Actually, let's be honest here, they are most likely the worst Toyota ever built.
These are my top 10 reasons for hating the mk3 supra. How do I know them so well? I worked on them for nearly 2 years, I drove both RHD and LHD mk3's with all sorts of different engines, stock and modified. I've spent a lot of time wrenching on them, and man do they suck badly. Let's begin:
10. Racing History: Let's be honest, there's really nothing special here, Bjorn Waldergard won one event with the MK3 supra in a Beijing Rally, and a few British fellows ran it in BTCC for a while. No real pedigree here.
9. Steering Angle: This is straight up a joke, it can't be real, no way it's even considered safe or functional to have so little steering lock for daily use. You think I'm kidding, but that's full lock below.
8. Weight: This really should be the #1 reason why there's no point in driving an mk3 Supra for any sort of 'sporting' purposes. What's that? you've never known what the weight of a mk3 supra was? Pictured below is a vehicle that weighs nearly identical, and actually produces more power.
(Note: 3800lbs, that's right, the CK short bed, short cab, not only weighed 3800lbs, but it actually produced 230hp and 300ft/lb of torque. Although the 1JZ variant is comparable)
7. Aftermarket Styling: Yes it's a slick looking exterior, simply put, it's the only selling point of the car. However, the aftermarket stuff? yeah, look below...
6.Targa Top: So you have an oval, pretty strong shape, egg's are 3d ovals and resist deformation pretty well. Then you cut a huge chunk out of it. Now you've got an easily crushable "C" shape. Thus is the Targa roof. How bad is it for chassis flex? Toyota actually had high grade, long threaded allen bolts to hold it square when in. When out, people started putting in targa supports to help reduce the horrible flex.
5. Steering Stablizer: The whole Geometry of the MK3 Supra suspension is fucked, and to help reduce bump steer, and ultimately any sort of driver feedback that's left after the hefty power steering, was a shock, bolted to the steering rack to help reduce...something. Road feel mostly, or resist the horrible bumper steer associated with #4. This Stablizer, much like the Cressidas (Although they had different front suspensions and shared the rear) resists and sometimes completely removes the affects of caster during cornering. It reduces the speed of turn by adding a dramatic amount of resistance.
4.Suspension Dynamics: These are just plain FUCKED. For some reason, Toyota decided that going from a single lower control arm McPherson strut setup, that had proven extremely well in the Corolla's, Celica's, and Celica Supras of the past, had to go, and in place a needlessly complex, and albeit poorly designed multi-link/double wishbone setup in it's place. You want to know how bad it is? Camber actually becomes positive on compression and negative on extension. Seriously look vvv.
3. Cock Riders: This isn't about the owners. The amount of people floating around the internet praising the mk3, simply because of it's loose relation to that of an mk4 Supra most of them having never owned a Supra in their lives. Although this makes me curious of the dynamic of buying and polishing a turd.
2. 7M/1G: Pretty weak sauce. So you buy a 3800lb driveway ornament and want to go fast. In North America, your faced with the 7M, and Japan, luckily enough got the 1jz, however, they too got the 7M and even worse, the 1G. Every other M series engine was decent, the 7M screwed that right up. It's head design is the fault. People will tell you it was a bad factory gasket, or under torqued bolts. However, even with those factors coverd, the real core of the issue was a bad head design. Getting past the common, and often debilitating issue of 7m's blowing gaskets (try pushing that thing!) The power of a 7m is a joke. Remember that Toyota publishes not the wheel horse power, but the crank. By the time that inline 6 delivers it's 200hp N/a to the rear, it's about 160hp, got a turbo? Roughly 190hp. Brutal for that amount of weight, but look out! There's even a worse motor: the 1GGTE. Although not plagued with head gasket failures and people thinking they can build the ultimate 7m, only to fail like the next guy, the 1ggte had it's own issues, spinning bearings, and well, being 2 liters! Such a tiny inline 6, and it needed twin turbo's just to make the 210hp. Unless your supra screwed and end up with an n/a 1GGE at 150hp.
And the Number 1 reason MK3 supra's are garbage! *Drum Roll*
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1. Burgandy:
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Even though discoquinn puts tickets on himself, his ‘years’ of experience in cars should give him knowledge in them but turns out he is a complete moron. You said in your reply to others posts that they cant back up there points. All your points are not backed up by valid proof in ‘your’ experience.
Pointing out bad aftermarket options has nothing to do with the manufacturer. There are many dickheads around the world that ruin all types of cars with shitty aftermarket stuff.
Your lack of racing knowledge on racing leads to a false stat on racing for the A70. Yes, they did compete in rally, but they also raced in Group A racng in Japan and Australia. Doing quite well in both. (hence the turbo-A model) They suffered mostly from turbo failure. Their handling and straight line speed was up there!
You mention the suspension cambering negative on extention. BULLSHIT. A photo of a world rally car with changes from factory is not a valid reason to base your facts on. Ive never seen a A70 with positive camber when lowered. IF anything, mods need to be done to reduce neg camber when lowered as internal shoulders always wear out on tyres.
The power steering is excellent. Ive never seen that shock absorber on the steering rack. Must be an american thing. They dont exist on Jap and australian models. I know, i have both.
Engine wise, whats the point in bringing up the 1g? Heaps of cars around the world had a ‘shit’ motor option. Who knows why they do it. Who cares, just choose the 1jz!!!!
Now the interior point you make is also rubbish. I agree its horrid, but its simple. CHOOSE THE GREY.That was the 80’s mate, that colour was going around in heaps of cars. Again, must be an american thing as you dont see many in Jap or Aus. It was kinder the trend in the american cars of the 80’s, so simple. They were catering for you!!!
To the writer, a car is only as good as the idiot driving and tuning it!
Thanks for proving you have no clue about mk3s. All cars are as good as you can build it. the mk3 has a bad reputation of kids bolting on big turbos n a 150k mile engine and blowing them up. The car has just as much potential If you put as much money in a 7m mk3 as some of the mk4 owners. How do I know this? I built a 7m myself with a stock head and pistons, arp hardware, cometic head gasket and front facing manifold and made 350whp on 10psi. That just proves the 7m has great potential with just a little work. I ended up melting the stock pistons running over 500 HP but I will build it better next time using high end forged intervals and a built head. 1000whp is not a problem if you build it right.
Your dumb idk why your poking your nose on these old school cars, My 89 MK3 Supra is kicking ass & turning heads every time i take my ride on a stroll. Blue interior and leather is all i could ask for in a ride idk whos ride you" worked on" or are hating on but you sir obviously never owned one. Im only 18 and have taken my whole car apart and learned it well, straight street but no rice magent. RESPECT MY RIDE HOE ASS NIGGA
if i knew where the guy who made this lived….i would drive my mk3 to his house and fuck him up…then chain him to the back and go drifting since he loves them so much…