It’s about time.
Toyota
People have been talking about a manual transmission version of the Toyota GR Supra since it launched without one back in 2019. Reports earlier this year said one was finally coming; now, Toyota has officially announced it. The GR Supra will indeed receive a manual transmission option for the 2023 model year.
The transmission itself is a six-speed manual. Toyota calls it an “intelligent manual transmission,” which means it has rev-matching on downshifts. That feature is turned on by default, though you can disable it in Sport Mode. Toyota says the transmission is “newly developed,” which we presume means it was a previous gearbox tuned and modified for use in the Supra.
Toyota Toyota
Toyota will offer the new manual transmission option on all Supras with the 3.0-liter inline-six. For 2023, that’s the Supra 3.0, the 3.0 Premium and a new A91-MT Special Edition model. Limited to 500 units, the A91-MT will be a styling package including Cognac leather-trimmed seats, an Alcantara shift knob, forged 19-inch Frozen Gunmetal Gray wheels and red detailing.
The four-cylinder Supra 2.0 will not get a manual transmission option, at least at this time. If we had to guess the reason why, it would be that Toyota does not sell enough of them compared to the 3.0 to make the effort of adding one worthwhile.
Adding a manual transmission option for the Supra is a no-brainer. It probably should have had one from launch. The Supra isn’t a practical car. It’s not aesthetically pleasing. It’s not a car for chasing outright lap times. The Supra exists to engage the driver, and manual transmissions tend to be far more engaging. The GR86 has a manual. The new GR Corolla hot hatch has a manual. The Supra’s main rival, the Porsche 718 Cayman, offers a stick shift. So does the up-and-coming Nissan Z.
Toyota says the manual transmission Supras will be available later in 2022. Pricing will be revealed sometime this summer.
Keyword: The Toyota Supra Officially Comes With a Manual Gearbox Now