“It draws a crowd, and leaves it behind.”
For 1988, the third-generation A70 Toyota Supra hatchback coupe had few changes of any importance. The high-mounted brake light changed from a rectangular shape to a trapezoid. Cloth seat upholstery patterns were changed from squares to lines, and the climate control and switch gear buttons went from light to medium gray.
The Supra’s standard powertrain was the 7M-GE 200 bhp 3.0 liter/180 ci inline six with fuel injection paired with a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed electronically controlled automatic was optional—and expensive. 0-60 times with the five-speed were a little under eight seconds in a car that weighed about 3,500 pounds—a weight that was notably heavy for a sports car in those days. Fuel economy with both transmissions was 18 city/23 highway by the day’s standards (16/22 by today’s measures). With an 18.5-gallon gas tank, Supra owners could expect a range of 320 to 340 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
Designated as 7M-GTE, the Turbo‘s engine gained a turbocharger with an intercooler, adding 30 bhp and dropping the 0-60 time to around 6.4 seconds.
The Toyota Supra hatchback coupe’s base price was $21,740—about $60,800 in today’s dollars or almost exactly what a 2026 Supra GR 3.0 Premium goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included a removable sport roof, quick-ratio power steering, 4-wheel power disk brakes, and 225/50VR16 Goodyear unidirectional tires (a size still readily available) on 16 x 7 aluminum alloy wheels. Inside, an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, split fold-down rear seatbacks, an automatic temperature control air conditioning system, an electric rear window defogger, power windows, and power door locks were included. The standard sound system was an AM stereo/FM stereo electronic radio with a cassette player, Acoustic Flavor (a tone control equalizer), 4-enclosure speakers, and a diversity antenna.
At $23,760, the Turbo added a Sport package, which included a limited-slip differential, headlamp washers, and the Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension (TEMS) system.
Options & Production Numbers
Individual options were relatively few and included a limited slip differential ($230 for the base car), anti-lock brakes ($1,100), and a 4-way power driver’s seat ($225). The leather seat package was $990.
Toyota sold 19,596 Supras in 1988—solid numbers, but not quite at the level of the Chevrolet Corvette or the Nissan 300 ZX. Of those almost twenty thousand, about 55% were the Turbo.
The View From 2025
According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1988 Toyota Supra in #1/Concours condition is $37,700. The value for a more “normal” #3/Good condition example is $12,200. Turbos are considerably dearer, with #1/Concours being $82,300, #3/Good at $18,800. This generation of Supras maintains a presence in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. When I first wrote this post in April 2025, there was a Dark Blue Pearl 1988 Supra with Blue leather seats and 33,000 miles for sale in Hemmings, asking $29,900.
Make mine Gray Metallic, please.
I’ve written about one other Supra—the 1982 hatchback coupe. Other Toyotas I’ve written about include the 1980 Corolla Tercel Liftback, the 1981 Celica Sport Coupe, the 1983 Camry sedan, the 1984 Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe, and the 1985 MR2 coupe.
Last updated August 2025.
Eighties Cars 