Three pedals, more mettle?
Toyota has given the GR Supra coupe a manual transmission option
In a rare and very entertaining display of sarcasm, Toyota New Zealand (TNZ) has confirmed that a manualtransmission GR Supra is on the way — as requested by “keyboard warriors and motoring writers around the globe”. Customers? Not mentioned, so we guess that remains to be seen.
But the car comes on stream from July, with first NZ deliveries later this year. As well as putting the demands of said selfproclaimed experts to the test in the marketplace, the manual will give Toyota one-up on BMW; the Z4, which shares its platform and straight-six engine with the Supra, is only available in automatic. Although it will meet a match in Nissan’s forthcoming Z sports car, of course.
The GR Supra received a power upgrade in 2021. Changes for 2022 apart from the new transmission are mainly focused on the look: there’s the option of Matte Avalanche White exterior finish (available on the manual only), Volcanic Ash Grey with copper sparkles, Dawn Blue, and a new alloy wheel design.
“Of course, a manual transmission gives the driver complete control over the gear ratio and engine speed, but the GR Supra, like the GR Yaris, has some extra smarts to get the best out of it,” says TNZ general manager of new vehicles and product planning Steve Prangnell.
A Gear Shift Assistant synchronises engine speed with the gear. When the Drive Mode is set to Sport, the Assistant can be turned off, but it is always on in Normal. The GR Supra digitally displays the selected gear position and recommends a gear position to suit the driving situation.
The manual GR Supra also features a Shift Light. The central gauge rev counter illuminates just before the red zone is reached (around 6000rpm) to notify the driver to change up.
The physical shifter is the same as other manual GR models such as the GR Yaris and GR86, including relatively substantial weight: it’s around 200g.
However, a larger benefit of the manual is that the gearbox reduces overall weight by 18kg. The new-design alloy wheels are also approximately 1.2kg lighter at each corner.