FLICK through the pages of the Toyota catalogue and you will find among the great mass of hybrids a couple of proverbial sore thumbs.

Decidedly old-school and equally at odds with the green revolution is the GT86 and a stablemate that has become something of a legend among petrolheads.

It’s the GR Supra by name and it is super by nature, a Japanese rival to the big guns from Germany, and Toyota’s most expensive offering.

With the bulges and curves of a supermodel, a low-slung profile and a fairly large dose of extreme styling it is a head-turner, in part because you are unlikely to spot one very often. In fact, within 20 minutes of my first voyage a couple of teenagers had snapped the Supra as it paused at road junctions.

There’s no easy way to enter and exit the cabin. You cling on to the door frame, flop and hope you don’t tie yourself in knots in the process.

Inside the snug environment, everything comes easily to hand. The comfortable power-adjustable seats offer plenty of support when you test the car’s handling and there’s a suite of safety and convenience features that make the experience that much more enjoyable.

Thankfully, the dial and buttons that control most features are close at hand and there’s a good-sized touchscreen. A head-up display adds further to driving experience, while automatic climate control, smart entry and push-button start, adaptive LED headlamps and wireless charging for your phone make life easier.

Press that start button and you are greeted by a dull roar that gives a good indication of what lies beneath. There’s a three-litre turbocharged monster under the bonnet producing 335bhp and it is capable of propelling you from 0 to 62mph in a mere 4.3 seconds. Toyota has limited the top-end speed to 155mph.

The price you pay for that performance is a fuel economy figure averaging about 34mpg, but I never expected anything more from an imposing car built to offer sporting thrills.

There are various driving modes to suit, but the factory setting is just fine for most occasions. The engine is linked to an excellent eight-speed automatic transmission system that allows the Supra a more-or-less free rein as it soars to higher speeds.

It handles beautifully, in part almost graceful and mostly with aplomb, and always accompanied by at least a low growl and a more urgent tone when quicker acceleration is required.

Now in its fifth incarnation, the Supra remains a two-seater with no thought of adding a couple of ridiculous rear seats to accommodate very small people with no legs or a couple of bags of shopping. Besides, the 290-litre boot can handle a decent amount of shopping and can be extended with a removable panel, creating room enough for a golf bag.

As the first global GR model from Toyota Gazoo Racing, it was conceived as a sports car in its purest form.

Its front-mounted straight-six engine drives the rear wheels, making the most of the car’s agility and precision handling, the low centre of gravity and wide track.

An antithesis to today’s industry trends, the Supra was designed to be fun to drive. With that in mind, the designers were instructed to keep it as a two-seater, even though that might reduce the amount of sales.

The auto industry is said to be undergoing a “once-in-a-hundred-years” revolution. Technological innovations such as electric power, autonomous driving and artificial intelligence are turning the car into a high-tech carrier. With that being the case, cars might no longer need to be fun to drive. Thankfully, we still have cars like the Supra for now.

The Lowdown:

Toyota Supra 3.0 Pro

Price: £54,000

Engine: Turbocharged six-cylinder 3.0-litre petrol producing 335bhp

Transmission: Eight-speed sports automatic

Performance: 0 to 62mph in 4.3 seconds; top speed 155mph (limited)

Economy: 34.4mpg combined

CO2 emissions: 170g/km

Star ratings:

Performance: *****

Economy: ***

Ride/Handling: ****

Space/Practicality: ***

Equipment: ****

Security/Safety: ****

Value For Money: ***

OVERALL: ****