Owning a car for three decades? Sounds like a lifetime commitment, right? But for Gary Jarman, it's a love story with his Toyota Supra, a car that's been with him for an impressive 30 years! He's not just a car owner; he's a custodian of automotive history.
Gary's unique perspective comes from having owned two Supra models: the iconic Mk4, the star of our story, and a later Mk5, which he experienced for two years, starting in 2019. How do these two generations stack up against each other?
"The Mk5 was fast and handled well, but it felt like a German car, whereas the Mk4 is a big Japanese GT," Gary explains. "The Mk5's cabin looked straight out of a BMW. I know the Mk4's wasn't pretty, but it sat well with the rest of the car. It was a Toyota cabin. The Mk5 Supra was a Toyota on the outside, but inside it looked like a BMW."
Gary's attachment to his 3.0-liter twin-turbo automatic Mk4 Supra is undeniable. He purchased it in 1996, a year after it was made, paying £39,000, which was about £4000 less than the original price. The car had only done 9,000 miles then. Today, 28 years later, it has clocked 160,000 miles.
"My daughter was a year old when I got it, and we'd carry her around in the back," he recalls fondly. "Meanwhile, during the week, it was taking me to London and back, racking up the miles. It never let me down."
What drew Gary to this model? It was the wraparound dash, the active front spoiler (which deploys above 60 mph), and the limited-slip differential, not to mention its performance. The straight-six engine was capped at 276 bhp in Japan, but the European version boasted 321 bhp.
"I had my car put on a dyno recently, and after 160,000 miles, the engine's still producing 321 bhp," he proudly states. It's a UK-spec car, not a grey import. This makes it rare, as Toyota UK only sold around 600 Mk4s by the time sales ended in 1996, a mix of four-speed automatics and six-speed manuals.
But here's where it gets controversial... While many grey-import Supras have been modified, Gary is committed to keeping his UK car completely original. For instance, when the digital clock broke, he didn't just replace it with a Japanese-spec one. Instead, he hunted down the European-spec timer with a temperature display, eventually finding one for £300 on eBay.
And to pass its latest MOT, he fitted new Toyo tires, but plans to switch back to the original Michelins as soon as they become available again. "I'm fussy," he admits.
And this is the part most people miss... Gary's dedication isn't just about preserving a car; it's about preserving a memory, a piece of his life.
What do you think about Gary's dedication to keeping his Supra original? Do you prefer the older models or the newer ones? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
