While the production version of the fifth-generation Toyota Supra is still a couple of months away, a new piece of information might just disappoint a couple of its fans. In an interview with Japan's Infoseek, chief engineer Tetsuya Tada says the resurrected Supra won't be needing a manual transmission. That means the world is unlikely to see the all-new Supra with three pedals and a stick shift anytime soon.

In fact, Tada told reporters that a manual transmission option is currently not being considered for the reborn sports car. Why? In the interview with the Japanese publication, the chief engineer said that, with the torque the Supra generates, manually shifting the car would not be as satisfying. So what will the Supra be using as a transmission? Tada says that it will come with a dual-clutch transmission and that will be the lone option.

To recap, the Supra shares its architecture with the upcoming third-generation BMW Z4. BMW has, traditionally, offered a manual transmission for their roadsters so there may be a glimmer of hope for those who prefer to row their own. With that, the engine is hinted to be BMW's new twin-turbocharged, inline-six engine that will power the X3 M and X4 M. That means a horsepower figure of 450 PS at the very least. With a displacement of 3.0-liters, it is close in spirit to the previous-generation Supra which was also available a twin-turbo straight six known as the 2JZ-GTE.

Of course, this isn't the first time an iconic Japanese sports car coming only with an automatic. You can't tick a manual transmission in the options list of a Nissan GT-R because it doesn't come with one, and the same applies to the Honda NSX which even comes with a hybrid system. By the looks of it, Toyota is following the lead of its prime competitors.

Source: Infoseek