2021 Toyota Supra: How Much Quicker Is The 6-Cylinder Against The 4-Cylinder? We Drag Race Them To Find Out!

How much are you sacrificing by going for the 2.0-liter Supra?

The 2021 Toyota Supra lineup is upon us, and there are some major changes afoot after the new car emerged just last year. The 3.0-liter, straight 6-powered Supra has gotten a healthy bump in its power rating for a start, but this year also sees the introduction of a 2.0-liter model as a more affordable alternative.

Both look nearly identical from the outside, but what exactly is going on under the skin. More importantly, just how much faster is the V6 than the four-cylinder model. In this episode of Hot or Not, professional racing driver Paul Gerrard gets behind the wheel of both cars to show just how far apart they are on the track.

These two Supras look the same, but how different is their performance on the track?

2021 Toyota Supra 3.0 vs 2.0 by the numbers

For this model year, the 3.0-liter Supra is now rated at 382 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque, up 47 horsepower from the 2020 version. It’s still mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, but Toyota has thoroughly gone through the “big” Supra in terms of not just power, but also braking and handling changes as well. The result is a sports car that can run with the quickest cars on TFL’s Hot or Not leaderboard.

Under the hood of the 2.0-liter, you get a more modest 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. It still comes with an eight-speed automatic, however, and almost all the same styling as its big brother. The four-cylinder version has slightly smaller wheels, and does not have the bigger brake package or some of the handling upgrades that you do get if you spend the extra cash for the 3.0-liter version.

Speaking of cash, pricing information will not be available for the 2021 Toyota Supra until next month. If you want to see more on just how these two are different in terms of features, check out this video below:

How did they do on the track?

Before the hot laps, we put both cars through their paces in an old fashioned drag race. Naturally, the larger-engined Supra is substantially faster, but you can judge for yourself whether the 2.0-liter is close enough to make it worth your while in the first video above.

But what about actual numbers? When Paul ran the 2.0-liter Supra around the track, you can notice it’s not quite as firmly planted as its bigger brother. The suspension upgrades in the straight-six version do make a difference, and the transmission just isn’t as engaging with the smaller engine. On his hot lap, Paul managed a time of 1:05.35.

So how about the 3.0-liter Supra? It actually ended up being one of the quickest cars around the IMI Motorsports track, putting up a time of 1:03.43. That puts it squarely in BMW M2 territory, and more than half a second ahead of the all-wheel drive Ford Focus RS. On the basis of its lap time and its handling characteristics and just how it feels to drive, Paul gives the 3.0-liter Supra a Hot rating.

As for the smaller-engined model, it’s still a reasonably quick car. However, it’s just not quite what we had expected, and for that it has to be a Not on the TFL Hot or Not leaderboard.

While that’s it for the Supra for now, check back to TFLcar.com soon for many more news, views and real-world Hot or Not reviews!