| SUPRA MODELS (Leider nur Englisch) | ||||
SZ SZ-R Aerotop Twin Turbo (TT) RZ-S RZ GZ GZ Aerotop So, fairly simple then. Now into this mix you've got the original UK version of the car, but this is dead simple because there's just the one model - the UK TT. There are no UK NA versions and no UK Aerotop. However, Toyota then mucked about with the model designations of the RZ in 1995. The RZ became the RZ-S and a 'new' RZ was introduced. So for the RZs there's a bit of fiddling about to know what's what: RZ (1993 to 1995) - the 'original' one RZ-S (1995 to 1997) - equivalent to the 'original' one RZ (1995 to 1997) - the 'new' one The only reason you need to keep an eye on this is because the 'new' RZ had bigger brakes and 17" wheels as standard. But these were options on the 'old' RZ and RZ-S anyway so you might find these models with these extras fitted too. This is actually a perfect introduction to the unpredictable world of the Supra options list - model designations and options is a tricky area to cover as there is a lot of conflicting information around. The problem is that a lot of the info online is in Japanese, and much of the remaining info applies to the US models , and they have market-specific versions such as the SE (Special Edition, which contrary to what you might expect to find on a special edition version actually had all the extras stripped out and was effectively a 'super basic' version) and also the 15th Anniversary model that simply had extra badges on the outside! However, we're most interested in the right hand drive versions, and from here on in things get a bit woolly... Firstly it's worth pointing out that although the Toyota sales brochures list what the various options are on each model there seems to be a tremendous amount of overlap and very little is set in stone. Maybe the local Toyota dealers were happy to bung on whatever the customer wanted, or maybe the customers themselves bought and fitted extra bits - who knows. The Japanese love to customise their cars, and also bear in mind that owners in the UK put on extra bits and bobs too. With some cars having passed through 3 or 4 owners it's no wonder it's getting tricky to work out what is original, what was a factory fitted option, and what was fitted by a previous owner. There are also some little quirks such as certain options being dependant on if you have a manual or auto gearbox even though they both have the same model description. Bung in Toyota 's own fiddling about with the RZ models and you start to get an idea of how difficult this subject area is and why it appears there is no definitive source of info. The UK TT has several important differences to the J-Spec versions - full leather (the GZ also has 'full' leather but the rear seats are actually leather-look vinyl), heated front seats, headlamp washers, bonnet air scoop, plus several other more technical differences. The facelift Supras again have several differences that are worth looking out for on the cosmetic side of things. The most important mechanical difference was the introduction of the VVTi engine. The Variable Valve Timing ('intelligent' - hence VVTi) gives an extra 5bhp on the NA version and 25bhp on the TT. The other major mechanical difference was the introduction of the Tiptronic gearbox - this can be left to act as a full auto gearbox or you can manually change the gears using two buttons on the steering wheel. Tiptronic cars are still relatively scarce in the UK . When you go to look at a car probably the best advice you can have is to treat each car as effectively a unique model. And because the optional extras list is so varied sellers frequently get the designation incorrect anyway, so take more notice of the actual extras listed and not the model identification. So, the key points to remember are... The UK model is the highest spec of all . The GZ model is the highest spec Import version. There are no UK Aerotop There are no UK NAs There are no UK Facelift models There are no UK Tiptronic models There are no manual Aerotop (yes, you read that right - all Aerotop have automatic gearboxes, both NAs and TTs) VVTi models are all facelifted Tiptronic models are all facelifted Understanding the J spec model designations is a little tricky but okay once you get the hang of it. The SZ-R is the base model. NA engine, 5 or 6 speed manual gearbox only, and a limited range of optional extras. The SZ is the top-spec NA hardtop model. NA engine, auto, 5 or 6 speed manual gearbox, a few more options. The SZ-R Aerotop is the only NA Aerotop model. NA engine, auto only, a few more options. (So the SZ has more standard fittings than the SZ-R, but the SZ-R Aerotop has the same fittings as the SZ) The 'original' RZ is the entry level TT model. TT engine, auto or 6 speed manual, limited range of optional extras. The RZ-S replaces the RZ as the entry level TT model. TT engine, auto or 6 speed manual, limited range of options. The 'new' RZ is the middle spec TT version. TT engine, 6 speed manual only, a few more options. The GZ (inc. Aerotop) is the top-spec TT model. TT engine, auto only, some options fitted as standard. (When the GZ stopped production the RZ became the top spec model) The attached Excel chart gives what I believe to be a pretty accurate documentation of the various model differences available, having been pulled together from sources scattered around the internet. This covers the NA, TT, Facelift NA, Facelift TT and UK TT versions - basically anything right hand drive. Note that on this chart I've marked the facelifted cars as starting in 1998 since this was when the 'full' facelift took place (cosmetic + mechanical changes). It's also worth noting the oddity of 1996 Supra production - it appears that Toyota was gearing up for the facelift and decided to ditch a number of options. The wood or carbon fibre dashboard paneling was unavailable this year (presumably so Toyota wouldn't have to manufacture a new supply of pre-facelift dashboard pieces and run the danger of having some left over that they couldn't sell), and the electric drivers seat was unavailable on many models as well (although in most cases somewhat oddly it was a standard fitting pre-1996 and was a standard fitting again from 1997 onwards - quite why it couldn't be fitted in 1996 is a bit of a mystery). 1996 appears to be the year that the options list was revised as this marks the year when many options became standard. Items such as airbags, leather seats and ABS either went from optional to standard to from unavailable to optional. 1993 - Supra introduced in UK and Japan . J spec range: SZ, RZ, GZ, GZ Aerotop. 1994 - SZ-R introduced in hardtop and Aerotop versions. 17" wheels and bigger brakes available as optional extras on all J spec models . J spec range: SZ, SZ-R, SZ-R Aerotop, RZ, GZ, GZ Aerotop. 1995 - RZ-S introduced to replace 'original' RZ. 'New' RZ is manual gearbox only with 17" wheels, bigger brakes and active spoiler as standard. Last TT Aerotop produced. J spec range: SZ, SZ-R, SZ-R Aerotop, RZ-S, RZ, GZ, GZ Aerotop. 1996 - Last GZ models produced. Some previously standard fittings unavailable on some models . First cosmetically facelifted cars start to appear . UK model ceases production . J spec range: SZ, SZ-R, SZ-R Aerotop, RZ-S, RZ, GZ 1997 - Some fittings go from unavailable to optional or from optional to standard. VVTi, Tiptronic gearbox and REAS all introduced. RZ model now has Recaro seats. J spec range: SZ, SZ-R, SZ-R Aerotop, RZ-S, RZ 1998 - Last SZ-R Aerotop produced. J spec range: SZ, SZ-R, RZ-S, RZ 2002 - Supra production ceases. J spec range: SZ, SZ-R, RZ-S, RZ Before we leave this subject though there's a few additional areas to go over... (warning - boring bit coming up) The exact date when facelifted cars appeared is quite tricky to tell - what could be called the 'definitive' facelift models started in Sept 1997 with the introduction of the VVTi engine. At this point all other facelift variables (five dials, grey dashboard, grey rear lights, electric fold in wing mirrors, etc, etc) were present. There is a changeover period that seems to run from May 1997 where cars were produced with some of the facelift variables in place (such as those already listed) but the mechanical side of things (VVTi, etc) definitely weren't yet being applied. However, there are some late 1996 registered cars that appear to have some of the facelifted items present, and not just those which would be easy to change - while many pre-facelift owners retro-fit the grey rear lights for example these late 1996 cars have the five dial dashboard, which is an unusual modification for anyone to perform so seem genuine 'semi-facelift' cars. So there doesn't seem to be an exact date from when the facelifted cars were produced. Anything from September 1997 onwards should definitely have everything required of a 'true' facelift model, both cosmetically and mechanically. Cars made between May 1997 and August 1997 should be facelifted cosmetically but not mechanically. Anything pre-May 1997 should be a pre-facelifted car in theory... but you may find a very early facelift model too if you get a late 1996 or early 1997 car. (Boring bit over now) Now something else you will have noticed there is this ‘Aerotop' business. The Aerotop Supra is a bit of a Marmite version - you either love it or hate it. Some people think it's the best looking Supra of all, other people think it looks ugly. Only you can decide. The Aerotop is so named as it has a lift out roof panel that opens up the entire cabin to the sky (there's no T-Bar in the way, it's completely open). With the panel in place the roof line is exactly the same - it looks like a normal Supra except for two lines going across the roof. To remove the roof you undo five bolts inside the cabin and then simply pop the panel into the holders in the boot to keep it secure. The whole process takes around 45 seconds to complete. With the roof out you will notice a degree of flexing (essentially the front of the car twists in relation to the back) but it's not so bad as to make the car undriveable. Toyota did put some extra strengthening in the chassis to counter the flexing when the roof is off but it wasn't exactly successful. With the roof in place the car is as stiff (oo er) as the hardtop Supra though. Aerotop tend to command a higher price than their hardtop equivalent due to the desirability and rarity. The TT Aerotop is proving extremely difficult to find now in Japan . NA Aerotop are easier to find (but not exactly plentiful) and offer head turning looks and decent performance for relatively little money (you just need to decide if people are turning their heads to say ‘Wow' or ‘Urgh'). You may notice from the attached Excel chart that there are no facelift TT Aerotop but a very short run of NA Facelift Aerotop (1997 to 1998). So while TT Aerotop is rare, facelifted NA Aerotop are probably the rarest of all Supras. And finally before we leave the whole model designation subject we'd better have a quick detour into talking about 'Singles'. This involves ripping off the twin turbos and bunging one big fat turbo on there instead. Previously this involved spending huge amounts of money but ‘budget' single kits are now available which bring the cost down into ‘hmmm, that's quite reasonable' territory. This still isn't a job for the DIY-er though - the whole kit & caboodle needs properly setting up and quite a few other bits need to be fitted as well to cope with the power increase. Ah yes, power increase, you see that's what this is all about. How much can you expect? Well, with the standard car kicking out around 326bhp you can expect a single to instantly take you up to around 450-500bhp. So I think we could call that ‘really quite useful indeed'. Singles are still fairly rare in the UK but becoming more plentiful as the cost comes down, and a few are also being imported from Japan as well. Whichever model you go for you've made a great choice. The Supra is a very fast, very capable, very comfortable car, and all this is coupled with the legendary Toyota reliability as well. The engine is absolutely bullet proof, and the same can be said of the gearbox too, both the auto and manual versions. Generally the turbos are reliable and there are no major faults or known problems with the car. Many are past 100,000 miles now; a few are over twice that. There's also loads of 'how to' information around, as most of the common modifications have been carried out and refined over time. Put simply - there's not much to fault with the Supra . Right... got all that then? So now you're probably asking 'But which one do I actually want to go for?' Okay, there are really only three main questions you need to ask yourself: 1) Do I want a UK or J spec car? 2) Do I want a NA or TT model? 3) Do I want an auto or manual? UK or J spec? The UK versus J spec argument is all getting a bit boring these days, so let's see if we can stick to the facts and skip over personal opinions - Despite the differences with the fuel injectors, turbos and overall weight (the UK car is heavier due to the extra mechanical bits), there isn't really any significant performance difference between the two. The J spec turbos spool faster, but the UK ones can take more boost. Both are very fast cars. The UK car has the highest overall specification, with full leather, headlamp height adjust, heated seats, etc. Some people think the headlamp washers look crap and take them off. Others think the UK bonnet scoop is cool and fit them to J specs. Fitting heated seats to a J spec is a rare mod; hardly anyone has bothered to do it. If you buy a UK car it will be fully loaded, but are these bits you actually want or need? There are a few mechanical differences which either make the UK car better or just make for more things to go wrong depending on your point of view. None of them add significantly to the performance of the car, most are more designed to combat wear and tear. This should make the UK cars more reliable, but J Spec cars have a history of being super-reliable anyway. The UK car has a more 'GT' setup - softer suspension, mechanical extras to counter the effects of long distance driving on the car, 'nicer' interior with air con, heated seats, full leather, etc. The J spec version is more 'street racer' - harder suspension, lighter weight, and faster spooling turbos. There are far fewer UK cars than J specs around due to Importers of Japanese cars. This means you you'll be waiting longer for a UK car to become available, but a UK car will hold its value better. It also means there are more J spec cars to choose from of course (including those for sale in Japan ). J spec service history can be almost impossible to verify, or even non-existent. Even if you're getting a full service history it's all in Japanese so you won't be able to make head nor tail of it. With a UK car you understand the service history and maybe even contact the garages who did it to find out more. All Toyota dealers will service the UK car, but a lot of Toyota dealers won't service the J spec. Some J spec cars have had dodgy UK conversions - the speed limiter may still be in place (which limits you to 112mph), the Speedo could be reading wrong, there may be an ugly fog light hanging off the back bumper (fog lights aren't required in Japan and are fitted to gain UK registration). All fixable, but all cost money. Equally there are plenty of cars around which have been converted properly (including having the fog light as part of the rear light cluster). With the UK version obviously it's all set up for the UK anyway so you don't even need to think about this aspect. There are no UK Aerotops, VVTi or NA models, so if you want any of these you won't be able to have the higher overall UK specification. J spec cars frequently don't have the big brakes or wheels. Again fixable, but again this costs money (quite a lot actually). UK cars have them as standard. Insurance on the J spec can often be prohibitively expensive, especially if you're under 25. But if you're older there's hardly any difference (you'll have more problems with insurance when it comes to declaring modifications). The UK car is more easily insured since more companies will give you a quote - a lot of companies don't even offer insurance on imported cars. So overall there is no hard and fast rule as to which to go for. Both are great cars, both can be tuned, a lot of the extra items on the UK cars can be fitted to the J spec, but the UK car already has some of the 'standard' modifications (such as big brakes, 17" wheels, bigger fuel injectors, etc). If you're trying to decide probably the only thing you need to definitely check is the insurance as insuring a J spec can be very expensive indeed depending on your age, location and the company who you get the quote from. Those under 25 may find it's simply not possible to afford to insure a J spec and so the choice is effectively made for them. NA or TT? Externally the NA Supra is identical, so it's not as if anyone will be able to tell that you have the slower model. And let's not underestimate the performance of the 3 litre NA car either - in the UK we're used to our 1.6s and 2.0s and this is a 225bhp 3 litre, so it's no slouch. Insurance is cheaper than the J spec TT too, although again there's a good chance you'll run into the import problem again with some companies. Amazingly many people have got cheaper quotes for a UK TT than for a J spec NA. Basically the NA offers all the head turning looks of the Supra without the fuel or insurance costs, and if you're looking for an Aerotop then there are far more NA Aerotops around than TT versions, plus you could get lucky and find one of the rare facelifted Aerotops (remember, facelifted Aerotops don't exist in TT form). The interiors are pretty much identical, the only significant difference is the lack of traction control but to be honest it's pretty useless anyway and a lot of TT owners just remove it. Since the NA was the entry level model in Japan you may also find optional extras such as leather seats, the bigger brakes and the limited slip differential all missing, but obviously many of these extras can be retro-fitted. So that just leaves the performance aspect, because while this is still a fast car it's obviously not the TT version, and you can't simply bolt on the twin turbos at a later date as there are significant differences between the two engines. It doesn't have the devastating performance or second-turbo-kick of the TT, and that's really the key factor to think about when considering the NA. If you can live without the extra oomph, then don't dismiss the NA version. Auto or manual? So to round off we come to the last big decision to make - auto or manual. The Supra auto isn't your typical ponderous auto box - this is a responsive unit with three speeds plus an overdrive and with excellent kick down that revs all the way to the red line. In addition it has a full manual mode - press the manual button next to the gear selector and you can manually shift through the gears yourself. Having said that, there's no doubt that if you want a more involving driving experience the manual is the one to have, in either five or six speed versions. On UK cars autos are the more plentiful variety and you could be waiting some time for a manual to become available. J spec cars are a different matter as there seems to be a good mix of both types. Most people's first reaction on thinking about getting an auto Supra is ‘no way', but don't dismiss it. If you get the chance to try out both before buying then do so, as this is quite a personal thing and reactions vary greatly. Some drivers instantly fall in love with the auto while others just want to have more control and choose the manual. I was very wary of getting an auto, but now I doubt if I'd ever have a manual Supra. Basically if you want the maximum driving involvement from your Supra then go for the manual. If you're happy to just plant your foot on the floor and have a solid 'wall' of acceleration then go auto. Acceleration is more fun in the auto, but the corners are more fun in the manual... and there lies the problem in trying to decide
|
||||
|
