Everything You Need To Know About MK2 Toyota Supras

What's not to love about the MK2?

5-speed manual transmission.

Two-tone color schemes.

Fiberglass fender Flares.

Pop-up headlights.

Hatchback.

Inline-six.

Sunroof.

The Iconic Toyota Supra

STUTUTUTUTU (sorry I couldn't resist)

Toyota came out with the Supra so they could be able to compete with Datsun and their popular Z lineup. Maybe that is how they came up with the name Supra, a Latin prefix that translates to surpass.

The Supra was born in 1978 and went through four generations until it was gone forever in 2002, but Toyota brought it back to life in 2019, introducing us to the fifth-generation Supra that we see in dealerships today.

The Supra was never actually a hit but blew up in popularity after millions of us watched Fast and Furious and spent hundreds of hours playing Grand Turismo or Need for Speed.

People also became aware of what power these cars could produce with minor modifications. We all wanted one at some point, so the high demand increased their value.

There is no denying that a Supra will always stand out no matter what cars are around it. Well except for a Mitsubishi Starion because they look pretty similar. Some people love the MK2 Supra, and others hate it, but it is a car that has and continues to leave its mark on the sports car world.

The MK2 Supra, aka Toyota Celica Supra or Celica XX Overview

The MK2 is the second generation Supra. Everyone talks about the MK4 and forgets how beautiful and unique previous generations are.

The Toyota Celica was the inspiration for the Supra. The MK2 is also known as the Celica XX or the Celica Supra. The Celica and the Supra during this time looked almost exactly the same except for small exterior differences and what was under the hood.

Celica Supras were produced from the year 1982 to 1986. In the North American market, they were available in two models. One being the Performance Type (P-type) and the other being the Luxury Type (L-type).

Both types were mechanically identical, but in earlier models, you would find the 5-speed manual transmission only in the P-type and your standard automatic transmission only in the L-type. There are also a few features that were unique to each body trim.

Performance Type (P-Type)

The performance-type model was the sportier model. It had wider wheels (14x7-inch) that were made of aluminum alloy. From factory, it came with fiberglass fender flares that gave it that beefier look and some beautiful adjustable sporty seats.

This model also came with the option of adding headlight washers. All P-type models came standard with a limited-slip diff. Leather interior was only an option until after 1983.

Luxury Type (L-Type)

The luxury-type model was for those who wanted more luxurious features inside the car. This model did not have the fender flares or the same wide wheel size. They came standard with 14x5.5-inch wheels. Toyota later changed them to P-type 15x6-inch wheels.

In this model, you would find leather seats and sometimes a digital instrument cluster with a trip computer that would let you see the car's MPG and even the estimated arrival time.

Standard Features

This Toyota Supra had a four-wheel independent suspension that was tuned and designed by Lotus. It also came with front and rear disc brakes. You would also find rear and front mudflaps, but the P-type did not in the first 1982 production.

Both types had standard power door locks and windows, cruise control, a retractable map light, a five-speaker stereo/cassette player, windshield intergraded antenna, powered mirrors, and a tilt steering wheel. Some models came with a sunroof as well.

Performance and Unique Features For Each Production Year

This Toyota Supra generation came with many different options depending on the market it was being sold in, with some options only offered in selected model years. I will briefly go over what we had available here in North American Market.

The Celica Supra in America came with a 2.8-liter 12-valve DOHC 5M-GE engine. Right out of the dealership, it produced 145 hp and 155 ft/lbs of torque. It was not the quickest, with a 0-60 of 9.8 seconds and a quarter-mile of 17.2 seconds at 80 mph.

1982

Engine: The car came with the same engine and specs mentioned above.

Transmission: Depending on the type, it had a standard W58 five-speed manual transmission or an A43DL automatic transmission. Automatic transmissions featured a locking torque converter, and both transmissions featured an overdrive gear.

Features: The p-type models did not come standard with mudflaps. The North American models had a speedometer that could only display a top speed of 88 mph.

1983

Engine: This year, Toyota kept the same engine but with some minor upgrades (used an electronic distributor instead of a vacuum one and switched gear ratios) that bumped up the horsepower to 150.

Transmission: The transmission stayed the same for the 5-speed manual and changed for the automatic. Toyota went with the A43DE 4-speed automatic transmission, which had an electronic controller that would adjust the shifting pattern depending on the driver's desire. The driver could choose between power and normal driving modes. This was the first automatic transmission in the industry that was capable of doing that.

Features: This year, the Celica Supra had mudflaps on both types. Toyota offered the headlight washers and the two-tone color schemes on the p-type models only.

1984

Engine: The power that the automatic Celica Supra was producing was exactly the same as the previous year, but the 5-speed had some significant changes. The 5-speed was producing 160 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. This was achieved by redesigning the intake manifold, switching up the gear ratio, and increasing the compression ratio.

Transmission: The 5-speed and the automatic transmission had no changes from the previous year.

Features: The exterior had lots of changes. The front turn signals, rear taillights, and door handles were redesigned. You could have a rear wing spoiler high up on the rear hatch or rear window louvers. The black rear hatch and rear bumper were replaced with a painted rear hatch and bumper that matched the rest of the car. Two-tone color schemes were available for both types.

The speedometer now displayed a top speed of 130 mph instead of the 85 mph in the North American models. The climate control display, cruise control button, steering wheel, and door lock switches were all redesigned.

1985/1986

Engine: The 5-speed and the automatic Toyota Supras produced the same amount of power, unlike the previous year when the 5-speed was a bit more powerful. Both were producing 161 hp and 169 lb-ft of torque, slightly more than the previous year. This was because of a newly designed TPS and a new EGR system.

Transmission: The 5-speed manual and the automatic transmission had no changes from the previous year.

Features: Some more features were added to these last two cars. The spoiler was now two pieces instead of one. Toyota added a defogger feature for the side mirrors and also an alarm system. Both types also received automatic-off lights. The 1986 models were only p-types and featured a third brake light on the hatch.

The End of The MK2

The last MK2 was made in the first half of 1986. The last MK2 Toyota Supra ended its generation by producing 161 horsepower. A 16 hp and 14 lb-ft torque increase from the first MK2. It ended with a 0-60 of 8.4 seconds and a quarter mile of 16.1 seconds at 85 mph. Both times and speeds slightly faster.

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