Japan is famous for many things – anime, drifting, and of course, Toyota, one of the most popular car manufacturers in the world that have set the standard for high-quality and extremely durable cars with high resale value. You may be familiar with Toyota models like Corolla, Camry, Avalon, and Lexus. But do you know about the Supra line? The Supra line is Toyota’s attempt to create high-performance sports cars with incredible reflexes and superb performances. You may have heard that Supras are illegal in the US, but how true is this? We look into this and more in this article.
All Toyota Supras are legal in the United States except the 1994 models that were blacklisted due to long-term reliability issues.
So, don’t let anyone tell you Supras are banned in the US, at least not all Supras. There’s a legit reason for the ban placed on the 94 models, as you’ll come to find out later in this article. So, continue reading to learn more about Toyota’s line of sports cars, the Supra Line.
Introducing Toyota’s Supras
In Latin, the word ‘supra’ means ‘above,’ ‘go beyond,’ or ‘to surpass.’ And this is what Toyota aimed to achieve with the Supra models, which were specifically engineered to provide a fun and exciting driving experience. From fast acceleration to superior driving dynamics, incredible drifting ability, and good grip through corners, Supras have all the ingredients for an exciting ride.
The exteriors of Supras are also aesthetically pleasing, to put it mildly, and you can be sure of turning heads as you drive past people. The Supras line is aptly named by Toyota as it has a reputation for exceeding the expectations of drivers. You may not think of Toyota when thinking about sports cars, but the company has shown it knows a thing or two about producing fast and exciting sports cars.
The Toyota Supra is popular, immensely popular, and chances are you’ve heard of them if you like cars. The first Supra was released in 1978, and it became an instant hit among car enthusiasts and hobbyists. Different models or generations of Supras were released until 2002, when the Supra line was retired.
Toyota would not produce another Supra until 2019, making the world wait almost two decades for a new Supra. And the company only revived the Supra line due to popular demand. We’ll talk more about the different generations of Supras later, but for now, we’ll discuss whether these sports cars are legal in the US.
Are Supras Legal In the US?
With all you’ve just read about Supras, it’ll be a real bummer if they are banned in the United States, right? Luckily, the rumors about Supras being banned in the US are partially true. Only one Supra model is banned in the US, and that’s the 1994 model.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) banned the 1994 Supra because of serious long-term reliability issues. It’s very difficult to find the 94 Supra model in the US because of this. It’s also impossible to import it since the model has been blacklisted by the NHTSA.
No thanks to the NHTSA ban, Supras declined in popularity in the US, and Toyota eventually stopped producing Supras for North America in 1998. In 2002, Toyota stopped the Supra line as it didn’t align with Japan’s updated fuel-efficiency guidelines.
But fret not dear friend, you can easily buy models made before and after 1994. And if you want a new shiny Supra, there are 2019, 2020, and 2021 models available.
Supra Generations
Below are the different Supra models:
First Generation: 1978-81
It’s hard for Supra enthusiasts to imagine the prestigious sports car called anything else other than its iconic name. But the first generation was referred to as A40/50 as it was based heavily on the popular Toyota Celica. Due to similarities to Toyota Celica, the first generation was referred to as Celica XX in Japan and Celica Supra in America. The distinguishing feature of this generation is the 2.0L inline-six engine that provides 123 horsepower and electronic fuel injection.
Second Generation: 1981-85
Thanks to the success of the first generation, Toyota continued the line, which was still referred to as Celica XX in Japan and Celica Supra abroad. Just like the previous generation, the line shared similar qualities with Toyota Celica.
Second-generation models featured advancements such as more powerful engines, automatic-off headlights, and a theft-deterrent system.
Third Generation: 1986-93
Another generation of Supra was released in 1986, and it was at this time that the brand was named Toyota Supra across all markets. The Toyota Supra was also different from the Toyota Celica, unlike previous generations. One such difference is that the Toyota Supra had rear-wheel drive while the Toyota Celica transitioned to the front-wheel drive of the Toyota Corolla.
Several upgrades were made to third-generation Supras, with the most one being the option of a turbocharger in 1987. Other technological improvements include 3-channel ABS, an Acoustic Control Induction System, and a double wishbone suspension.
Fourth Generation: 1993-2002
The fourth generation Supra was launched in 1993 and dropped in 2002. Toyota took the performance of Supras very seriously and introduced several modifications to reflect this.
Being high-tech and popularly regarded, Supras belonging to this generation were a hit until the late 1990s when North American buyers started losing interest in sports cars. The Japanese Yen also gained value during this time, pushing up the production cost of Supras. As a result, Toyota quietly stopped the line in 2002.
Fifth generation: 2019 to present
Almost two decades after Toyota stopped producing Supras, the world received a brand new Supra in 2019 due to popular demand. The official announcement about the return of the Supra line was made in 2018.
New Supras have already been released in 2020 and 2021. The latest supra generation can only be described as pure driving excitement. From the super fast acceleration to quick transmission and fast reflexes, there’s a lot of fun to be had behind the wheel of these Supras.
