The Toyota GR Supra is the pinnacle of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing, or GR, range of sports cars, sitting above the GR86 coupe and GR Yaris hot hatch. This trio provides the proof that Toyota is working hard to shed its bland image with a range of more sporting heroes. All are now available with manual gearboxes, underlining the brand’s athletic ambitions.

Built to rival the likes of BMW’s M2 Coupe, the Alpine A110 and Porsche’s benchmark 718 Cayman, the Supra relies on a traditional front engine, rear-wheel drive layout. Toyota’s goal while building the car was to create a sports car that – above all – is entertaining to drive, yet still usable enough for owners who don’t need more than two seats to enjoy every day.

You wouldn’t think it from the outside, but the GR Supra was co-developed alongside the BMW Z4 Roadster. They share the same platform, engines and cabin, but you’d be hard pressed to tell if you saw both cars parked up. For starters, the BMW is only sold as a soft-top roadster, while the GR Supra will remain a hard-top coupe.

It should be a match made in heaven: Toyota is famed for its precision engineering and reliability, while BMW knows a thing or two about sporting dynamics and sizzling engine technology. The two cars are differently tuned to ensure they have distinctive characteristics.

You can choose between a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 3.0 straight six. But if you want a manual gearbox, you’ll have to go for the latter.

Read on for our detailed Toyota GR Supra review. Over the next few pages we will assess every aspect of the car, from the way it drives to its comfort, rating its practicality and running costs, too. Our overall verdict will deliver the Parkers conclusion and a definitive star rating.