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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This IS a tuners car!! Or did you forget what the meaning of tuner is?? The Japanese automotive culture nowadays is so stupid; since when did the term “tuner” suddenly become defined as drifted, slammed, or stanced?? Almost seems everyone is just using F&F and hipsters as the benchmark on what to do with their cars. Get what YOU think is cool, and shut up.
IMO the only flaw this generation Supra has; happens to the same flaw they all have, which is that they are expensive to upgrade/modify properly. You have to be willing to go all the way with one of these to make it worth the expense. From what I’ve gathered; you seem to despise them because you wanted to make it something it simply isn’t made to do. Supra’s are an unconventional choice as a “drift car” and that’s saying the least. It takes a certain type of person to own any Supra; the type to constantly strive for perfection in every detail, and sadly that’s NOT the majority of the owners; and it shows! These cars aren’t for everyone.I don’t normally respond to things like this; but you’re just all over the place about this car.
To further solidify my earlier statement; my car started as a snail-shit a340 auto 7mgte with a thrown rod. It now makes 586.7whp powered by a PROPERLY put together 2JZGE-T mated to a built 5spd manual R154. Why’d I “waste” so much of my $$$ on the A70 instead of getting an A80? Is it crazy that I think it actually looks good?! That, and there’s just something so satisfying about driving around in one once it meets your needs, and surpasses everyone else’s expectations. So to answer the question a few posts down; no, there isn’t anything I’d (RATHER) have than my JZA70. If I want anything else; it’ll just have to join the party. Would love to eventually own an all original twin turbo A80 (alongside) my 1st Supra later on, just to add to that.i own a mark 3 supra, yes it is heavy, no it is not a race car, it is a GT car… touring car..it is designed comfortable on long drive.
it is heavy, actual weight is 3450 Lbs (heavier on automatic tranny) and for once in my life.. i think the mark 3 supra is the only sports car in the world that can stand head on to a pickup truck.. when i hit a dodge pickup, the pickup sustain more damage than my supra, i can say it saves my life. my supra popped out the wheel of the dodge, ripped off its engine block (mine was the head) and throw the dodge 20 meters that almost went through the wall. the driver was alive.. was his fault to go to the wrong side of the road. so be careful with a guy driving a mark 3 supra.. hes driving a tank.
I didn’t have problems with mine other then the turbo heat shields are junk and you need a turbo blanket to not cook your CPS, A simple arb head bolt replacement when the HG popped, and I had zero problems till some dude jumped in front of it at like 197k miles and even then it drove me home. Also Its rated at 230hp at like 5200rpm. It revs out upwards of 7k, and the turbo still pulls good in the higher range, Mines basically stock other then a aftermarket intercooler, so like +5hp tops? And I can blow past most modern day cars still. I also never had any issued swinging its fat butt round corners either, lots of noise but its sorted and easy to keep controlled unlike the mk4’s. The suspensions not great but its not bad for the era and beats the hell out of some other 80’s era cars Ive driven. Targas were the thing in the 80’s, mines a hard top, so I have none of the flex issues. So yeah that’s a flaw of the era. Also you have 2 years working on these. Im sorry you cant pick up a lot about a car type in just 2 years, which im highly questioning your expertise as there really is not a lot of anything true here. The only really valid thing you got right here. Burgundy. Please go and punch whoever educated you on these cars as you have been suckered my good sir/madam. If you were self taught, dont buy a $600 supra off craigslist from a guy named Juan and base an article on that.
To anyone Coming across this article My advice. Drive one. If you like it buy it but remember Its not a mk4 if that’s what you expect you will be disappointed. But with very little work they are fun and reliable cars.
Right on the money anonymous!!!
Hey, not to change the original poster’s thread but, why don’t we all throw some pics in of our MKIII’s?
I for one would like to see yall’s vehicles… is this possible?
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