Toyota GR Supra gets manual gearbox for 2022
Top-rung 335bhp car pairs straight-six BMW engine with bespoke six-speed manual
The Toyota GR Supra sports car has finally been made available with a manual gearbox, three years since its launch.
The new six-speed item will be offered in combination with the 335bhp 3.0-litre straight-six engine fitted to the top-rung Supra. Toyota says it has been engineered especially for this powertrain. This means, however, that Supra’s other engine - the 254bhp 2.0-litre flat-four, will not be available with the manual ‘box.
As with the smaller Toyota GR Yaris, the gearbox is equipped with an Intelligent Manual Transmission (IMT) mode which uses an “intelligent control system” to “prioritise sporty performance”. It says that, when upshifting, the gearbox has been tuned to optimise engine torque at the moment of clutch engagement and release. Toyota adds that the IMT is set as the default but can be switched off in Sport mode.
As well as this, the firm says it has engineered the gearbox to avoid a sluggish take-off, with the final drive ratio shortened from 3.15 in the automatic car to 3.46. Toyota claims the result is “response and gearing appropriate for sports car performance”. The new transmission also reduces the car’s overall weight by almost 40kg.
Toyota has also refreshed the rest of the Supra range, with all models getting retuned suspension, with more rigid vulcanised rubber in the front and rear anti-roll bar bushes and re-tuned shock absorbers.
And, to accommodate the new gear shifter, the centre console has been slightly redesigned, with additional space created between the shift lever and the air-conditioning unit.
UK pricing and a specific release date will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Back in 2019, the Supra was launched alongside the BMW Z4, which shares much of the same powertrain and chassis, but has not been confirmed for a manual option by BMW.
“Toyota has listened to sports car fans and customers,” the Japanese firm said as part of the reveal, saying the new manual car has been "engineered to delight drivers who love the control and rewards offered by precisely timed manual shifts.”
This now means that Toyota offers all three of its GR models - the Toyota GR Yaris, Toyota GR86, and Supra - with a manual gearbox. However, only two of those are still available to buy, with the limited-run GR 86 selling out within 90 minutes of going online.
Sales of the much-anticipated Toyota GT 86 successor opened earlier this month, with a starting price of £29,995 making it one of the most affordable sports coupés on sale. In less than an hour and a half, the Japanese firm closed down the UK ordering platform as the limit was hit.