Looks Can Be Deceiving: 2020 Toyota Supra Roadster A90 Is Actually A Lexus SC With A 2JZ-GTE

NATS has officially introduced the open-top 2020 Toyota Supra A90 Spider at the Tokyo Auto Salon. You can see pictures as well as a video of the finished product in our original gallery below. [Updated 1/11/2020]

The Toyota Supra returned to the United States after a 21-year absence, but some fans wanting the wind in their hair were disappointed as the model is available exclusively as a coupe.

This wasn’t terribly surprising, but it’s a bit odd considering the Supra’s twin is the BMW Z4 Roadster. While previous reports have suggested the company is open to a targa variant, students from Japan’s Nihon Automobile College (NATS) decided to build their own Supra Spider. But as is always the case with NATS builds, looks can be deceiving as this one-off is built around a Lexus SC430 convertible.

Making its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon, the A90 Supra Roadster draws inspiration from the Supra that was featured in the Fast and Furious franchise. Little is known about the car at this point, but the build pictures show that, aside from aping the fifth-generation A90 Supra’s looks, it has been beefed up with an aggressive body kit that features extended fender flares and a large front splitter.

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Beyond the regular Supra-styled panels, there’s also a custom decklid that flows into the fenders and features an integrated rear spoiler. The team installed scissor doors and additional vents.

Whereas the Lexus SC430 had a 4.3-liter V8, the students decided to go with a more Supra-appropriate 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six 2JZ-GTE rated at the contemporary industry maximum of 280 PS (276hp) with a peak torque of 432Nm (318.6 lb-ft), which was offered in the fourth-gen A80 Supra.

In contrast, today’s 2020 Supra coupe is available with three engines in Japan, all sourced from BMW. The entry-level unit is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 194 hp (145 kW / 197 PS) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) of torque. Customers can also upgrade to a more powerful four-cylinder engine that develops 255 hp (190 kW / 258 PS) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. Of course, the real star of the show is a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder with 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque.