I can remember playing Gran Turismo on an ancient Sony Playstation back in the day, and seeing the Japanese-market version of the third-generation Supra pop up in the vehicle menu. Called the Soarer, it seemed so exotic and special; my young mind didn’t realize we had the exact same car available to buy within the U.S. market. The Supra has consistently been ignored by enthusiasts as a legitimate collector car, but that translates to it being an affordable entry into grand touring car ownership. Find this clean and stock 1987 Supra Turbo listed here on craigslist with seemingly-beautiful original paint. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the find.
The Supra has consistently been an in-between car. It’s not a raw sports car, but it’s sporty enough to not simply be labeled as a heavy GT. But it was heavier than the makes and models considered raw and athletic, which led to it being pigeonholed as a vehicle that would never achieve the ranks of the Acura NSX or Mazda RX-7. The turbocharged varieties like this car were respectively quick, but with so many equipped with an automatic transmission, the sensation of speed was undoubtedly blunted. The maroon cloth interior was a Toyota staple back in the day, and this Supra’s cabin is holding up well.
When it comes to owning a vintage vehicle of any sort, you have to take the good with the bad. For many of us, the good is a combination of the driving experience with the potential for the car to hold, or even increase, its value. The fourth generation Toyota Supra has certainly done that, with its gorgeous, swoopy body being the catalyst for many young men to pony up six figures for low mileage, turbocharged survivors. The third generation model with the same credentials never gets the same sort of love, hence why you can buy a nice example like this one for $14,000.
Under the hood of the Supra Turbo is a 3.0L DOHC intercooled and turbocharged inline-6, good for 230 b.h.p. and 246 lb.-ft. of torque. The 7M-GTE is generally reliable, although they do occasionally have a tendency to eat head gaskets. The seller reports that this Supra runs well, but doesn’t provide any specifics on maintenance history or recent improvements. The engine bay looks clean and stock, and certainly the general appearance of the car inspires confidence. Still, you don’t want to go down the rabbit hole of old-school sports car maintenance without some assurance that the heavy lifting has been done. Do you think this Supra Turbo is worth the asking price?
This is a really nice Supra that looks to have been well cared for and still in stock form which is almost impossible to find. A five speed would have been nice but as nice as this car is I would be just fine with the automatic. Someone is going to get a nice car the seller should have no trouble getting his price just try finding another Supra Turbo this nice the turbo brings a premium.