German tuners prove the Supra *should* have BMW power

Look! It’s a tuned Toyota Supra! An exclamation you can expect several hundred times in the next few years, we suspect.

But this one arrives making a point. See, when the Supra arrived at the beginning of 2019 – all BMW powered – the Internet wasn’t happy. People did not approve of the innards of a Z4 roadster underpinning the return of an iconic name.

This Manhart Supra GR 450 proves why BMW power can be a very good thing, though. Especially if you like your Supras modified. Because it means a whole bunch of German tuners who’ve previously specialised in stuff from Munich are now turning their hand to the Toyota.

We’re still in relatively early days of the Supra , yet Manhart has already wound it up to 450bhp, a rise of over 100bhp, while torque rises from 369 to 479lb ft. There’s no quoted performance figures, but with power up by a third, you can probably expect 0-62mph in under four seconds. And a top speed way higher than the stock 155mph, presuming Manhart has prised off the electronic limiter and placed it in its rightful place. The bin.

The good news continues when you make your way out of the engine bay, too. The suspension has been ditched and replaced by an adjustable KW coilover setup, which should make it more sports car-like than the slight softie that Toyota pumps straight out of the factory, while you can properly drop the ride height if you wish, too.

At the back, we find Manhart’s stainless steel exhaust with a valve control system. Noise when you want it, a bit of quiet when you don’t.

Following AC Schnitzer’s 400bhp Supra, this is evidence the new Supra tuning scene exists beyond Japan or West Coast America. Which, given we’re still only really getting started with modified A90s, is kinda exciting, no? Or are you still sat disapproving at the back?