AC Schnitzer (officially) gets busy with GR Supra

Up to 400hp from Toyota's new tuning partner in Germany - plus 21-inch wheels, obviously

The rise of manufacturer-sanctioned tuning - think Mountune bits for fast Fords and the ABT upgrades for Cupras - is easy to understand. Lots of people with performance cars want them to be faster, and plenty will like the idea of doing that with a bit more of a safety net behind them. Tuning isn’t the wild west it was, but still. Nice being sure. Now the ante has been upped somewhat thanks to a collaboration between famed BMW tuner AC Schnitzer and Toyota Germany, as a range of the former’s modifications for the Supra will be available in the dealers of the latter. Schnitzer is now nothing less than the ‘proud technology partner of Toyota Deutschland GmbH.’

Which means there are some proper upgrades to choose from, including a performance upgrade to 400hp and 442lb ft (from 340hp and 369lb ft) for the straight six GR, while the 2.0-litre motor can be tickled to 300hp and 346lb ft, both with an AC Schnitzer ‘subassembly warranty’. A sports silencer with ‘sonorous sound and sporty look’ keeps the filters and passes the latest WLTP test. Sporty and sensible, see.

Those that perhaps want to emphasise the sporty side of a Supra with Schnitzer can add a front splitter, a ‘Racing’ rear wing (with or without Gurney flap) and lowering springs for a ‘more beefy appearance’. The stickers are optional, thank goodness. There’s only so much Fast & Furious heritage you really want to tap into.

The wheels seen here are Schnitzer’s 20-inch AC1s, with an AC4 design also available; the flow-formed AC3 goes up to 21-inch. Coilovers are also on the menu to really make the most of the increased performance, AC Schnitzer’s two-way adjustable RS system dropping the ride height 30mm (with another 10mm possible) and bringing ‘significantly improved’ driving fun. Plus, despite the slammed look on the new wheels, there’s said to be ‘high residual spring travel and good driving comfort’.

Supra owners don’t have to go all in on coilovers and flow-formed wheels, however, as the Schnitzer bits extend to just aluminium interior accents as well. ‘Nothing is missing to turn the Toyota GR Supra into the Toyota GR Supra by AC Schnitzer’, reads the press release, ‘so let's get started.’ Which would certainly imply that the parts are available now, even though prices haven’t yet been issued.

Having said that, there is the small matter of it being a Germany-only programme for now. And no orders are currently being accepted in this country for the GR Supra. But it’s a start, right? Lastly, if the Schnitzer news has done nothing more than make you consider super Supras, the classifieds can help - this white one looks great a bit lower on bronze wheels, so power must be the next step…