Friday 15th April 2022

Toyota confirms manual Supra for UK

Good Friday gets even better!

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Everyone wanted to like the A90 Toyota Supra. There was the name, of course, but also the incredible design, the straight six power, the promise of perfectly balanced handling... and so on. But it would be fair to say the GR Supra never quite gelled as a driver's car, whether with a 3.0-litre or 2.0-litre engine. Now there's a very significant development that will undoubtedly help its cause with enthusiasts: the Toyota Supra will get a manual gearbox once more.

A brief press release stated that the gearbox is coming soon: "Developed to meet the demands of driving purists, the Toyota GR Supra Manual Transmission has been engineered to offer enthusiasts something that is closer to the Gazoo Racing DNA and will enhance the driving experience." Which is exactly what the slightly aloof, slightly too refined A90 has always needed. The news gets better, too, as the Supra won't just be borrowing some knuckly BMW manual, either. For a car that - let's be honest here - won't sell in huge numbers, an all-new transmission, "tailor made" for this installation no less, is a big deal. And a properly cool concession from Toyota, a company that seems to be on a role with these things of late. "Toyota Gazoo Racing sports car customers and fans have spoken and we've listened", added the press release. So it really is always worth making your opinion known!

Though there isn't any further information about the manual Supra as yet, one key detail has been announced - the red 'Supra' badge on the boot will mark out the manual. For the fellow nerds out there who know what they're looking at, it's another welcome touch.

Toyota says more will be announced about the car in the coming weeks. As if the GR86 wasn't exciting enough! And if customer demand really can make the impossible possible, perhaps there's still hope for the GR Corolla...

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• Toyota GR Supra vs. BMW M2 Competition
• 2022 Toyota GR86 prototype | PH Review

[JWH]

On a 'ROLL'.

Other than that, excellent news.

[blue al]

Both engines get a stick, or only one ?

[Superleg48]

Moderators.

Please move this to the Toyota sub group, in the interests of consistency.

Thanks

[ZX10R NIN]

I hope this helps them sell more because despite the BMW connotations it's a good car.

[asimmalik]

Great to see a manufacturer listening to car enthusiasts. Especially in this day and age when everything seems geared towards making driving more of a disconnected experience. Pun intended.

[Mr Tidy]

It's good to see a manufacturer actually taking notice of feedback for a change.

After a period of only making white goods Toyota started making some more interesting models starting with the GT86!

[Bencolem]

Guess it’s an option for the 2.0 and not the 3 litre engine?

[liner33]

I would think it’s going to be for the 2.0 engine but it could be for the rumoured s58 version

[ChrisCh86]

Still a very rare car in the UK, I've barely seen any at all. The GR Yaris is much more popular by comparison!

Hopefully they'll sell the manual for both engines and will get more sales as a result!

[blearyeyedboy]

I think this will do more for promoting the GR thematic vibe over the next few years than it will for actual Supra sales.

[josh00mac]

Car has been a massive flop for Toyota. Chance to regain some credibility here - surely it won’t only be for the four pot!?

[MattsCar]

I don't know why this car exists...hear me out....

Why didn't they just use the Lexus LC500, which they developed themselves and turn it into a Supra, with more garish bumpers, suspension that is less comfort orientated and a few other bits and bobs to make it more lairy and less luxuries to keep the price down?

Would at least then be a genuine Toyota product and this crossover of Toyota/Lexus used to be the norm Not so long ago.

Not saying that the current supra is a bad car, but I think they missed a very obvious trick.

[edoverheels]

I have a modified 370Z as a daily. A manual Supra is now looking like a pretty likely replacement.
Toyota are the most interesting manufacturer at the moment (at least for old guys like me). Who would have thought that 20 years ago?

[Gooly]

MattsCar said:

I don't know why this car exists...hear me out....

Why didn't they just use the Lexus LC500, which they developed themselves and turn it into a Supra, with more garish bumpers, suspension that is less comfort orientated and a few other bits and bobs to make it more lairy and less luxuries to keep the price down?

Would at least then be a genuine Toyota product and this crossover of Toyota/Lexus used to be the norm Not so long ago.

Not saying that the current supra is a bad car, but I think they missed a very obvious trick.

I think this all the time. LC500 or RCF would have been a great Supra base and retained a key part of the Supra identity, one more important than the 6cyl engine IMO - 2+2 GT layout. BMW gave the M3 a V8 despite their heritage, I'm sure Toyota would have got away with doing the same.

blearyeyedboy said:

I think this will do more for promoting the GR thematic vibe over the next few years than it will for actual Supra sales.

Definitely agree but still glad to see it. Toyota are trying to build the GR brand up with authentic offerings to give credibility to a 'GR line' type thing later on for their other cars. Brand and car differentiation is going to be much harder once everything goes full electric and I think Toyota want to build up a sense of sporty heritage for when that time comes.

[Glasgowrob]

just to echo a previous posters comments.

10/15 years ago toyota had lost their way, the doldrums making dull as ditchwater cars.

mid life crisis over at Toyota city? great to see though although i presume the Supra currently uses the ZF8 that bmw uses which is a cracking box in its own right

[Bloxxcreative]

Looks like another one to add into my gr86/emira decisions if it is the 3.0 that gets it.

[OzzyR1]

Still not seen one of these on the road in the UK.

Badge snobbery aside, the German offerings at the same price-point are far more attractive which is a shame as the MkiV was a fabulous car.

[Mr Tidy]

I've seen one, albeit in a pub car park!

But I thought it looked great and a manual gearbox would add to the appeal for me.

[Cold]

If you re-read the thread from Jan 2021 linked in the article it seems this Toyota will now be a sales success due to its new manual gearbox - and that's based on sales to PHers alone.

[liner33]

It’s the same old story in the UK ie we just don’t buy cars like this and then complain we don’t see any

This is why we don’t get the new Nissan z , GR Corolla and others

In the US however the Supra has been pretty successful and as expected a tuners dream