Toyota has answered the prayers of enthusiasts and given its Supra sports car an eagerly-awaited manual transmission
- New six-speed manual confirmed
- Exclusive red badging
- Tuned by Gazoo Racing
Three years and after making its debut and following continuous requests from enthusiasts, Toyota has confirmed that its Supra sports car will finally be available with a manual gearbox for the first time.
Teased in a recent tweet by Toyota, the new six-speed manual Supra will sit alongside the current eight-speed torque converter automatic in the range and will wear a model-specific red ‘Supra’ badge.
A blog post on Toyota’s website revealed the manual Supra’s three-pedal setup and stated that the new transmission has been “engineered to offer enthusiasts something that is closer to the Gazoo Racing DNA and will enhance the driving experience.”
At this stage, it is unknown whether the manual transmission will be offered with both engine configurations of the Supra. The base model uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 254bhp, while the top-of-the-range Supra 3.0 uses a larger six-cylinder unit with 335bhp that can achieve 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds. However, it is worth noting that the closely related BMW Z4 will at this stage continue to only be offered as an automatic.
Gazoo Racing is Toyota’s performance division and has produced some of the most exciting drivers’ cars recently, such as the Toyota GR Yaris and the upcoming Toyota GR86 sports car. While the addition of a manual gearbox should add to the Supra’s driver appeal, it is yet to be confirmed whether Gazoo Racing has made any other tweaks to the car that could further improve its driving dynamics.
Of course, a new model of the Supra raises questions about a potential high-performance Toyota Supra GRMN variant. Like the Toyota GR Yaris GRMN, this model could use a more powerful engine, a stripped out interior and plenty of aggressive exterior aerodynamics. However, even if such a car is in development it’s unclear whether it would come to the UK, with the recently revealed GR Corolla only heading to Japan and the US.
Keyword: Toyota Supra to get six-speed manual gearbox