Toyota Tries To Justify 2021 Supra's Power Bump To 2020MY Owners

The 2020 Toyota Supra came out last year as a halo car for the Japanese manufacturer. Sure, it shared most of its internals with the BMW Z4, but the exterior was totally different and was definitely a looker for most people. It was a success in the United States, and sales have been going strong at 3,800 units since the car was launched in July of 2019. A few months after the units started selling, Toyota then announced that the 2021 Toyota Supra would be getting a performance boost, and it was a significant one, leaving early adopters of this new generation Toyota Supra a little upset, for sure.

How significant is the upgrade? The Supra launched with 335 horses and 365 pound-feet of torque, and these numbers have increased to 382 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque for 2021. In a phone interview with Motor Trend and a few other outfits, Toyota group vice president and general manager, Jack Hollis, responded to these criticisms by saying that it's their job to make vehicles better with each year, not just the Supra. "Vehicles will get better in spaces that are important for them to advance." Referencing the RAV4 Hybrid, he said that current owners could also be upset about the upcoming plug-in variant that gets more power and 90 MPGe fuel economy, the RAV4 Prime. Adding performance is just as important as adding safety and other features across the board for all their other cars. He also added that it would be great if current customers return to buy the 2021 Supra when it hits dealers.

Hollis has also been very happy with sales figures and hopes that the changes to the six-cylinder Supra and the introduction of the turbocharged four-cylinder model will continue to generate good sales numbers. Expect the upgraded Supra to arrive at dealers by late June or July, while the four-cylinder Supra will arrive in the fall. Pricing has yet to be announced for both 2021 models, but the Supra with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will be much cheaper than the new six-cylinder model, allowing a lower barrier of entry for those who didn't want to fork over close to the $51,000 starting price.