Toyota GR Supra - interior and tech
A Toyota recipe with BMW ingredients. The outcome is a comfortable, well-judged environment, but small windows and dark trim leave it a bit gloomy
Stepping into the Supra undoubtedly feels special. The seating position is low-slung, with a dramatic view out through the pillar-box windscreen and over its long, curvaceous bonnet. It feels like you’re sitting over the rear axle, too, which is always an interesting attribute, while quality levels feel high.
It doesn’t half feel gloomy though. If the Supra is a Japanese car with German underpinnings, built in Austria, its interior design is equally confused, with a combination of shapes and elements that look sort of familiar, but with a definite Japanese overtone. Models built from 2022 onwards were made available with a beige colour theme, but overall the design is smart, straight-laced, and if anything a little dull, and too keen on the ‘stitching in plastic’ habit BMW and Toyota are guilty of falling into.
It’s not long before you start playing ‘spot the BMW bits’, either. The steering wheel is based on one of BMW’s older designs, but comes with a new (and overly large) steering boss and a thinner rim. The gear selector has the same BMW base with a new casing, and the minor switchgear and central infotainment screen are straight out of the parts bin, too. Toyota redesigned the Supra's centre console to accommodate the shifter in 2022's Supra manual, which gives the cabin a slightly more bespoke touch.
The overall shape of the dashboard is pleasing enough, and the instrument cluster is more unique. We’ve found its tachometer needle a little difficult to see, but otherwise it’s all clear enough. The seats are great, too, both supportive (particularly in the standard car with grippy Alcantara) and comfortable.
There’s very little to complain about here in terms of tech or interfaces. The iDrive-style controller is effective, the shortcut buttons useful, and the menus easy to navigate. It's all starting to feel its age given BMW systems have moved on quite a way since the Supra but by the same token, it's pleasing for its relative pixel poverty. For that matter, physical controls for the heating and ventilation are a beautiful thing.
