Manhart's new 550hp Supra looks GReat

A BMW engine in Toyota's best-known coupe? Time for Manhart to liberate another 200hp

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 27 August 2024 / Loading comments

This is not the first time that Manhart has modified the GR Supra; probably no surprise, given the A90 has been around five years now. Its first effort made 450hp, which it sometimes feels like the BMW B58 straight-six might make with a really good fill of V-Power, such is its tuneability. Now things are getting a little more serious, with hardware and software upgrades, for 550hp. This one certainly isn’t all carbon fibre mouth and no turbocharged trousers.

Mahart’s in-house ‘turbo performance kit with turbo upgrade’ is the big news this time around, which we’ll assume makes important bits of the blower bigger and faster spinning. There’s also a new radiator and aluminium charge pipe to keep a lid on temps, plus a carbon intake that’s said to help keep the air coming in cool. Surely won’t do the sound any harm, either. Speaking of which, there’s a stainless steel sports exhaust on top for a few extra hp and an appropriately rousing racket from behind. An ECU remap to take advantage of all the new parts means 550hp and a whopping 568lb ft, up from 340hp and 369lb ft as standard. Huge gains without an enormous amount changing, engine-wise - just how it always was with the old Supra. Gives us hope for what a GRMN might be, too.

Containing all that extra power is KW V3 suspension (or standard dampers can be retained and the ride height lowered on H&R springs) and wider tyres on Manhart’s Concave One wheels, here 20-inch diameter. The brakes are kept standard. Still, probably won’t want to be going too fast past others anyway, because then they’ll miss the carbon bodykit in all its glory. This is Manhart’s own design, compromising a front splitter, rear diffuser, spoiler, side skirts, mirror caps and bonnet inserts. Nobody has bought a Supra to blend in and everyone will know about the heritage, so if ever a car can justify a bodykit like this it’s the Supra. And it’s certainly arresting, no?

Expensive, too, it should be said, because carbon always is. Even the mirror caps are €900, the spoiler is €2,670 and the covers for the rear lights are more than €1,000, so it’s easy to see how the full thing would add up. And it would be hard to go without the full GR550 look having seen this. The headline power and torque are available via the €12,000 (£10k currently) Performance Kit, with the carbon intake advisable but not mandatory for another €935 on top. Easy to understand the temptation with early ones at £35k. Or, of course, you could take a punt on one that’s already modified…