Toyota confirms manual ‘box for GR Supra

TOYOTA has issued a short press release to confirm that it will shortly offer its GR Supra sports car with three pedals and a six-speed manual gearbox.

The lone image attached to the document shows BMW-esque pedals and a floor-hinged throttle pedal, although Toyota says the stick-shift transmission is “tailor-made” for the car, which suggests the gearbox is not the same unit as found in six-pot versions of the derivative G29-series Z4. That situation seems unlikely, however, given both the BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra are produced at the same factory in Graz, Austria.

Further, Toyota says manual-equipped models will feature a red-coloured “Supra” badge on the rear-end to differentiate the model over its self-shifting siblings. It is understood manual Supra variants will enter production in July with trim grades predicted to remain unchanged from the current line-up.

“The GR Supra sports car will soon be offered in Australia with a newly developed manual transmission, designed to offer a unique dynamic experience while meeting the demand of driving purists,” said Toyota Australia in a statement.

“The manual transmission will enhance the (GR) Supra's signature racing DNA with a pure and unique driving experience. Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) took on feedback from customers and fans alike in developing the manual transmission.”

The fifth-generation A90-series Supra is currently offered in GT and GTS trim grades priced from $87,303 and $97,303 respectively (plus on-road costs). With power sourced from BMW’s B58B-series 3.0-litre turbo-petrol in-line six, the Supra develops 285kW at 6500rpm and 500Nm between 1800-5000rpm. Toyota quotes a 0-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds for its high-performance coupe.

Sales of the GR Supra are up 13.9 per cent on the same time last year with year-to-date sales (as of the end of March) at 41 units. The model enjoys a 5.4 per cent share of the Sports over $80k segment, up 1.6 per cent on this time last year. The Toyota GR Supra has sold two units more than its BMW cousin – the Z4 roadster – which has notched up YTD sales of 39 (95 per cent on this time in 2021) for a 5.2 per cent market share.

The wide-reaching Sports over $80k segment is currently dominated by the BMW 4 Series Coupe and Convertible (207), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (175) and E-Class (51) variants, Corvette Stingray (58) and Audi A5 (48). Porsche Cayman and Boxster variants sold a combined 52 examples.

Toyota Australia said it would provide more information on the release of its manual-equipped GR Supra, including specification and pricing, over the coming weeks. The news will be joined – and perhaps outshone by – that relating to Toyota’s all-new GR Corolla, which is set to debut from the middle of this year.

The GR Corolla is the third Gazoo Racing variant in Toyota’s line-up behind the GR Supra and GR Yaris, and will feature all-wheel drive, a 224kW three-pot turbo-petrol engine, and a traditional manual transmission. The model has yet to be priced locally, but will likely command a similar premium to the GR Yaris compared with its bread-and-butter brethren. The GR Yaris is currently priced from $49,500 (plus on-road costs).