It’s the first Toyota Supra in 21 years but can this Japanese icon, now blended with German engineering and mechanics, pass muster in an increasingly competitive marketplace? 

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Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Pro Auto

List price (BiK): £56,495 (37%) CO2: 185g/km MPG: 34.8mpg Test efficiency: 31.2mpg

Monday

The word ‘icon’ has just about been worn smooth, but among Japanese sports cars it’s well deserved when applied to the Toyota Supra. Here’s a car that has developed a huge following, and Toyota now offers the latest GR Supra as the fifth instalment in the line. It clearly takes its styling lead from the previous-generation car launched in 1993, but under the skin this car is predominantly made from BMW bits.

Tuesday

Sharing so much with BMW’s Z4 is no bad thing, but where the German is a roadster, Toyota’s version is a coupé only. I’m fine with that right up the point where I clobber my head on the door rail as I slide down into the car. At first, I thought this was me just getting used to the car, but it’s happened several times now and demands a deliberate dip of the head to avoid yet another car/cranium crunch.

Wednesday

This particular Supra is the Pro model with eight-speed automatic gearbox, which makes it the fastest of the range. It knocks off 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster than the manual car. It is sensationally quick, and sounds good too, but I’d trade that slim performance advantage for the much greater interaction of the manual gearbox and even if that meant higher CO2 output and reduced fuel economy.

Thursday

Swoopy back roads are where the Supra feels at its most engaging. It has oodles of power for passing slower traffic and there’s ample grip for corners to be enjoyed. It means rapid progress in the Supra is easy, though I don’t think it’s as engaging as a similarly priced Alpine A110. Where the Toyota does score over its main rivals is the supple ride that means you could use the Supra every day without a second thought.

Friday

Still on a practical train of thought, the GR Supra’s boot is well shaped. It’s not huge by any standards at 290 litres, but you could still get a couple of cases in here and head off for a week. It’s also impressively refined at high speeds, so long distances are something you could tick off with relaxed ease in the Toyota. This is helped by comfortable, supportive seats, which further underline its more GT than outright sports car feel.

Saturday

I’m still not convinced by the looks of this latest Supra, and I’m a massive fan of the previous generation. This one seems styled more as a greatest hits tribute than a cohesive whole. Many of the details are brilliant, but they just don’t quite gel as one in my eyes. However, it is good to see the ‘Supra’ badge on the boot is in the original script as the previous-generation model, giving a neat little nod to history.

Sunday

Well attired as the Pro model of the GR Supra is, this one feels like the wrong choice to me. If you are drawn in by the looks of this sports coupé, go for the basic 3.0-litre model with six-speed manual gearbox as it will be more engaging to drive and save more than £4,000 on the P11d price. However, an Alpine A110 or Porsche Cayman are both more precise sports cars for the same sort of spend.