Eight Supercars and Sports Cars Slower Than a 2020 Toyota Supra
It seems that Toyota’s numbers for the new Supra are … let’s say, conservative. Toyota claims the Supra’s BMW-sourced force-fed inline-six makes 335 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque at the crank, but we took it to a dyno for more testing. It put down 332 hp and 387 lb-ft at the wheels, which, factoring in an approximate 15 percent drivetrain loss, suggests the engine is generating a lot more grunt than Toyota tells us.
In terms of performance, Toyota’s numbers have the Supra hitting 60 mph from a stop in just 4.1 seconds, which is mighty quick. (Quick, not fast. Fast describes top speed; quick relates to acceleration.) Ah, but just like the power and torque figures, our own testing saw the Supra overperforming. The car completed the 0–60 run in 3.9 seconds. That makes the Supra not only the quickest Toyota product since the mighty Lexus LFA, it’s actually quicker than many legitimate supercars and high-end sports cars.
2014 Audi R8 4.2 Spyder – 4.0 seconds
When we first drove Audi’s R8 supercar, one of our few complaints was its clunky automated manual transmission. At launch, the choice of a gated six-speed manual was something of a no-brainer, but Audi made the decision a lot harder with the introduction of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic for the 2013 model year.
The dual-clutch made the mid-engine R8 not only easier to drive around town, but quicker on the test track. Even so, just six years after we recorded a 4.0-second 0–60 run in a 2014 R8, the plucky little Supra just edges it out.
2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 – 4.0 seconds
There’s something special about a V-12 Lamborghini, isn’t there? Miura, Countach, Diablo, Murcielago, Aventador—they’re provocative, exciting, dramatic pieces of machinery that have a way of demanding one’s attention.
The Murcielago’s beast of a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12 developed 631 horsepower and sent it to all four wheels. It had a recipe for rapid acceleration and completed the 0–60 sprint in just 4.0 seconds—still a tenth behind the Supra.
2006 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe – 4.0 seconds
There isn’t a single car on sale today with an engine larger than the 2006 Viper’s 8.3-liter 500-hp V-10. In a 2006 road test, we said the big V-10 “still sounds like the devil spitting gasoline out the sidepipes, and it’ll turn a pair of expensive, foot-wide rear tires into a smoldering pile of rubber residue with no more effort than it takes to fall out of a boat and hit water.”
This particular V-10 snake’s 4.0-second 0–60 time was a little slower than expected. Still, it’s a little shocking that a six-cylinder Toyota (er, BMW?) is quicker than the all-American, all-engine Viper.
2013 Aston Martin DB9 – 4.1 seconds
I don’t think it would be controversial to say Aston Martin builds gorgeous cars. It’s almost easy, then, to forget that its cars are often powered by fabulous powerplants—a 5.9-liter V-12 in the case of 2013’s DB9. That engine makes 510 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque in the DB9, helping it scoot to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds.
The biggest complaint in our First Test was about the DB9’s sluggish six-speed automatic transmission. An eight-speed auto handles gear-changing duties in the new Supra; perhaps its quicker upshifts have something to do with the Supra’s superior acceleration numbers.
2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT – 4.1 seconds
Before Jaguar was crossing the 200-mph barrier in the F-Type SVR, it was more focused on carving up racetracks in the most focused version of the two-door XK, the XKR-S GT. The GT didn’t make any more power than the more pedestrian XKR-S, but its massive rear wing, capable carbon-ceramic brakes, and myriad chassis improvements made it quite at home on a track.
But let’s not forget, it was still a beast in a straight line. The supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 put out 542 hp and propelled the big cat to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Apparently there is a replacement for displacement, given that the 3.0-liter Supra finished the task two tenths quicker.
2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S – 4.1 seconds
The track-focused Jag narrowly defeated the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S in a 2014 comparison test, but that’s not to say the Aston doesn’t have its strong points. After all, it was designed by Ian Callum and is powered by a free-breathing 565-hp V-12 that sings to the heavens.
Despite the rock-star good looks and a voice for the ages, the V12 Vantage didn’t hit 60 mph any quicker than the XKR-S GT. The Supra may not sound as good as either of these Brits, but at least in a straight line, it’s a stronger performer.
2004 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
You know how the Ferrari 488 Pista is the hardcore race-inspired version of the already superlative 488 GTB? And how the 458 Speciale was a lighter, meaner, sharper permutation of the timeless 458 Italia? That’s what the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale was to the 360 Modena, and in 2004, we called it emotional, exciting, and a high point for race technology on the street.
The 360 Challenge Stradale was powered by a 425-horsepower 8,500-rpm flat-plane V-8, and it was a staggering 242 pounds lighter than a standard 360 Modena. With the help of Ferrari’s F1 electrohydraulic six-speed transmission, the Challenge Stradale hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. The Supra is almost half a second quicker.
2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport
It might be one of the last cars left with a non-turbo Italian V-8, but the aging Maserati GranTursimo is falling behind, especially if we’re talking acceleration numbers. Its 454 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque are respectable numbers, sure, but among today’s crop of sports cars and supercars, the Maserati fails to impress.
Its 4.6-second 0–60 time is 0.7 second behind the new Supra. The Maserati may look and feel more exotic than Toyota’s collaboration with BMW, but pointed straight on a track, the Supra would deliver a spanking.
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