1993 Toyota Supra Twin-Turbo (Manual)

• First registered on the 3rd August 1993 as a demonstration car by Neville Johnston Toyota
• Bought weeks later by the car’s second keeper who owned it until 2018, prior to our vendor
• Believed to be one of just 623 UK-supplied cars from a worldwide production of some 47,000
• The six-speed manual Mk 4 (A80) is recognised as the rarest UK-supplied car, one of just 200
• Extensive recent invoices are present as well as historical receipts and the service book 
• With an odometer reading of 77,950 (atoc) this car has had over £20,000 of cosmetic and mechanical works
• Such is its condition and rarity it was chosen to headline Top Gear’s televised item on the Mk 4 Supra in 2019.

The highly-anticipated, fourth-generation (A80) Supra was finally unveiled at the 1993 Chicago Motor Show after four years in development under the guidance of chief engineer Isao Tsuzuki, who had also worked on the first Celica and both generations of MR2. Unlike anything Toyota had produced before, the A80’s proportions and flowing design owed more to the 2000GT of the Sixties than its predecessor. With a long, low bonnet line and high-rise optional rear spoiler it was aerodynamically efficient and clearly aimed at delivering a much higher top speed. Allied to a simplified engine line-up of either naturally aspirated or twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre JZ-series straight-six offering between 220bhp and 326bhp, top-spec turbo versions with Toyota’s first six-speed gearbox now offered ‘supercar’ performance.

With its sumptuous leather interior and blistering performance, the new Supra was aimed squarely at the Porsche driver, some of whom were tempted. The marketing department at Toyota perhaps underestimated the badge snobbery raging among affluent, yet conservative, petrolheads of the mid-1990s and although the Supra had the looks of a supercar, the refinement of a Mercedes-Benz and 0 to 60mph to rival the Ferrari Testarossa TR at under 5 seconds, initial sales were slow. Toyota UK officially imported just 623 cars between 1993-1996 and these were only sold from 25 specially selected dealers. Production continued until 2002 and the Supra was destined to be an important footnote in the sports car hall of fame until it became an icon to a generation thanks to computer driving games ‘Forza’ and ‘Gran Tourismo’ a status only enhanced by its regular, heavily modified, appearances in the Fast and Furious film franchise.

Believed to have been one of 200 manual-gearbox cars, out of a total UK-supplied run of 623, this twin-turbo ‘hard-top’ car with its six-speed Getrag gearbox was delivered in Lucerne Silver Metallic (199) with Ivory Leather (F00). First registered to Neville Johnston Toyota in Belfast as a dealership demonstrator on the 3rd August 1993, it was subsequently purchased by a gentleman who used it regularly, with main dealer servicing up until 2002, until it was acquired by our enthusiast vendor in 2018.

His fascination with the Toyota Supra began in 1993 when, at the age of fourteen, he wrote to Toyota UK asking for a brochure and two weeks later it was carefully given pride of place on his bedroom wall. When he had the opportunity to buy this car in 2018 he had fulfilled the dream so few people have attained, owning his bedroom poster car, made more special that his poster car was silver, like his newly acquired Supra. The brochure is now mounted and framed in his study.

Upon acquisition in September 2018, he undertook an extensive programme of cosmetic and mechanical works to make it the best example possible to join his low mileage Honda NSX and modern Ferrari. The list is too extensive to state here but full details can be supplied together with corresponding invoices. Parts were either obtained via the main dealer or sent directly from OEM suppliers in Japan, no expense being spared to ensure this car remained true to the day it was built.

The cosmetic works were carried out by a professional classic car restoration workshop taking several months to complete including a complete clean underneath and Waxoyl undersealing. A full bare metal glass-out respray in original factory colours and using no body filler was completed in 2019. The work provided an opportunity to fit many new parts including a new OEM Windscreen and rear three-quarter windows, lower radiator support, new door trims and seals plus many more. The total cost including all new parts came close to £20,000. It has also recently undergone a full paint correction and detailing with ceramic coating applied. Invoices are available for all of this work.

The mechanical works were carried out at Jemca Toyota of Reading by their senior mechanic who has specific knowledge of working on Supras from his many years with Toyota. Particular attention was paid to the engine and auxiliary components. A new clutch and flywheel were installed in 2019 with the all-important timing belt change completed. New brake discs, calipers and pads to complement the virtually all-new suspension have been installed along with a full steering geometry check and, in addition, a recent compression test by Toyota showed excellent readings on all cylinders. Three services have also been completed during our vendor’s ownership all by Toyota, the most recent being in October 2020 with a year’s MOT applied and no advisories along with a full Toyota health check for peace of mind. A new air conditioning condenser has been installed along with a full a/c service and the system is fully functional.

Such is the condition of the car, it was chosen to headline a segment in Series 27 of Top Gear and a clip of the item from Episode 5 can be seen below. A new Thatcham Category 1 alarm and tracking device has also been fitted along with four new premium Continental tyres. Presented to auction with an odometer reading of 77,950, at the time of cataloguing, the history file is one of the most detailed we have seen for a modern car and includes the most recent receipts, original owner’s wallet with the service book together with period brochures and two keys.

We are of the firm belief that this Supra is among the best examples available today and its rarity is only surpassed by its condition.