2021 Toyota Supra is a ‘Car and Driver 10Best’
The Toyota Supra was named a Car and Driver 10Best, the second time it appears on the list following the resurgence of the famous nameplate in 2020.
Every year, Car and Driver looks at new or significantly changed vehicles with a price cap of $90,000, as well as the previous 10Best winners, to determine the top cars of the year. For 2021, that meant evaluating 57 contenders over the course of two weeks.
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According to the magazine, the focus was on “value, fun, and mission fulfillment,” so it’s no surprise the see the Supra, an affordable sports car that definitely delivers on its mission to provide fun, making the 10Best cut once again.
Despite the praise the fifth-generation Supra received at launch, Toyota didn’t wait around to give it a few chunky upgrades. For 2021, the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine got a substantial 47-horsepower boost, while a new, 255-horsepower turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder was introduced, offered on a new entry-level model.
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Car and Driver praised the Supra’s excellent handling and ability to pull 1 g on its skidpad, highlighting additional enhancements to the steering, chassis, and suspension. “Given the enhancements and the 2.0 model’s $43,985 base price — an $8K discount versus the 3.0 — last year’s 10Best winner is now an even better package,” writes Mike Sutton, senior online editor for Car and Driver. “That’s how you make a sports car an enduring success.”
And while the lack of a manual transmission was lamented, Sutton had to admit it was offset by the excellently tuned ZF eight-speed automatic and the strong fuel economy. After all, how often do you get a sports car that does 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and also get 34 mpg on a 75-mph highway run?
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.