Toyota GR Supra: Still The Best New Project Car To Buy In 2021

Photography: Kyle Crawford

  • Introducing the Pit+Paddock Toyota GR Supra project car.
  • 2020 GR Supra comes stock with an inline-six turbocharged engine that makes 335hp and 365 lb-ft of torque.
  • Upcoming modifications include EVS Tuning aero, Volk Racing wheels, and RS-R coilovers.

“Best new project car to buy in 2021?” It’s a bold statement, but yes, I’m sticking to it! As the fifth-generation A90/A91 Toyota Supra celebrates its second birthday, I strongly still believe it’s one of the best (if not the best) new sports cars out on the market today. Sure, there’s the mid-engine C8 Corvette (if you’re into that kind of thing) and the G80 M3/G82 M4 (if you don’t mind the front grille), not to mention the FK8 Civic Type R still pulls a premium at every dealership across the nation (if front-wheel-drive floats your boat). But the new and improved turbocharged GR Supra still wins in my book, and here’s why…

HEAR ME OUT

Okay, I’m a little biased because I’m already a Supra owner myself; however, if I may be honest, I thought I would already sell mine months ago and move on to the next project car! Truth is, I love every bit of it and have no plans to part ways with it any time soon. This includes appreciating the often-hated BMW-based 3.0-liter inline-six engine (I’ve since pumped power up to 400+whp thanks to a simple software tune, Akrapovič exhaust, Eventuri intake, and AMS downpipe). Paired with the automatic ZF transmission and paddle shifters, it’s not a sluggish automatic tranny by any means (also, it has been proven to handle a shit ton of torque). Last but not least, I can attest the Supra excels on the road course, which I’ve been fortunate enough to attend both Fast on Falken and Starting Grid track events. All these things, plus the fact that the community and aftermarket support for the A90/A91 Supra continues to expand, is why it was a no-brainer to take on another GR Supra as a Pit+Paddock project car.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL TUNER

Our GR Supra build will be a collaborative effort with R/T Tuning, a shop that needs little introduction if you’re from PA. With a facility that rivals some dealerships, they aren’t your typical tuner. Two dynos, several lifts, retail speed shop, professional in-ground alignment, fabrication, detailing, wheel and tire mounting, engine building, you name it, R/T’s got it covered. They’re also quite local to our home base operations, so working together with them on our first Pit+Paddock project car made a whole lotta sense.

THE GAME PLAN

We adopted the Supra with a few mods, including a retrofitted Vorsteiner rear wing (originally a BMW item), AWE Tuning exhaust, and HKS lowering springs. The game plan is to rip all that stuff off and reconfigure it to a spec that’s similar to my original A90 build with a twist. You’ll soon recognize the EVS Tuning body kit that will be shared on both cars, but more surprises are on the horizon for this R/T collab project which includes RS-R coilovers and Volk Racing wheels.

WHERE TO FIND IT

You can catch a glimpse of the Supra at our Cars+Coffee events and upcoming T14 Car Meet on June 12th, but we’ll also document the build regularly here. I’ll admit, we won’t be breaking the internet just quite yet with this car, but my hope is that by installing high-quality parts and keeping a clean/functional style, it’ll make you feel something special about the new Supra as well as give you a taste of what’s to come for Pit+Paddock.


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