Conquer the city: Why is Toyota’s Supra the perfect urban sports car?

Do you really need that weekend toy? Find out how Toyota’s Supra and Kumho’s ECSTA Sport tyre are a perfect match for the city, or your favourite driving road.

While the idea of owning a thrilling weekend machine like a Caterham, Ariel Atom, or Morgan, is a dream for many petrolheads, the reality is often rather different. Sure, these back-to-basics machines are fabulous on a rare sunny Sunday afternoon, but for the rest of the time, their lack of creature comforts, crashy rides, and limited safety aids, mean you’ll need another (more mundane) car for your daily commute into the city. Which is both impractical and expensive. 

But what if you didn’t? What if you could have one car that did two jobs? Enter, Toyota’s Supra. Designed to offer sublime driver engagement and performance, as well as solid safety, comfort, and dependability, the venerable Supra is the Swiss Army Knife of sports cars. That means you’ll get to revel in its finely honed chassis when the going gets twisty, and then cruise to work on Monday morning in refined luxury. So, cancel that Caterham order and let us explain why (with the help of Kumho’s versatile ECSTA Sport rubber) Toyota’s Supra is all the urban-ready sports car you’ll ever need. 

As you’re probably already aware of the Supra’s prodigious performance pedigree, let’s start with the boring bit: what it’s like to live with around town. For starters, this sporty Toyota isn’t tiresome in heavy traffic. There’s no heavy clutch to wear out your left leg, but rather a slick-shifting 8-speed automatic that responds seamlessly when you need to merge quickly or join a busy roundabout. 

Fuel consumption shouldn’t be a worry, either; the Supra range kicks off with a powerful (but surprisingly frugal) 2.0-litre four-pot which delivers a combined 38.7 mpg. What’s more, standard adaptive suspension ensures deep urban potholes don’t upset the ride — plus, the entry-level Supra’s 18-inch wheels mean tyres with a larger, more cushioning sidewall profile are possible.  

Speaking of tyres, there are several reasons why Kumho’s ECSTA Sport rubber helps to galvanise the standard Supra’s daily-driver credentials. For one, K-Silent technology keeps road noise — something which can often become fatiguing in sports cars with wider tyres — at bay.  Moreover, a distinctive zig-zag tread design results in a more stable contact area. Or, in simpler terms, the ECSTA Sport is more durable and lasts for longer on rough roads.

Safety also ranks highly on both the car and tyre’s agendas. In the case of the former, a suite of driver assistance systems act as an extra layer of protection in hectic urban environments. A blind spot monitor should come in especially handy for spotting anyone flying up the inside lane, while a pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, is a must-have feature when negotiating heavy rush hour traffic. Such systems would be moot, though, without quality tyres on all four corners to provide a strong contact patch. This is where Kumho ECSTA Sport’s improved wet and dry braking performance comes into play. Afterall, your safety systems (and brakes) are only as good as the rubber which underpins them. 

But what’s this pairing like when you finally get the hammer down? Well, despite not being the sportiest models in their respective ranges, both the 2.0-litre Supra and the  ECSTA Sport tyre deliver serious thrills out on the open road. Remember that gearbox and suspension combo which was so cosseting around town? Simply hit the sport mode button and both elements sharpen up to allow the chassis’ inherent balance to shine through. And the same is true of the ECSTA Sport tyre. For all its comfort and security in everyday driving, a Max Grip Resin compound means it’s just as keen to stick to the tarmac when you’re pushing on.

Want all that versatility but with even greater grip and grunt? It’s time to move up the performance ladder. In the Supra’s case, that means optioning the top-rung, BMW-derived, 3.0-litre turbocharged engine. Pumping out an extra 82 bhp over the already potent 254-bhp 2.0-litre, the range-topping Supra rockets to 60 mph in an impressive 4.3 seconds. Oh, and it emits an especially sonorous growl to add to that theatre.  

To make the most of that added firepower (and to ensure every last horsepower is transmitted cleanly to the road) Kumho’s ECSTA Sport S offers similarly heightened performance. Taking the ECSTA Sport’s tenacious grip to the next level — without forgoing any of its safety benefits — Sport S is for drivers who require the ultimate driving dynamics. So, it’s an elite performance tyre for an elite performance car? Makes sense. 

Still think you need two different car and tyre combinations for business and pleasure? Think again. Toyota’s Supra and Kumho’s ECSTA Sport range prove that fun handling and stellar performance, don’t have to mean compromised daily drivability and limited wet weather security.  

Are you ready to experience the best of both worlds? Try Kumho’s ECSTA Sport range today.

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