FEEL THE FOURS
ON ONE LEVEL, THIS IS A BATTLE of philosophies. In the Toyota you have the classic front-engine/rear-drive coupe, represented here by the Supra in its four-cylinder form, less powerful than the straight-six but lighter and better-balanced, boasting that holy grail 50:50 weight distribution. Then you have the Cayman, also four-cylinder, representing the mid-engined layout and its low polar moment of inertia. Obviously, it’s no happy coincidence that their loans coincide with a booking at the Bedford Autodrome. It’s cold and a bit damp but that’s just fine.
These may be the least potent versions of their ranges but the Supra’s BMW-sourced, turbocharged 2-litre inline four still pumps out a useful 254bhp and, just as pertinently, an impressive 295lb ft from just 1550rpm. This is fed to a pair of fat 285/40 ZR18 Michelin Pilot Super Sports via an electrically controlled, adaptive limited-slip diff. Sounds like a recipe for exciting on- and over-the-limit adventures.
The Cayman offers even more go. We’ve not been fans of the soundtrack of the 718’s turbocharged flat-four since it was introduced in 2016 (we remember the flat-six so fondly). You can’t deny it’s potent for a 2-litre, though, developing a rude 296bhp and 280lb ft at just over 2000rpm. And while the Supra might need the help of a slippy
