Road Trip: GR Supra West Virginia

With break in complete and the first oil change done on our GR Supra it was time to stretch it’s legs. What better way than a fall road trip through the mountains of West Virginia. West Virginia has some fantastic roads and this trip would make a wonderful weekend getaway for GR owners looking to enjoy their cars to the fullest.

The first portion of our journey took us down to the High Knob Trailhead on US-33. On the drive down we found ourselves on farm roads with longer portions prior to corners that the Supra connected with ease. These roads were wonderful for using the mighty torque of the B58 to terminate straights that would have been a bit drawn out in lower powered cars.

After arriving on US-33 we were met by tight hairpins and drastic elevation changes that tested brakes and handling more so than the outright power. The Supra did not disappoint, for its weight it was quite nimble on the hairpins. The only complaint from this portion was the stock brakes required a bit of restraint on the steep downhill switch backs.

The twisties of US-33 spit us out into the town of Elkins where both horse and rider appreciated a little refreshment at the petrol station and nearby pub. From Elkins our journey took us up a portion of US-219 also known as the Seneca Trail. US-219 was not the hairpin road of US-33 but rather had gradual changes in elevation with more modest changes of direction. The road was a bit more tranquil following a few gorges which made for the perfect respite after a good lunch.

For the final portion of the journey Seneca Trail (US-219) brought us to US-50, better known in the area as George Washington Highway. Over the next ~30 miles we took in some great views and wonderful opportunities for the Supra to entertain us with its capabilities. We were left to reflect as our drive and weekend were coming to an end. The impressions from the Supra were quite positive. We would have appreciated a bit better brakes for the street but the stock brake system was sufficient. With windows down the wind buffeting was a bit much after several minutes. The sound of the Supa was most pleasant with the windows up due to the exhaust being overshadowed by wind noise. The question of manual or automatic still lingers in our minds. At times we would love to row gears, nail downshifts, and give a good old clutch kit from time to time. But being able to dial the automatic back at times allowed us to refresh ourselves and take a break during more casual portions of the drive. However, a flick into sport did bring a smile to our faces. The Supra did not come away as our favorite twisty backroad car of all time but it possibly took the mantel as the best for higher speed sweepers.

Next time we are going to be taking the Supra to Limerock Park for our first track test of the GR Supra. The car will be bone stock to see how the car performs out of the box. But for a street car a GR Supra certainly is a sweet package. Perhaps more GT car than Sports car but we will let you be the judge of that.