👣 Official: Toyota Announces Manual Transmission Supra!

[PerformanceSound]

It's just rather amazing to me that an enthusiast transmission choice (3 pedal manual) in a two seater front engine rear drive iconic Japanese turbo sports car model has been resisted by Toyota and BMW this much.

Toyota already sells a popular low powered 86 sportscar that proves Toyota buyers DO like manual sportscars. They're also poised to soon sell Corolla and C-HR turbo AWD 6-speed manual performance models which will also prove the same.

Only the off-in-the-distance likely electrified MR2 project would be pretty much expected to be non-manual in any form at all just due to how both its platform and powertrain will likely be designed from the ground up.

It's just a transmission that many diehards want in a halo sportscar that will never again (post-A90) be made in a configuration that will even support a traditional manual.

Manual Supra prototypes have been tested, a super limited production Z4 4cyl manual exists in Germany (supposedly?) and a Texas modification shop has already gone a long way to proving that one parts bin BMW 6-speed manual gearbox is more than up to the task of bolting to the B58 block.

Ugh... they could just build the damn thing and tack on the additional price to the standard Supra 8AT's MSRP if necessary for the bean counters to approve it.

The exclusive GRMN Supra will well. A manual Supra will sell.

Give it enough years and we'll have to consider a totally different "A100" Supra anyway which certainly won't be capable of a manual transmission option by then.

But the A90 is manual *capable*, MKIV Supras are now quite old collector cars with parts shortages and still not everyone cares that the excellent ZF8 can shift faster than they can.

So frustrating.

I hear ya...i am one of those stick shift diehard fans. It’s the reason I plan on keeping my STI for a very long time. On the flip side, I can’t complain about the A90’s auto....it’s buttery smooth and shifts really quick. When I drove an A90 in California recently, it really is a badass car to drive....with a manual though...it would be a dream! The Supra needs a manual trans to give it that raw feel. Like I said, I loved driving the A90, but the transmission feels too “luxurious” when shifting. Some may not like that, but many do. My girl wants an A90, and I plan on getting her one, but I want to wait til’ 2022 before pulling the trigger on her purchase.

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[tfoxyr]

It's just rather amazing to me that an enthusiast transmission choice (3 pedal manual) in a two seater front engine rear drive iconic Japanese turbo sports car model has been resisted by Toyota and BMW this much.

Toyota already sells a popular low powered 86 sportscar that proves Toyota buyers DO like manual sportscars. They're also poised to soon sell Corolla and C-HR turbo AWD 6-speed manual performance models which will also prove the same.

It's just a transmission that many diehards want in a halo sportscar that will never again (post-A90) be made in a configuration that will even support a traditional manual.

Manual Supra prototypes have been tested, a super limited production Z4 4cyl manual exists in Germany (supposedly?) and a Texas modification shop has already gone a long way to proving that one parts bin BMW 6-speed manual gearbox is more than up to the task of bolting to the B58 block.

Ugh... they could just build the damn thing and tack on the additional price to the standard Supra 8AT's MSRP if necessary for the bean counters to approve it.

The exclusive GRMN Supra will well. A manual Supra will sell.

Give it enough years and we'll have to consider a totally different "A100" Supra anyway which certainly won't be capable of a manual transmission option.

I'm afraid it's not about the tools, the transmission exists for the b58 , the tools are there but there is a cost of using them. AT trans is a safer bet for a model that you need to sell for 7+ years.

Indeed in all of europe a manual z4 with 197hp is sold but it's a very different story then the 3 liter one and actually very different than the other 2 liter model. The only thing that does not suck in the 197hp version is the manual btw,ovepriced and slow.

 

[KahnBB6]

I hear ya...i am one of those stick shift diehard fans. It’s the reason I plan on keeping my STI for a very long time. On the flip side, I can’t complain about the A90’s auto....it’s buttery smooth and shifts really quick. When I drove an A90 in California recently, it really is a badass car to drive....with a manual though...it would be a dream! The Supra needs a manual trans to give it that raw feel. Like I said, I loved driving the A90, but the transmission feels too “luxurious” when shifting. Some may not like that, but many do. My girl wants an A90, and I plan on getting her one, but I want to wait til’ 2022 before pulling the trigger on her purchase.

I totally agree! I'm keeping my old manual 2JZGTE SC300. It ticks all the boxes in an everyday livable classic car for me. What I am interested in is what car I will put next to it. I am fully aware that new manual transmission vehicles have a finite window of time before none are made any longer.

It's just that we aren't there quite YET and I'd like one more brand new manual transmission performance car that I don't have to hunt and stockpile nearly discontinued and discontinued factory parts for just to breathe easy and enjoy it.

That ZF8 automatic is very, very good! It's just still not the same as a 3-pedal manual. IMO there will be plenty of time in the years to come for new cars with no manual transmissions or no transmissions (or combustion engines) at all.

 

[XtremeMaC]

I'll freak out if they end up offering MT in new 86!

7+ years sound more than enough years to amortize tools!!!

 

[KahnBB6]

I'll freak out if they end up offering MT in new 86!

7+ years sound more than enough years to amortize tools!!!

If the 2nd gen GR86 were to come out with no manual transmission and only around 240-250hp (turbo or not) and one of Subaru's CVT's... that would be a no-go. I can't imagine that would be the case though.

I'm afraid it's not about the tools, the transmission exists for the b58 , the tools are there but there is a cost of using them. AT trans is a safer bet for a model that you need to sell for 7+ years.

Indeed in all of europe a manual z4 with 197hp is sold but it's a very different story then the 3 liter one and actually very different than the other 2 liter model. The only thing that does not suck in the 197hp version is the manual btw,ovepriced and slow.

I'm glad to hear the Z4 manual is now out in the wild finally! That means those critical manual parts aside from the transmission (pedal box, shifter, console trim pieces, etc.) are already available for people to buy for the purpose of converting their Supra to manual if they want to. As in it makes the conversion that much easier. Hope BMW sees significantly more demand for those replacement parts at their European dealers (via importers) than they originally anticipated.

I agree that there is a business case issue for absorbing the overall cost of implementing a manual Supra either in 2.0L or 3.0L guises.... but again.... it's not like this car's appeal, manual or auto, can be compared to a Camry sedan that suddenly got a manual option that only a few people were to purchase.

The Supra is a word of mouth popular sportscar that hardly needs any marketing materials, doesn't often need brochures at dealers if at all and has few to no commercials to promote it after its initial launch.

It's not a normal business case vehicle.

I believe you are right that the manual Z4 which inexplicably only has 197hp and not even the more common 258hp is slow and expensive for what it is. But it did get a manual transmission variant into production at the very least and that means its parts can be pilfered new from the dealer or eventually used from wrecking yards for manual conversions to the Z4 and Supra.

 

[Supra Man]

while the my2020 supra owners making a petition for the change in the my2021 supras.. we should make a petition for a manual supra haha... sigh

what tada-san failed to realize is that most if not all the ppl that wants the manual transmission is not after track times and setting records.. but to enjoy the car in everyday use or just plain fun in the tracks or canyon here and there..
in one of the articles it said "they know very well the tens of thousands of people asking. The multi-million-dollar question is how many of these keyboard warriors are legitimate buyers of the Supra, and who they buy it even if it were more expensive or the performance was compromised?" .. they totally ignored the ppl that is not just saying it just to say it but actually would purchase one if it came out with a manual trans..
it mentioned that by going manual it is taking a step back in advancement for the supra but even the manual trans can be made better just by adding a auto rev match function in it with a button to turn off/on..
even the nissan nismo 370z came out with both automatic 7 speed trans and manual trans .. and if i recall most owners chose the manual trans over the auto for the 370z..
very frustrating...

 

[nashcarr]

I think that manuals, unfortunately, are a dying breed. The 86 only has a take rate of around 30% with the manual transmission. When I was at the dealer getting my 1000 mile oil change last week the sales guy says he can't move the manual (he sold me one!) transmission 86's and the only reason they still have leftover TRD 2019's is because they are manual, or so he says. When my wife purchased her new 2016 Mazda 6 with a 6 speed manual the sales manager said the take rate on those was less than 10%.

 

[XtremeMaC]

my recent experience was the same with black TRD. few remaining, selling with a discount. it's sad..
but on the other hand, BMW and Porsche are continuing with M/Ts.. case by case

 

[nashcarr]

My plan is to enjoy this 86 for the next 6 months, a few trips to the Appalachian Mtns, then drive it from Ohio to Seattle, then down the coast to LA, to Vegas, Arizona and back to Ohio. It's a fun car to drive. I'll probably trade it in on a 4 cylinder Supra if I can work the deal I want.

 

[John8]

My plan is to enjoy this 86 for the next 6 months, a few trips to the Appalachian Mtns, then drive it from Ohio to Seattle, then down the coast to LA, to Vegas, Arizona and back to Ohio. It's a fun car to drive. I'll probably trade it in on a 4 cylinder Supra if I can work the deal I want.

So, and this may be a question that is answered as the greatest latest, if you enjoy it, why get rid of it?

 

[nashcarr]

Because, I am under the sneaking suspicion that I will like the Supra 2.0 MORE!

 

[John8]

Because, I am under the sneaking suspicion that I will like the Supra 2.0 MORE!

I can understand that. I would love the Supra I have in a manual.

 

[MA617M]

My guess that if there was a manual coming - it wouldn't be in the GRMN. That's the road going version of the GT4 car, and is focused on FAST, not necessarily on purity/6MT fun times

I'd guess there'd be a second edition, or none at all, for the 6MT.

 

[KahnBB6]

My guess that if there was a manual coming - it wouldn't be in the GRMN. That's the road going version of the GT4 car, and is focused on FAST, not necessarily on purity/6MT fun times

I'd guess there'd be a second edition, or none at all, for the 6MT.

^^ This. A GRMN manual would be fantastic but that’s more likely to be a DCT.

A 6-speed manual is more likely on the 258hp 2.0L since it requires the least amount of additional R&D.

But of course any of us who are interested just want a 6MT on any version of the 3.0L I-6 no matter what that is.

As for manuals dying out of production... yeah... but not just yet when it comes to enthusiast sports cars, which the MKV certainly is.

The true nail in the coffin for enthusiast manual cars will be moving beyond mild hybrids into full hybrids and full electric. We’re getting closer to that for sure but it hasn’t come to roost just yet and this niche enthusiast sportscar isn’t a hybrid in its current form last I checked, so...

 

[tfoxyr]

My guess that if there was a manual coming - it wouldn't be in the GRMN. That's the road going version of the GT4 car, and is focused on FAST, not necessarily on purity/6MT fun times

I'd guess there'd be a second edition, or none at all, for the 6MT.

i think end of production is in 2027 , but who knows

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