Marc UbranoCar and Driver
- The Toyota Supra sports car may finally add a manual transmission, according to a report from Japan.
- We don’t know details about its powertrain, but we think the stick-shift could be offered with either the base four-cylinder engine or for an upcoming 500-plus-hp GRMN variant.
- Toyota is looking to introduce new special Supra variants for future model years.
The revived Toyota Supra’s specs fit nearly perfectly with the Supra ideal: rear-wheel drive, inline-six engine, sports-car shape. But there’s a caveat: it’s only available with an automatic transmission. According to a rumor from Japanese publication Mag X, that may change soon. There’s been a back-and-forth about the possibility of a manual-transmission Supra since well before the car debuted, and it seems that things behind the scenes at Toyota may finally be going in a good direction for three-pedal enthusiasts.
The idea is that Toyota wants to find ways to continue to stimulate buyer interest in the Supra, much as it did for 2021 by upping the six-cylinder car’s output and adding a four-cylinder base engine. Reportedly, next up on the docket are limited-production special Supras including a high-performance GRMN model and an available manual-transmission version. We can’t say we’re too shocked, given that Toyota has told C/D in the past that manual-transmission Supra prototypes exist and have been tested.
We can imagine a few different possibilities for a manual Supra. The new 2021 Supra 2.0 with its BMW-sourced four-cylinder is one option, as the related BMW Z4 offers a six-speed manual transmission on certain four-cylinder models in Europe. Or, more compelling is the possibility of the Supra GRMN, which is rumored to be even more powerful than the 382-hp Supra 3.0. One report out of Japan’s Best Car Web states that the GRMN could use the 500-plus-hp inline-six and dual-clutch automatic transmission from the upcoming BMW M3. But given that the new M3 will also offer a manual transmission, we can’t help but wonder if that drivetrain combination could make its way into the Supra as well.
Only time will tell if these enticing rumors come to fruition, but we’re not too shy to make a plea to Toyota (and BMW): #SavetheManuals!
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