When Toyota brought back the Supra after a 17-year hiatus, the automotive world had opinions. Loud ones. But once the A90 proved itself on track, the canyon roads of Southern California, and the drag strips of the Midwest, the conversation shifted from skepticism to respect. This car earns it. And when a build shop like Bulletproof Auto Spa in Los Angeles gets their hands on one, it earns a whole lot more.
The A90 Supra: What You’re Actually Looking At
Toyota’s fifth-generation Supra arrived in 2019 carrying the weight of one of the most beloved nameplates in Japanese sports car history. The A70 established the bloodline in the mid-1980s. The A80 cemented it in the 1990s with a twin-turbocharged 2JZ-GTE that became the internet’s favorite engine. Then, 17 years of silence. When the A90 finally landed, it was co-developed with BMW and powered by a turbocharged B58 inline-six from the Z4 M40i. That detail alone sparked a debate that still runs hot in forums today.
Get past the internet outrage, and the actual numbers tell the story. The stock 3.0-liter turbocharged B58 inline-six produces 382 horsepower and 368 lb-ft (499 Nm) of torque in the 2021+ GR Supra 3.0 Premium. Toyota later updated the engine tune to unlock additional output, bringing it closer to what the hardware was always capable of. Power routes through an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission to the rear wheels only. No AWD option, no manual gearbox from the factory (Toyota later added one for 2023), just a properly sorted rear-drive sports car doing exactly what it was designed to do.
The performance credentials are legitimate. Stock 0-60 mph time lands at 3.9 seconds, with the 0-100 km/h sprint in the same territory. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph (250 km/h), a ceiling the chassis would comfortably exceed without intervention. Curb weight comes in at 3,181 lbs (1,443 kg) for the manual GR Supra, with the automatic variants sitting slightly heavier. For a front-mid-engine rear-drive sports car in this price range, that weight balance is a genuine asset.
On track, the A90’s 50/50 weight distribution and double-wishbone front, multilink rear suspension setup deliver handling that punches above its class. The steering is sharp, the body roll is well-controlled, and the chassis communicates clearly. Lateral grip numbers in independent tests consistently hover around 0.98-1.00g, which puts it in proper sports car territory rather than just “sporty car” territory. The short wheelbase (97.2 inches / 247 cm) and wide track make it feel responsive and point-and-shoot at corner entry, traits that reward experienced drivers and push novices to learn quickly.
The legacy question. The A80 Supra community will always hold that generation up as the gold standard, largely because of the 2JZ’s near-limitless tuning ceiling. The A90 doesn’t try to replicate that. It’s a different machine for a different era: more refined, more connected electronically, less mechanical in the traditional sense, and arguably more capable stock than the A80 ever was. Whether that’s progress or compromise depends on who you ask. What’s not debatable is that the A90 is a seriously capable sports car that rewards drivers who push it.
A Dark Gray Supra Walks Into a Los Angeles Detailing & Paint Protection Shop
Los Angeles is the kind of city where exceptional cars are everywhere, which means standing out requires a deliberate vision. The team at Bulletproof Auto Spa (BPAS), one of LA’s most respected vehicle protection and customization specialists, approached this particular A90 Supra with exactly that mindset. The brief: transform the car into something cohesive, aggressive, and genuinely built rather than merely modified. The result is a machine that occupies that rare space between show car and legitimate track weapon.
BPAS has deep JDM roots. The shop grew out of Bulletproof Automotive, a tuning operation known throughout Southern California for serious Nissan, Toyota, and Honda builds. That heritage matters here because it means the team understands these cars technically, not just aesthetically. Every decision on this Supra build reflects that understanding.
The Color Change: Avery Dennison Gloss Dark Gray
The visual foundation of the build is a full vehicle color-change wrap in Avery Dennison Gloss Dark Gray. This is not a random aesthetic choice. The specific finish behaves like liquid metal under direct sunlight, catching the Supra’s complex body lines and emphasizing the sculpted haunches and aerodynamic vents that define the A90’s silhouette. Under artificial lighting at night, the tone deepens to something considerably more sinister, which suits the overall direction of the build perfectly.
The installation goes well beyond simple panel coverage. BPAS wrapped the door jambs and shuts fully, maintaining color continuity even when doors are open. This level of detail is what separates a professional color change from something that reveals its origins the moment you open a door. Precision edge finishing and thorough panel preparation ensure the result reads as factory-grade rather than aftermarket. The Supra’s factory paint now sits completely concealed under a uniform, high-gloss skin that protects the original finish while establishing an entirely new identity.
XPEL Ultimate Plus PPF: Protection Over the Wrap
Once the Avery Dennison wrap was down, BPAS encased the entire vehicle in XPEL Ultimate Plus Paint Protection Film. Applying PPF over a color-change wrap requires a specific approach to protect the vinyl without compromising its appearance. XPEL Ultimate Plus handles this well due to its elastomeric polyurethane construction, which absorbs energy from road debris, rock chips, and gravel impacts without transmitting force to the underlying vinyl layer.
The self-healing top coat is the standout feature here. Elastomeric polymers in the clear coat eliminate fine scratches and swirl marks with heat exposure, keeping the surface looking freshly detailed without manual intervention. The film’s low surface energy also means contaminants like birdlime and bug impact residue don’t bond as aggressively to the surface, making maintenance significantly easier for a car that clearly sees real-world driving time.
BPAS chose a bulk custom-coverage installation rather than relying on pre-cut template kits. This labor-intensive method allows technicians to stretch the film beyond panel boundaries and wrap it fully around edges, eliminating the visible seams that plotter-cut templates often leave behind at door edges, hood lips, and fender edges. The result is an optically clear protective barrier that preserves every bit of depth and metallic character in the Dark Gray wrap below it.
XPEL Prime XR Plus Ceramic Window Tint
The cabin received XPEL Prime XR Plus nano-ceramic window tint throughout. This is not the tinted plastic film that darkens glass and calls it a day. Prime XR Plus uses multi-layer nanoparticle technology to function as a genuine thermal barrier, rejecting up to 98% of infrared heat and blocking 99.9% of UV radiation. In Los Angeles, where ambient temperatures and solar load are genuinely aggressive, this translates to a meaningfully cooler interior without over-darkening the glass.
Critically for a performance car with modern electronics, the ceramic construction introduces zero signal interference. GPS, radar systems, and any other wireless connectivity remain unaffected. Optical clarity is maintained at night, which matters for situational awareness at speed. It’s a functional upgrade that also completes the sinister visual theme of the exterior.
Professional Ceramic Coating: Locking In the Finish
With the glass tinted, BPAS applied a professional-grade ceramic coating across all exterior surfaces, including the body, wheel barrels, and brake calipers. The liquid-quartz coating bonds molecularly to the PPF and film surfaces, creating a hydrophobic barrier that repels water, dirt, and oils. Beyond the aesthetic depth enhancement, the coating acts as a sacrificial layer against chemical etching from bird droppings and industrial fallout.
The calipers and wheel hardware received a specialized high-temperature ceramic formula designed to withstand the thermal cycling that comes with hard driving and track use. Brake dust embeds into uncoated surfaces quickly and looks terrible. This coating prevents that while maintaining the clean, purposeful appearance that the rest of the build demands.
Carbon Fiber Aero and Exterior Performance Components
The exterior upgrade package uses carbon fiber extensively and purposefully. A full factory GR TRD carbon fiber underbody lip kit establishes the ground-level aggression, complemented by door-trim louvers and mirror caps in carbon. A Varis carbon fiber hood and full carbon fiber trunk lid contribute meaningfully to weight reduction while visually tying the front and rear of the car together. The StreetHunter Designs V2 carbon fiber rear spoiler completes the aero package, adding downforce at speed and visual continuity throughout.
Additional exterior details include custom color-themed graphics designed specifically around the dark gray and carbon fiber combination, Perrin custom powder-coated tow hooks, yellow headlight DRL modifications, and upgraded smoked sequential LED tail lights. Each detail serves the overall visual direction without feeling like it was added from a separate parts catalog.
Wheels, Tires, Suspension, and Air Management
The Supra rides on Brixton TR20 monoblock forged wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Forged monoblock construction means reduced unsprung weight compared to cast multi-piece wheels, which translates directly to sharper suspension response and faster transient handling. The Pilot Sport 4S is the current benchmark for ultra-high-performance street tires: its grip, progressive limit behavior, and wet-weather capability make it the right choice for a car that is clearly driven seriously.
Suspension tuning uses Ohlins Road and Track coilovers paired with a Stance Parts front air cup system. The Ohlins hardware delivers adjustable, track-proven damping with the street compliance needed for daily use. The air cup system at the front addresses one of the A90’s genuine real-world limitations: the low front splitter and aggressive ride height that make speed bump navigation genuinely stressful. With the air system, ride height can be raised for street obstacles and dropped to optimal height for driving. A custom Air Lift Performance system with upgraded air tank and lines was installed alongside custom carbon fiber interior cargo fabrication in the trunk, creating a clean, show-quality presentation without sacrificing function.
Interior: Sparco Seats, Racing Wheel, Driver Focus
Inside, the driver environment has been reoriented around performance. A Sparco R383 steering wheel on a Zestek Racing hub adapter improves feedback and reduces diameter for more communicative steering. Seating was upgraded to Sparco SPX Special Edition seats with matte carbon shells, which are significantly lighter than the factory units and provide the lateral support needed when the Ohlins suspension is working hard through corners. These are not racing cosplay items; they are functional motorsport components installed in a car built to use them.
Exhaust, Brakes, Cooling, Chassis, and Intake
The mechanical upgrades address every system that limits the A90’s performance ceiling. An Akrapovic titanium exhaust system reduces weight, improves exhaust flow, and delivers the sound profile the stock system politely suppresses. Braking is upgraded with a Brembo big brake kit at the front and a retrofitted Wilwood rear electronic brake system, providing the consistent fade-resistant stopping power that more aggressive driving demands. Thermal management is handled by CSF upgraded radiators and an oil cooler, keeping temperatures stable under conditions that would stress the stock cooling system.
Chassis rigidity comes from an HKS carbon chassis brace set, which ties the strut towers together and reduces flex under load. Combined with a full SPL Parts suspension geometry overhaul replacing factory rubber bushings with precision billet arms, links, and sway bars, the result is a chassis that communicates with absolute clarity. Steering response goes from sharp to telepathic. Understeer on corner entry, a mild characteristic of the stock A90, disappears. Under the hood, an HKS intake system gives the B58 better airflow and sharper throttle response, making the engine feel considerably more eager throughout the rev range.
How Bulletproof Auto Spa helped transform this Supra
This A90 Supra is exactly what a well-executed build should be: a machine where every component serves either performance, protection, or a coherent aesthetic vision, and ideally all three at once. BPAS didn’t throw parts at a sports car and call it custom. They built a system. The Avery Dennison wrap, the XPEL PPF stack, the ceramic layers, the aero package, the suspension overhaul, the mechanical upgrades: each layer reinforces the others. The Gloss Dark Gray finish looks intentional because it is. The carbon fiber works aerodynamically because it was selected for that purpose. The Ohlins and SPL geometry make the tire contact patch consistent because the chassis work was done properly.
For a car already capable of 382 hp (285 kW), a sub-4-second 0-60 run, and near-1g cornering grip from the factory, the question was never “is the A90 Supra fast enough.” The question was always “how far can you take it.” Based on what Bulletproof Auto Spa delivered out of their Los Angeles facility, the answer is: considerably further than most people would try. The end result is available in a detailed media gallery right below.
