KahnBB6
Well-Known Member
Um... people buy an 86 6MT because it's fun to drive with a stick shift. Oh, and despite its size it does have a modestly practical back seat and a trunk. Do most wish it had 250hp and 200 ft-lbs of torque via a turbo? Of course they do. But it's still a fun little driftable RWD sports car with excellent handling and a fair amount of aftermarket support.
The A90 Supra 2.0 and of course 3.0 are faster but that becomes a different kind of sports car.... which is fun for sure but not the same kind of fun that even the much slower 86 6MT is. Not to mention you are not going to be calling an A90 even remotely "practical" with it being a two-seater. It doesn't need to be a 2+2 like the 86 anyway and its chassis is great.
There are several reasons someone might gravitate to an 86 6MT (or even an upcoming Corolla GRMN AWD Turbo 6MT 5-door hatchback) over an A90 Supra but comparing both the 86 and A90 just in terms of speed alone is missing the point of both to me.
My 2JZGTE manual car is reasonably powerful and modestly "fast" by today's standards but I really don't care about what is wildly faster than it today. I'm too busy having fun driving it to my own private satisfaction. Because it has a manual transmission it is an inherently slower car than any new or new-ish sports car or muscle car with a modern lightning fast automatic or DCT but that makes no difference to me.
Driving fun is more important to me than outright speed or outright acceleration numbers. And a manual transmission simply is that in every situation. It doesn't need to be a thing in *every* car of course but I strongly prefer it personally.
I still greatly prefer the experience and fun of operating any manual car over any automatic in a gas engine vehicle other than perhaps a box truck. I'll change my tune on that once everything is full electric and the transmissions are all 1-speed reduction gear or automated 2-3 speed electronically shifted boxes.
So yes... the fact that the A90 has no manual, despite having a night and day faster driveline in any trim level with a far more broad torque and power curve than the little NA FA20 could ever provide does still make me gravitate towards the 86 6MT (or upcoming gen2 GR86 6MT or Corolla GRMN 6MT). OR... maybe another manufacturer's manual transmission car offering altogether.
No denying the Supra 3.0 with its ZF8-8HP is an exceptional performance bargain with fantastic 0-60 acceleration at $52k-$60k MSRP. It just doesn't matter to me if it has no manual edition and when I can actually get a manual transmission in another model for as long as new manual cars are still offered.
Sponsored
), which is also rumored to go into the GT500 in the future. The stick could be making a comeback!
