Is That A Supra

2018Catchphrase / viral videosemi-active

Also known as: Is This a Supra · IS THAT A SUPRA!?

Is That a Supra? is a 2018 viral catchphrase originating from a Snapchat video of car wash employees reacting with exaggerated shock upon spotting a Toyota Supra in Parkland, Florida.

"Is That a Supra?" is a viral catchphrase meme that originated from a 2018 Snapchat video filmed at a car wash in Parkland, Florida, where employees react with wildly exaggerated shock upon spotting a Toyota Supra in the parking lot1. The clip spread rapidly across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, turning the phrase into a go-to reaction for car enthusiasts and meme creators alike. The meme taps into the near-mythical status of the fourth-generation Toyota Supra (MK4) in automotive culture, a car made legendary by its 2JZ engine and its starring role in *The Fast and the Furious*2.

car culture memescatchphrase memesjdm memesaccidental fame memes

Overview

The meme centers on a short video where a car wash employee spots a Toyota Supra and completely loses it. The camera person breathlessly announces the car's presence to coworkers, who respond with equally over-the-top disbelief. One employee famously sprays cleaning solution on his glasses to get a better look. The genuine, almost religious reverence for the car is what makes the video funny. People don't just notice the Supra. They treat it like a holy relic.

The phrase "Is that a Supra?" became shorthand for any moment of absurd excitement, whether about an actual car or something completely unrelated. The catchphrase works because it captures a very specific kind of internet-era enthusiasm: the joy of spotting something rare and freaking out about it3.

On April 25, 2018, an employee at the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida recorded a Snapchat video of their coworkers reacting to a Toyota Supra on the premises1. The video captures raw, unscripted excitement as multiple employees scramble to confirm they're really seeing a Supra. One guy cleans his glasses. Another drops what he's doing to stare. The whole thing plays like a nature documentary where the crew accidentally discovers a rare species.

Weeks later, on May 11, 2018, the YouTube account ViralHog uploaded the clip with a statement from the original creator3. That same day, YouTuber Joe Shaman also shared the video, and his upload blew up, pulling in over 7 million views within three years3. The ViralHog version collected more than 63,000 views over four years1.

Origin & Background

Platform
Snapchat (source video), YouTube (viral spread)
Creator
Unknown Rising Tide Car Wash employee
Date
2018

On April 25, 2018, an employee at the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida recorded a Snapchat video of their coworkers reacting to a Toyota Supra on the premises. The video captures raw, unscripted excitement as multiple employees scramble to confirm they're really seeing a Supra. One guy cleans his glasses. Another drops what he's doing to stare. The whole thing plays like a nature documentary where the crew accidentally discovers a rare species.

Weeks later, on May 11, 2018, the YouTube account ViralHog uploaded the clip with a statement from the original creator. That same day, YouTuber Joe Shaman also shared the video, and his upload blew up, pulling in over 7 million views within three years. The ViralHog version collected more than 63,000 views over four years.

How It Spread

The catchphrase jumped from YouTube to the broader car community almost immediately. By August 12, 2018, YouTuber Burty k uploaded a video of car passengers yelling "IS THAT A SUPRA?" at a passing one on the highway, racking up over 282,000 views. People started filming themselves screaming the line at any Supra they encountered in the wild, turning the phrase into a real-world performance piece.

The original video's characters became meme material in their own right. On December 20, 2018, YouTuber Sleempy uploaded a green screen template of the glasses-cleaning guy from the original clip, which picked up over 100,000 views. This template let creators insert the bewildered employee into any context they wanted.

TikTok proved to be the meme's second life. The hashtag #isthatasupra accumulated more than 115 million views on the platform. In July 2020, TikToker cabano.cars posted a video of someone yelling "Supra!" at the car and encouraged others to use the sound whenever they spotted one in the wild. That post pulled in over 240,000 reactions within a year.

By March 2021, the meme was well-known enough that a Reddit user posted in r/OutOfTheLoop asking about it. A commenter explained the cultural weight behind the Supra: as people realized how rare the MK4 generation had become, resale values skyrocketed, making sightings even more unusual and the reaction even more justified. The fourth-generation Supra's legendary 2JZ-GTE engine, capable of exceeding 800 horsepower when tuned, had made it an icon of the Japanese import scene for decades. Its prominent role in *The Fast and the Furious*, where Brian O'Connor's orange Supra squares off against Dom Toretto's Charger in the climactic drag race, sealed its pop culture status.

Media

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically works in two ways:

Straight usage: Film yourself spotting a Toyota Supra (any generation, but the MK4 gets the biggest reactions) and react with exaggerated shock. Scream "IS THAT A SUPRA?" at maximum volume. Bonus points for cleaning your glasses, dropping whatever you're holding, or running toward the car.

Ironic usage: Apply the same level of unhinged excitement to something that is clearly not a Supra. People use the catchphrase over clips of random objects, other cars, or completely unrelated situations to mock how seriously car enthusiasts take their hobby.

On TikTok, creators often use the original audio or cabano.cars' sound clip and film their reactions when encountering Supras at car meets, on the highway, or in parking lots.

Cultural Impact

The meme crossed over from car culture into mainstream internet humor because its appeal is universal. You don't need to know anything about the 2JZ engine to find the video funny. The sheer intensity of the employees' reaction sells the joke on its own.

Tattoo artist and car enthusiast "daintykellie," who owns a Subaru STI, got the meme permanently inked on her leg, a moment that was featured on PASMAG's *Tuning 365* TV show. The gesture captured how deeply the meme had embedded itself in automotive culture.

The meme also helped introduce younger internet users to why the MK4 Supra held such a revered spot in car culture, sparking broader conversations about JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars and the legacy of 1990s Japanese sports engineering.

Fun Facts

The Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida, where the video was filmed, is a social enterprise that employs individuals on the autism spectrum.

The fourth-generation Supra's engineers used hollow headbolts and hollow fiber carpet to save weight during manufacturing.

The 2JZ engine platform was so robust that Toyota used it across multiple Lexus models including the SC300, GS300, and a detuned version in the IS300.

The U.S.-spec Supra Turbo actually made more power than the Japanese version (320 hp vs 276 hp) because it wasn't subject to Japan's gentleman's agreement limiting output to 280 PS.

Derivatives & Variations

Green screen glasses guy:

A template isolating the employee who sprays cleaner on his glasses, uploaded by YouTuber Sleempy in December 2018 and used across multiple meme formats[3].

Highway yelling videos:

A subgenre where passengers scream the catchphrase at Supras spotted on public roads, popularized by Burty k's August 2018 upload[3].

TikTok sound template:

cabano.cars' July 2020 audio clip became a reusable sound for filming Supra sightings[3].

Ironic edits:

Creators apply the catchphrase to non-car objects, playing on the over-the-top delivery of the original[3].

Frequently Asked Questions

Is That A Supra

2018Catchphrase / viral videosemi-active

Also known as: Is This a Supra · IS THAT A SUPRA!?

Is That a Supra? is a 2018 viral catchphrase originating from a Snapchat video of car wash employees reacting with exaggerated shock upon spotting a Toyota Supra in Parkland, Florida.

"Is That a Supra?" is a viral catchphrase meme that originated from a 2018 Snapchat video filmed at a car wash in Parkland, Florida, where employees react with wildly exaggerated shock upon spotting a Toyota Supra in the parking lot. The clip spread rapidly across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, turning the phrase into a go-to reaction for car enthusiasts and meme creators alike. The meme taps into the near-mythical status of the fourth-generation Toyota Supra (MK4) in automotive culture, a car made legendary by its 2JZ engine and its starring role in *The Fast and the Furious*.

car culture memes catchphrase memes jdm memes accidental fame memes

Overview

The meme centers on a short video where a car wash employee spots a Toyota Supra and completely loses it. The camera person breathlessly announces the car's presence to coworkers, who respond with equally over-the-top disbelief. One employee famously sprays cleaning solution on his glasses to get a better look. The genuine, almost religious reverence for the car is what makes the video funny. People don't just notice the Supra. They treat it like a holy relic.

The phrase "Is that a Supra?" became shorthand for any moment of absurd excitement, whether about an actual car or something completely unrelated. The catchphrase works because it captures a very specific kind of internet-era enthusiasm: the joy of spotting something rare and freaking out about it.

On April 25, 2018, an employee at the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida recorded a Snapchat video of their coworkers reacting to a Toyota Supra on the premises. The video captures raw, unscripted excitement as multiple employees scramble to confirm they're really seeing a Supra. One guy cleans his glasses. Another drops what he's doing to stare. The whole thing plays like a nature documentary where the crew accidentally discovers a rare species.

Weeks later, on May 11, 2018, the YouTube account ViralHog uploaded the clip with a statement from the original creator. That same day, YouTuber Joe Shaman also shared the video, and his upload blew up, pulling in over 7 million views within three years. The ViralHog version collected more than 63,000 views over four years.

Origin & Background

Platform
Snapchat (source video), YouTube (viral spread)
Creator
Unknown Rising Tide Car Wash employee
Date
2018

On April 25, 2018, an employee at the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida recorded a Snapchat video of their coworkers reacting to a Toyota Supra on the premises. The video captures raw, unscripted excitement as multiple employees scramble to confirm they're really seeing a Supra. One guy cleans his glasses. Another drops what he's doing to stare. The whole thing plays like a nature documentary where the crew accidentally discovers a rare species.

Weeks later, on May 11, 2018, the YouTube account ViralHog uploaded the clip with a statement from the original creator. That same day, YouTuber Joe Shaman also shared the video, and his upload blew up, pulling in over 7 million views within three years. The ViralHog version collected more than 63,000 views over four years.

How It Spread

The catchphrase jumped from YouTube to the broader car community almost immediately. By August 12, 2018, YouTuber Burty k uploaded a video of car passengers yelling "IS THAT A SUPRA?" at a passing one on the highway, racking up over 282,000 views. People started filming themselves screaming the line at any Supra they encountered in the wild, turning the phrase into a real-world performance piece.

The original video's characters became meme material in their own right. On December 20, 2018, YouTuber Sleempy uploaded a green screen template of the glasses-cleaning guy from the original clip, which picked up over 100,000 views. This template let creators insert the bewildered employee into any context they wanted.

TikTok proved to be the meme's second life. The hashtag #isthatasupra accumulated more than 115 million views on the platform. In July 2020, TikToker cabano.cars posted a video of someone yelling "Supra!" at the car and encouraged others to use the sound whenever they spotted one in the wild. That post pulled in over 240,000 reactions within a year.

By March 2021, the meme was well-known enough that a Reddit user posted in r/OutOfTheLoop asking about it. A commenter explained the cultural weight behind the Supra: as people realized how rare the MK4 generation had become, resale values skyrocketed, making sightings even more unusual and the reaction even more justified. The fourth-generation Supra's legendary 2JZ-GTE engine, capable of exceeding 800 horsepower when tuned, had made it an icon of the Japanese import scene for decades. Its prominent role in *The Fast and the Furious*, where Brian O'Connor's orange Supra squares off against Dom Toretto's Charger in the climactic drag race, sealed its pop culture status.

Media

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically works in two ways:

Straight usage: Film yourself spotting a Toyota Supra (any generation, but the MK4 gets the biggest reactions) and react with exaggerated shock. Scream "IS THAT A SUPRA?" at maximum volume. Bonus points for cleaning your glasses, dropping whatever you're holding, or running toward the car.

Ironic usage: Apply the same level of unhinged excitement to something that is clearly not a Supra. People use the catchphrase over clips of random objects, other cars, or completely unrelated situations to mock how seriously car enthusiasts take their hobby.

On TikTok, creators often use the original audio or cabano.cars' sound clip and film their reactions when encountering Supras at car meets, on the highway, or in parking lots.

Cultural Impact

The meme crossed over from car culture into mainstream internet humor because its appeal is universal. You don't need to know anything about the 2JZ engine to find the video funny. The sheer intensity of the employees' reaction sells the joke on its own.

Tattoo artist and car enthusiast "daintykellie," who owns a Subaru STI, got the meme permanently inked on her leg, a moment that was featured on PASMAG's *Tuning 365* TV show. The gesture captured how deeply the meme had embedded itself in automotive culture.

The meme also helped introduce younger internet users to why the MK4 Supra held such a revered spot in car culture, sparking broader conversations about JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars and the legacy of 1990s Japanese sports engineering.

Fun Facts

The Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida, where the video was filmed, is a social enterprise that employs individuals on the autism spectrum.

The fourth-generation Supra's engineers used hollow headbolts and hollow fiber carpet to save weight during manufacturing.

The 2JZ engine platform was so robust that Toyota used it across multiple Lexus models including the SC300, GS300, and a detuned version in the IS300.

The U.S.-spec Supra Turbo actually made more power than the Japanese version (320 hp vs 276 hp) because it wasn't subject to Japan's gentleman's agreement limiting output to 280 PS.

Derivatives & Variations

Green screen glasses guy:

A template isolating the employee who sprays cleaner on his glasses, uploaded by YouTuber Sleempy in December 2018 and used across multiple meme formats[3].

Highway yelling videos:

A subgenre where passengers scream the catchphrase at Supras spotted on public roads, popularized by Burty k's August 2018 upload[3].

TikTok sound template:

cabano.cars' July 2020 audio clip became a reusable sound for filming Supra sightings[3].

Ironic edits:

Creators apply the catchphrase to non-car objects, playing on the over-the-top delivery of the original[3].

Frequently Asked Questions