The latest generation Toyota Supra has enjoyed a few years of freedom from other Japanese competition as the decade-old Nissan 370z soldiered on. Though with the all-new Nissan Z eager to hit the roads, and with a manual gearbox at that, Toyota was not going to lose traction with their dynamic Supra. Though even with a recent announcement of a six-speed manual Supra, Toyota does not believe many of you will choose this $0 option over the quick-shifting eight-speed automatic.
Wait there's a manual Supra now?
If you haven't been keeping up with the news, Toyota introduced a six-speed manual gearbox for their GR Supra. This gearbox will be offered for the first time on the 2023 model year Supra with the 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. Unfortunately for fans of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the eight-speed automatic is your only option.
The 2023 GR Supra 3.0 has a starting price of $53,595 for regardless of the transmission choice, making the manual a $0 option. Though when you opt for the six-speed manual, a few things change with the Supra. Compared to the final drive ratio with the eight-speed automatic, the six-speed manual has a shorter ratio, 3.46 compared to the 3.15 for the automatic. The manual gearbox also features a rev-matching mode that can be toggled on or off, along with a custom-tuned traction and stability control system, and a rearranged center console to fit the manual shifter.
Why doesn't Toyota think the manual gearbox will sell?
Toyota's decision to include a manual gearbox on the Supra came as a result of calls by automotive journalists and enthusiasts alike, though there also was a new competitor that entered the field with such a gearbox - the new Nissan Z. Regardless, Toyota believes that only 25-percent of you will choose for the six-speed manual. These manual gearbox take rate statistics come to no surprise to the brand who says that even with their GR86 sports car, only 35-percent of buyers are choosing to row their own gears.
To encourage this gearbox to be purchased, Toyota has decided to make it a no-cost option. Another encouraging aspect of this new gearbox is something Toyota will not publicly promote. This is the fact that the GR Supra 3.0, equipped with the six-speed gearbox, is the only way to pair the fantastic BMW B58 six-cylinder to a manual transmission. Not even BMW, who offers this engine in every of their rear drive-based platform vehicles, offers a manual gearbox paired to this engine.
To top off the exclusive aura surrounding this engine and gearbox combination, the only signifier that you are driving a manual Supra, other than looking at the gear lever, is by the subtle red accented Supra logo on the trunk lid. A future collector's car? Possibly not at the moment, though with the electrified future on an accelerated agenda, these sorts of sports cars are looking more and more desirable by the day.
