Toyota Supra 2.8i 2800 Auto Review

Overall Rating

Beautiful looks, blistering speed, loaded with everything (for 1982), well built, totally reliable.

None.

The double page advertisement in a national daily paper showed the Toyota Supra from the front (with pop up lights retracted) and invited readers to guess if it was either a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Maserati. I didn't know. Never before had I seen anything so magnificent! I had no money and I believe that the list price was over £11,000. but I simply had to have one. I was in love!

I sent a circular to over 180 Toyota dealers asking them for their very best price. The best deal was £10,000. but that dealer was 200 miles away. So, I took my best offer received to John Brundle Motors of King's Lynn (then my local dealer) and they reluctantly matched the price on condition that I kept the deal a secret! (John Brundle is Martin Brundle's father). I hope that he is still alive.

I scraped together a small deposit and borrowed the rest on h.p. The debt terrified me but a car worshipper at last had something worthy of being worshipped! When a man is in love then a man has to do what a man has to do.

The straight line six roared into life on turning the key and the driver's seat simply had adjustable everything from a pump up bladder behind the small of the back to adjusting arm huggers. It was the best driver's seat I had ever experienced and remains so to this day - over thirty cars later including a plethora of both supercars and executive vehicles.

The car was loaded with air conditioning, electric windows and sun roof, cruise control, tilt steering etc. etc. and simply flew! I had previously been impressed with the Ford Capri 2.8i but the Supra was off another planet and in another league.

I found the car faultless and replaced it a year later with another new Supra. After selling my second Supra I missed it so much that I purchased a low mileage second hand Supra - all automatics. All cars were faultless, as were other Toyotas purchased by me and my family including the fantastic Tercel 4WD.

Two years after the car was introduced into the U.K. prices went through the roof, and a little later the 3.0 Supra was introduced, and then came the ugly new model Supras which looked like Vauxhall Chevettes with tail fins! Yes, they were even faster in turbo form (both turbo and non-turbo models were available here) but beauty and grace had got totally lost in the process. Who cares about 200 mph except racing drivers, dangerous drivers, and show offs?

Although a low mileage early Supra with full service history recently appeared on eBay genuine models are now as rare as hens' teeth. They are complex cars and parts are not cheap and so provenance is essential as these once faultless cars are now up to 24 years old. Being cheap to acquire they attract 'boy racers' and are often abused. So, please be careful. Acquire a good one and you may never part with it!