Vehicle History
Toyota's famed Supra line built up its now legendary reputation across numerous generations over the years, starting with the debut model in 1978 (although at that time in Japan it was named the Celica XX), a luxury version of the Celica with a straight-six engine. With the advent of the second generation in 1981, the car went in a sportier direction, using a more refined body design and retractable headlights. From the introduction of the third-generation car in 1986, the Supra name was used across the globe with the line-up including a 1990 model with a 280hp 2,491cc straight-six twin turbo engine. By its fourth iteration from 1993 the Supra had become a bona fide presence in the global sports car market, featuring four-wheel independent double wishbone suspension, six speed manual transmission and plenty of other features that earned it an extensive fanbase.
Although production ended in 2002, the Supra remained close to the hearts of sports car fans, and news of its return seventeen years later in 2019 was rapturously welcomed. That return was confirmed by its debut at the North American International Auto Show in 2019. There, the fifth generation GR Supra was the star attraction: a pure sports car whose design team had painstakingly engineered the wheelbase, grip and center of gravity to ensure that it's driver enjoys superlative balance and handling. Given the use of a shorter wheelbase, the GR Supra is a two-seater - the first in the series - and features a wide tread that endows the car with a golden wheelbase: tread ratio of 1.6:1, plus a lower center of gravity than the Toyota 86 and a 50:50 front/rear balance. The body structure employs aluminum and steel as well as plastic components with FRP framework to achieve rigidity exceeding even that of the Lexus LFA's carbon fiber-reinforced polymer cabin. The eye is perhaps first drawn to its charismatic double-bubble roof, but then naturally takes in the stylish curvature of the fenders and the entire aerodynamically-honed form of the long nose-short deck car; this design, along with an underside covered almost entirely by underpanel, lends the GR Supra superior downforce. Precise vehicle control awaits with a front double-joint spring strut, rear multi-link suspension setup tested extensively not just in a circuit setting at the famed Nurburgring, but also on streets across the world.
In Japan, potential owners can choose between RZ, SZ-R and SZ models. The top grade RZ employs a straight-six engine in the best Supra tradition, a turbocharged 2,997cc unit providing 340hp; the SZ-R and SZ are both powered by 1,998cc engines that offer 258hp and 197hp respectively. All models have an eight-speed sports automatic transmission.
Attracting attention all over the world, the GR Supra gained custom parts developed by many manufacturers soon after its release. One of these supporters - Toyota's tune-up parts brand Toyota Racing Development - developed the GR Parts kit that includes a front spoiler, side skirts, door aero parts and trunk spoiler. These parts are lightweight carbon fiber and enhance the car's style and aerodynamics while 19-inch forged aluminum wheels decrease the weight and ensure sharp handling. With parts which help bring out its potential, the GR Supra boasts sophisticated design and performance, making this Toyota flagship model a highly desirable, modern and high-tech sports car.
Kit Overview
The Toyota GR Supra - either you love it (for being a bad-ass, great-performing Toyota) or dislike it (you know, the whole BMW thing). Personally, I love the look and sound of this car and, in all honestly, don't care that it shares everything (sans the bodywork) with the BMW Z4. That being said, I was super excited to get my hands on this particular GR model - new F parts tree, new 19" TRD wheels and new decals and metal transfers - all giving the updated GR Supra a 'Custom' look that is incredibly sexy.
This car also provided me with a couple 'firsts' for better modeling - some Liquid Chrome paint pens and the addition of faux carpeting - both things I've been wanting to try out. Both, oddly enough, were super easy to do and turned out awesome! More in a bit.
The first item on the building block was the chassis and suspension. Because this is a curbside kit, no engine is included. The suspension is also a bit sparse, only because most of it is covered with skid plates or air diffusers. The build is simple an straightforward, however the initial build wants you to paint the exhaust tunnel Titanium Silver - which means a whole lot of masking to make it right. It's a bit intimidating, though not hard, and I had it masked and painted in no time. The same for some of the suspension pieces - because alot of parts are attached as one piece, some need a bit of masking to separate the colors. I've got one comment and one concern, though: 1) the brakes are boring. I would have expected vented or drilled rotors for a GR Supra but nope - neither. It's a definite DIY situation. 2) the rear suspension glues into a pocket located on the chassis. The fit isn't 100% tight, meaning a bit of wiggle room. My suspension did not dry straight, so the rear tires were crooked in the wheel wells. To remedy, I took a Tamiya Cotton Swab, shaped it and Sharpie'd it black, then jammed it up in the wheel well behind the tire. This flexed the suspension enough to straighten out the wheels and - best part - you can't even see it!
The interior was next and I really wanted it to pop against the white body, so I trimmed most of it in a bright red. The seats, door inserts, center console and steering wheel all got a bit of color. I also broke down and finally tried adding carpet to the interior. The floor, behind the seats and the upper back panel all got a flocking of Ranger Embossing Powder and, I must say, it did come out quite good! It's not perfect but a step in the right direction to that extra little detail. And I'm hooked on it now!
The instructions also suggested a hit of chrome on the steering wheel and a strip across the dash, however I was a bit unsure of how to do this. Then I remembered my wife bought me a set of Liquid Chrome pens (3 in the package, all different sizes) so, well, I was out of excuses on why I'm not doing it. A quick shake of the thinnest-tipped pen and I was marking my way across the dash - again, super easy and the result is stellar. I also applied it to the door panel door handles and it really just makes the interior pop!
The final piece of the puzzle was the beautiful Supra body set. As with all Tamiya kits, this was a simple paint and assemble - no extra hand fitting, no special tools and no four-letter words - just a simple, relaxing build. All of the 'bolt-on' pieces (including the glass) attach to the body from the inside with large tabs, making it easy to glue into place. I really wanted to try my carbon fiber skills on the custom GR parts but felt I wasn't quite ready for that, so they got a coat of Tamiya Metallic Black and glued into place.
Almost all of the exterior was assembled per the Tamiya instructions with the only stray away being the red center caps on the wheels. I just felt it needed a bit of color somewhere, and that seemed like a good, non-intrusive spot.
When you get close to wrapping up a build, there's a sense of excitement (that it's almost done) but also a bit of sorrow - this project you've been working on over the past XXX days (or months) is coming to an end. I can honestly say that this is one of those kits that I really enjoyed building. I learned quite a bit and am really looking forward to applying my new knowledge to my next kit. Great kit, fun build, stellar final result. Well done, Tamiya.
Enjoy your build!
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