Although the Supra Celica had its debut In 1979, it wasn't until the fourth generation hit the streets in 1993 that the Supra morphed into a serious performance machine. With 320 hp and 315 lb-ft of torque, the Supra Turbo could now compete with the elite. Corvettes, Porsches, and even Ferraris were fair game.
Its list of hardware is still impressive: 3.0-liter inline six, twin sequential turbochargers, six-speed manual transmission, Torsen limited-slip differential, 12.6-inch rotors all around, huge 235/45ZR-17 front and 255/40ZR-17 rear tires. Although heavy at nearly 3,500 lbs, the car can hammer the quarter mile in the mid-13s, corner with close to 1.0 g of grip and stop with the best cars in the world.
Although a 220-hp naturally aspirated version which featured a five-speed and 16-inch rubber was sold alongside the Turbo model from 1993-1998, nobody really cares. Which is why this buyer's guide concentrates on the more desirable Turbo model.
The car's exterior, although polarizing at the time, has aged well. Many cars sold today, including the Ferrari 575M, take some of its styling from the low, wide fourth-gen. Supra. Its rounded roofline, large snout and fixed headlamps continue to influence design today, while its giant rear spoiler remains in vogue.
Inside, some felt the car's sweeping matte black dashboard was stark, with little to break up the monotony. But the design was simple and timeless, and the build quality and materials were excellent.
At around $40,000, the Supra Turbo was expensive and well out of the reach of the average Joe, so volume was small. Of the 11,239 Supras Toyota sold from 1993-1998, only 6,977 were Turbo models (4,038 with six-speeds and 2,939 with the optional four-speed automatic), which all came with standard leather upholstery. More Turbos may have been sold if Toyota hadn't dropped the six-speed for the 1996 model year, due to emissions regulations. Fortunately, it returned in 1997, but became unavailable in California-emission states for 1998.
Now, four years after the last Supra was sold and almost a decade after the 1993 model debuted, used Supras are within the reach of more performance car buyers. They're still far from cheap, however. Many suitors will be disappointed to find out that Blue Book is nowhere near accurate for these cars. Though there are a few stories of people finding someone who "didn't know what they had" and getting a steal, a MK-IV Supra in good condition will fetch $18,000 to $25,000 with '97-'98 models or very low-mileage cars going for $30,000 to even $40,000. This can make them hard to finance without a substantial deposit because most lenders use Blue Book values.
No truly significant changes were made during the fourth-generation Supra's six years of production. There were no suspension tweaks, no power modifications (on the Turbo), no brake upgrades and no wheel and tire changes. Further, there were very few options. Because of its stronger chassis, we're partial to the hardtop vs. the removable, targa-style sport roof, which is standard on four-speed automatic cars. But with only 326 hardtop Turbos shipped to the United States, they're hard to get. And always check for a clean title.
Supras have proven to be reliable over the years, with no significant recalls and a fairly slim list of technical service bulletins. All things being equal, we'd recommend getting an older car with less miles rather than a later model with more ticks on the odo. Water pumps, power steering pumps, belts, etc. are all prone to be necessary replacements on higher mileage cars. Check for warped brakes, excessive tire wear, and slipping clutches, as all will be heady expenditures on this car. And higher mileage cars may need valve seals and/or turbo seals. Modified cars, when well maintained, can be in perfect shape but doing a compression check is a good idea.
By Dan J. Gardner
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