0-liter sequentially turbocharged inline-six
320 horsepower @ 5,600 RPM
315 lb-ft @ 4,000 RPM
Six-speed manual transmission

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 100.4 in
Length: 177.7 in
Width: 71.3 in
Height: 50.2 in
Curb Weight: 3,480 lbs

FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 18/15/22 MPG

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