2021 Toyota GR Supra

2021 is a change year: the BMW B58 3.0L turbo inline-six jumped from 335 hp (2020) to 382 hp via a new six-port dual-branch exhaust manifold and revised pistons, and the 255-hp 2.0L turbo four arrived in the US for the first time. Scored on the 3.0 as the volume configuration — strong for a coupe but below the Corvette, AMG GT and 911 that anchor the segment top.

368 lb-ft (up marginally from 365 lb-ft in 2020) spread flat from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm gives the 2021 3.0 deep, accessible pull in any gear — more than a base 911 Carrera or the outgoing 370Z. The 2.0's 295 lb-ft arrives from 1,550 rpm.

Toyota rates the 2021 3.0 at 3.9 seconds to 60 mph, down from 4.1 s on the 335-hp 2020 car, and instrumented tests ran quicker still. That is well ahead of a Mustang GT or the 370Z and within a few tenths of a base 911, though the Corvette and AMG GT remain quicker.

The B58 is a benchmark turbo six — twin-scroll turbo, near-zero lag, linear delivery and inherent inline-six smoothness — and the 2021 changes (six-port exhaust manifold, revised pistons) added top-end pull without hurting low-end response. Criticisms are piped-in cabin sound and an exhaust note less charismatic than a V8 or flat-six; 2021 lacks the later Hairpin+ traction programming added for 2023.

The Toyota-recalibrated ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic is fast, smooth and decisive, never hunts, and responds well to the paddles with launch control available. It is the only transmission for 2021 — the six-speed manual did not arrive until the 2023 model year — which enthusiast reviewers counted against the car.

Rear-wheel drive only on every 2021 grade, and no AWD was ever offered on the MkV Supra. A deliberate sports-car choice, but a bottom-band result here against rivals like the 911 (Carrera 4) that offer AWD; traction aids are limited to stability control and, on the 3.0, the active rear differential.

2021 introduced a second engine in the US — the 255-hp 2.0L turbo four from $42,990 alongside the 382-hp 3.0L six from $50,990 — giving two distinct price/performance points, a middle-band result. Both were automatic-only and there was no hybrid, PHEV or EV variant.

The volume 2021 3.0 is EPA-rated 25 mpg combined — a point below the 26 mpg of the 335-hp 2020 car, the price of the power bump — while the new 2.0 four is the lineup's efficiency leader at 28 mpg. Low in the coupe band.

22 mpg city is reasonable for a 382-hp rear-drive coupe, aided by stop-start and the eight-speed, but lands in the lower third of the coupe band.

30 mpg highway is the 3.0's best figure, thanks to tall top gears in the ZF eight-speed and a slippery body, but still low in the coupe band.

The small 13.7-gallon tank limits the 3.0 to roughly 343 miles at its 25 mpg combined rating — near the bottom of the coupe band, and well under that if driven hard.

At 15,000 miles a year, 25 mpg combined burns about 600 gallons of required premium, roughly $2,600 — toward the expensive end of the coupe band.

Premium is required, and the volume 3.0 calls for 93 octane — the costliest pump grade — with no E85 or electrified alternative, and the small tank means paying the surcharge often. The new-for-2021 2.0 asks for only 91 octane, keeping it just off the floor.

NHTSA has never run NCAP testing on the A90/J29 GR Supra, and the 2021 model year — which added the 2.0-liter four-cylinder trim and lifted the 3.0 to 382 hp — was not tested either, routine for a low-volume two-seat sports car. Estimated at 4 stars from the shared BMW G29 structure and standard front/side/curtain/knee airbag complement, with no measured result behind it.

IIHS has never crash-tested any A90-generation GR Supra, so the 2021 car holds no Top Safety Pick award and no individual Good crashworthiness result. Untested with no known structural concerns and a modern BMW-engineered body earns the low end of the mid band rather than the untested-with-concerns floor.

Standard on every 2021 trim (2.0, 3.0, 3.0 Premium, A91 Edition): Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams and a rearview camera. Adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on no trim — the volume 2.0 and 3.0 must take the new $3,485 Safety & Technology Package (bundled with navigation, JBL audio and wireless CarPlay), with a cheaper Driver Assist Package on the 3.0 Premium.

The Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection is standard on every 2021 trim and uses BMW-derived camera/radar hardware, but the Supra has no IIHS front crash prevention result in any model year. Competent-modern-system credit without measured avoidance data or confirmed nighttime pedestrian performance; parking-sensor emergency braking is package-only.

Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are standard on no 2021 trim; on the volume 2.0 and 3.0 they come only inside the $3,485 Safety & Technology Package bundled with infotainment upgrades. Coverage is alert-only with no steering or braking intervention, and no surround-view camera is offered on a car with poor over-the-shoulder sightlines.

Lane Departure Warning with Steering Assist is standard on all 2021 trims and gives a corrective nudge where markings are detected, but no lane-centering function is offered at any trim or package level, so nothing holds the car mid-lane on the highway.

Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is smooth and stop-and-go capable behind the ZF eight-speed, and because 2021 is automatic-only every buyer can option it — but it is optional on every trim and tied to the $3,485 Safety & Technology Package on the volume 2.0/3.0. No highway-assist mode pairs it with lane centering.

No hands-free highway driving is offered on the 2021 GR Supra in any trim or package; the car carries no driver-monitoring camera or HD-mapping hardware such a system requires.

Auto-leveling six-lens LED headlights, LED DRLs and standard Automatic High Beams are fitted across the whole 2021 range, so there is no trim-based lighting penalty on the volume car. Held mid-band because IIHS has never evaluated Supra headlights and no steering-responsive adaptive function is offered.

Forward sightlines over the low cowl are workable, but thick A-pillars, shallow side glass and a slot-like rear window leave a large over-the-shoulder blind zone that most reviewers flag (carsforsale.com is an outlier calling it better than most). Compensation is thin: only the rearview camera is standard and no surround-view camera is available.

The fifth-generation (J29/A90) GR Supra, in its second US model year, is a strict two-seater — behind the seats there is only a parcel shelf, with no rear bench on any grade. The 2021 changes (382-hp 3.0, new 2.0 four-cylinder, A91 Edition) left the two-place cabin untouched.

38.3 in is good for a low sports coupe — the double-bubble roof gives helmet clearance where it is needed and no sunroof is offered, so nothing eats into it. Tall drivers still sit close to the headliner.

42.2 in is mid-pack for the coupe class and plenty for six-footers on a long drive. The deep bolsters and tall center tunnel make the cabin feel narrower than the figure suggests.

10.2 cu ft sits at the bottom of the coupe band, which is set by four-seat coupes with folding rear seats. Against true two-seat sports cars it is the practical choice, but the hold is narrow, shallow and cannot be expanded.

Small-item storage is the Supra's weakest everyday trait: a small glovebox, slim door pockets, a shallow tray behind the seats and cupholders placed awkwardly in the console. No clever packaging offsets it, and the 2021 refresh changed nothing inside.

The volume 3.0's 14-way power sport seats are supportive over long stints and, on the 3.0 Premium, heated and leather-trimmed. Points come off for bolsters that pinch broader occupants and the new entry 2.0's manually adjusted seats.

For 2021 Toyota added strut-tower-to-radiator-support braces, new bump stops and new damper tuning to the 3.0, which tightened body control. Testers still describe the ride as 'sports car firm', livable day to day but busy on broken pavement, and occupants sit almost over the rear axle. The more comfort-oriented 2023 re-tune was still two years away.

Wind noise is moderate with the windows up, but highway tire roar from the staggered 19-in summer tires rises noticeably, and engine sound is piped in. The documented Helmholtz-resonance buffeting with both side windows lowered is a real demerit.

Dual-zone automatic climate control is standard, and the volume 3.0 Premium adds heated leather power seats with memory and a head-up display. There are no ventilated seats, heated steering wheel or remote pre-conditioning, and the new 2.0 trims back to manual seats.

2021 is the first US model year with the turbocharged 2.0 four-cylinder, which cut the GR Supra's entry price by $8,000 versus the 3.0 to $42,990 plus $995 destination. That lands mid-band for a coupe.

Six-cylinder cars carry most US Supra sales, and the 3.0 Premium — JBL audio, head-up display, navigation, leather, wireless charging — is the volume configuration at $54,490 plus $995 destination. That sits near the top of the coupe volume-trim band, so the item scores near the floor.

Published estimates for the A90 diverge widely — CarEdge models under $2,000 in the first five years, while cost-to-own tools that load in tires, brakes and repairs run several times higher. About $4,000 accounts for BMW B58 parts pricing and staggered summer performance tires while crediting ToyotaCare's first two years, well better than the coupe-band midpoint.

A 2021 GR Supra is now a five-year-old car, and the used market has treated it well: the 382-hp re-tune makes 2021 the first year of the full-output six, and low volume plus the Supra name and Toyota badge keep residuals among the strongest in the sports-car class. Retention sits above the coupe band ceiling of 65%, so the item maxes out.

Standard Toyota 36-month/36,000-mile new-vehicle limited warranty — the industry floor and the bottom of the coupe band.

Toyota's standard 60-month/60,000-mile powertrain coverage sits at the bottom of the 5–10 year coupe band — short for a BMW-sourced turbocharged engine and ZF 8-speed automatic.

ToyotaCare covers 2 years/25,000 miles of scheduled maintenance plus 2 years of 24/7 roadside assistance — real but short. Supra buyers also received a complimentary one-year NASA membership with a free High Performance Driving Event, a genuine enthusiast perk rather than a cost offset. Mid-band: ahead of German rivals that include nothing, short of a multi-year plan.

$55,485 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (72% retained, or about $39,949) leaves about $15,536 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,000 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $19,536 in total.

Mixed signals for the 2021 model year. J.D. Power's 2021 GR Supra page is reported at 78/100 Quality & Reliability, in its 70-80 'Average' band (some cached listings show a lower 61, so the figure is not settled), and the Auto Reliability Index rates the 2021 at 64/100. Consumer Reports has no model-specific verdict because US volume is too low, so it falls back on Toyota brand data. The result is roughly average, not the top-tier rating the Toyota badge implies.

Toyota was a top-five dependability brand when the 2021 was sold. Consumer Reports' 2021 survey ranked it third behind Lexus and Mazda, and J.D. Power's 2021 VDS put it fourth overall at 98 PP100, against a 121 industry average. The score sits a notch under the brand's raw standing because the GR Supra's powertrain, electronics and switchgear come from BMW and the car is assembled by Magna Steyr, outside Toyota's own production system.

The 2021 has one of the heavier recall records of the A90 generation. NHTSA lists five campaigns for the model year, and two of them are serious: insufficiently welded fuel-tank seams that could leak fuel and create a fire risk, and engine-management software that could cut brake assist at engine start. Smaller campaigns cover the passenger seatbelt automatic locking retractor and a starter-relay short-circuit fire risk, which is confined to the low-volume 2.0-liter four. All were remedied with software updates or part replacement, and none points to a systemic design flaw.

The volume 2021 configuration is the 3.0 with BMW's B58 turbocharged inline-six. For 2021 the engine got a revised head and pistons and rose to 382 hp. It sits in one of the best-documented modern performance-engine families, with a closed-deck block and a broad owner record of 150,000-200,000 miles on routine service. Behind it is the ZF 8HP eight-speed, which Toyota picked over a dual-clutch for its reliability. Unlike the 2023, the 2021 transmission was not part of the 8HP control-unit weld-seam recall. The B58's known cooling-system weak points cap the score.

The cabin is essentially the BMW Z4's: the 8.8-inch iDrive screen, the rotary controller, the steering wheel and the switchgear all come straight across. In 3.0/3.0 Premium form, reviewers call it a solid near-luxury space with leather sport seats and good BMW-sourced materials. It is cramped and plainer than the Lexus LC or Porsche 911 cabins in this segment.

Assembly is a genuine strength. The car is built alongside the BMW Z4 at Magna Steyr in Graz, and 2021 reviewers describe a tightly screwed-together car with no rattle or panel-gap complaints. The score stays below the segment's best because US volume is too small for a formal initial-quality award to back up those review impressions, and owner-level quality data is only average.

Toyota runs one of the densest dealer and service networks in the US, so routine maintenance access is never the limit for a Supra owner. The deduction is specific to the GR: the drivetrain, electronics and diagnostics are BMW's, Toyota service departments have limited depth on that hardware, and Toyota stores cannot order parts through BMW dealers. That gap mattered in 2021, when the fuel-tank and brake-assist remedies had to go through the Toyota network.

Running costs are the good half of this item. Buying BMW hardware at Toyota's parts pricing makes the Supra far cheaper to keep than its mechanical twin, the Z4, and the B58 has a large tuning and hard-parts aftermarket. Availability is the bad half: BMW-sourced parts ordered through Toyota have documented multi-month backorders, and low US volume keeps dealer stock thin.

2021 is a change year here: Toyota made the 8.8-inch display, previously exclusive to the 2020 3.0 Premium, standard across the range and discontinued the 6.5-inch base screen. No larger screen is offered.

The system is BMW iDrive 6 in Toyota graphics: quick, with a good rotary controller and shortcut buttons for use on the move, and physical climate controls. It is already a generation behind BMW's own by 2021, the menus are dense, and testers call it somewhat complex.

Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard on the volume 3.0 Premium and available on the 2.0/3.0 via the Safety & Technology package, but Android Auto is not offered on any 2021 GR Supra. That omission caps the item in the middle band.

The volume 3.0 Premium has embedded navigation with Supra Connect real-time traffic and BMW-derived voice command, so both boxes are ticked, but the voice assistant predates natural-language systems and most owners route through CarPlay. Lower grades lack native nav unless optioned.

The volume 3.0 Premium carries a 500-watt, 12-speaker JBL system that fills a two-seat cabin well, and the plain 3.0 has a respectable 10-speaker unit. The new 2.0's four-speaker base system is thin for the money.

The Supra-specific 8.8-inch digital cluster with a central tachometer is standard on every grade and reads cleanly at speed. Its layout is largely fixed, with none of the reconfigurability of rivals' latest systems.

Supra Connect pushes map updates to the head unit over the cellular network, but there is no whole-vehicle OTA: powertrain, chassis and driver-assist updates still need a dealer.

The Supra Connect app covers locate, remote lock/unlock, lights, horn, ventilation and send-to-car. It is a separate BMW-derived app, has no remote engine start or phone-as-key, and lapses to a paid subscription after the trial.

The volume 3.0 Premium gets a Qi wireless charging pad, but wired provision is a single USB-A port plus a 12-volt outlet, with no USB-C and no household power. A two-seat cabin needs less, but this is still thin.

A smart key with push-button start is standard on all 2021 grades, so the daily convenience is there. There is no digital key, no remote start and no power hatch.

A rearview camera is standard, but in 2021 parking sensors (and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert) are optional even on the 3.0 Premium, via the $1,195 Driver's Assist package. No surround-view camera is available, which hurts in a car with poor rear-three-quarter visibility.

A full-color head-up display is standard on the volume 3.0 Premium and the A91 Edition and is a good BMW-sourced unit. It cannot be had on the 2.0 or base 3.0.

The 2021 GR Supra is a strict two-seat coupe with no rear bench and no rear LATCH anchors, so the only place for a child seat is the front passenger seat with the airbag off. Long doors and a low seat make loading a child awkward.

Standard Toyota Supra Safety covers pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors and full-speed adaptive cruise all cost extra, through the $1,195 Driver's Assist package on the Premium or the $3,155–$3,485 Safety & Technology package on lower grades. Neither NHTSA nor IIHS has crash-tested the car.

Two seats and a 10.2 cu ft hatch cap the trip at two people with soft bags. There are no rear amenities and no room for a family.

The ZF 8-speed automatic and the B58 six's torque from 1,800 rpm make traffic easy, and the car is livable daily for a sports car. Against that, the ride is firm, entry and exit from the low seat take effort, the low roof and short side windows limit vision, and the windows-down buffeting is tiresome.

25 mpg combined from a 382-hp six is good for the class, and the new 2.0 offers a cheaper entry point at higher mpg. But premium fuel is required, the staggered summer tires are costly, and BMW-engineered servicing is not cheap.

The short 172.5-in body and 34.1-ft turning circle are easy to place. Visibility is poor, though, and in 2021 parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring are optional even on the 3.0 Premium.

There is no tow rating, little payload and only a 10.2 cu ft hatch. Aftermarket hitches are for bike racks only.

The B58 six and ZF 8HP are durable, high-volume BMW units and Magna Steyr build quality is good. But about 4.5 in of ground clearance, summer tires and premium trim make it the wrong tool for hard use.

There is no bed, no AC power, no upfit ecosystem and no washable surfaces. The car has no jobsite role.

Supportive seats and 30 mpg highway on a 13.7-gal tank give roughly 400 miles between stops, and the car cruises well. Rising highway tire noise, a firm ride and optional (not standard) adaptive cruise hold it below a true GT.

The Supra is rear-wheel drive only, with about 4.5 in of ground clearance and staggered summer tires. It has no tow rating and no roof rails.

The 10.2 cu ft hatch beats most two-seat rivals, and long items can rest on the rear strut brace. But nothing folds, the hold is narrow and shallow, cabin storage is poor and there are no roof rails.

For 2021 Toyota stiffened the 3.0 with aluminum braces from the strut towers to the radiator support, new bump stops, new damper tuning and revised stability-control programming. On a 97.2-in wheelbase with near 50:50 weight distribution and an active rear differential, it turns in sharply and rotates willingly. The more forgiving 2023 anti-roll-control update was still to come, so it can still be snappy at the limit.

Revised 2021 steering programming makes the rack accurate and progressive, and testers called it crisper than the 2020 car. It is still an electric rack with limited road feel compared with the class best.

The 3.0's four-piston Brembo front calipers on 348-mm rotors and staggered summer tires give short, repeatable stops with a firm, linear pedal. The 2.0 uses smaller single-piston brakes, but the volume 3.0 is the benchmark here.

The 2021 B58 update to 382 hp keeps the inline-six's near-lag-free response, with 368 lb-ft from 1,800 rpm. The Toyota-calibrated ZF 8-speed shifts quickly and smoothly. No manual was offered in 2021.

The inline-six is free of vibration through the controls and cruises quietly. Much of the sound under load is synthesized through the speakers, and the real exhaust note is muted for a 3.0-liter six.

A 97.2-in wheelbase and 172.5-in length give a 34.1-ft turning circle, at the tight end of the coupe class.

The low, supportive seat, good wheel adjustment and BMW switchgear make a good driving position. The low roof and short side windows limit vision, entry and exit are hard, and blind-spot monitoring is optional.

The 2021 power bump to 382 hp (0-60 in 3.9 s) and the chassis bracing made the Supra a much more complete sports car, and testers found it 'massively fun'. Deductions are the automatic-only gearbox in 2021 and the synthesized soundtrack.

For 2021 every Supra gained a standard 8.8-inch touchscreen, and the volume 3.0 Premium adds JBL 12-speaker audio, a head-up display, navigation, wireless charging and heated leather on top of the 3.0's adaptive dampers, active rear differential and Brembo front brakes. It stays out of the top band because adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert remain in an extra-cost Driver Assist package even on the $54,490 Premium, and the new 2.0 drops the adaptive suspension, active differential and premium audio.

2021 is one of the A90's best value years: the 3.0's B58 jumped from 335 to 382 hp with no price change of note, so $50,990 bought 3.9-second-class performance that a Porsche 718 Cayman or the mechanically related BMW Z4 M40i asked $10K–$13K more for, and the new $42,990 2.0 opened the car to buyers who wanted the chassis without the six. Offsets are two seats, a small hatch, no manual option yet, and Mustang GT / Camaro SS delivering similar pace for less.

2021 broadened the lineup materially: four trims spanning $13,000 and, for the first time in the US, two engines. It remains one body style, rear-drive, two seats, automatic only (the manual arrived for 2023), with a thin option sheet.

Calendar 2021 was the A90's US sales peak at 6,830 units, up 16% on 2020 as the cheaper 2.0 and the more powerful 3.0 widened its appeal. That is still a niche figure next to the Mustang or Camaro, and it was the high point before a steep decline.

The Supra nameplate carries genuine legend status, Gazoo Racing has growing enthusiast credibility, and Toyota's reliability reputation underpins resale. The standing drag is the enthusiast objection that the A90 is a rebodied BMW Z4 with BMW engines and switchgear.

2021 was the chip-shortage year: inventory tightened through the model year and sales hit their peak, so dealer discounts on the volume 3.0 cars were scarce and the 1,000-unit A91 Edition commonly sold at or over sticker. Factory support was limited to Toyota's perennial college-graduate and military rebates plus intermittent TFS financing offers.

2021 is only the second US model year of the A90 generation, and a meaningful update year: the six gained 47 hp, the chassis got stiffening braces and revised rear bushings, the 8.8-inch screen went standard and a new 2.0 trim arrived. Platform and cabin are current, though the BMW-sourced infotainment was already a generation behind BMW's own.

The 2021 car earned a Car and Driver 10Best and Editor's Choice, with reviewers praising the extra power and the 2.0's lighter-nose balance. It stops short of the top band because the lack of a manual, BMW switchgear and limited visibility kept it from winning comparison tests outright against the Cayman.