Toyota GR Supra finally gets a manual

Back when the all-new GR Supra was launched, Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada wanted to know what enthusiasts wanted more with the new A90 – a manual gearbox? Or more power? Well, Toyota has now given us both.

After increasing the car's power output in 2021, the Toyota GR Supra now comes with a six-speed manual transmission option. Yes, the beloved Supra is back wearing three pedals.

Toyota is offering the stick-shift option only for Supra variants fitted with the 3.0-liter straight-six engine. As it stands, the turbocharged four-cylinder Supras are left with just the 8-speed auto.

According to Toyota, the newly developed six-speed manual gearbox has an intelligent manual transmission (iMT) program that prioritizes sporty performance. During upshifts, the parameters are tuned to optimize engine torque at the moment of clutch engagement and release. And for downshifts, there's an auto blip function. But of course, iMT can be switched off in Sport mode if you wanna do the rev-matching yourself.

Haven't stopped smiling yet? Well here's some more. The manual transmission GR Supra has a shorter final drive ratio over the 8-speed auto. While top speed will suffer, the shorter final drive will result in better response and faster acceleration.

We have more great news! The 2023 GR Supra comes with newly designed 19-inch forged wheels. For the RZ model in Japan, the new wheels are 1.2 kg lighter than the previous one. Both AT and MT versions in the US were given slight tweaks to their suspension and steering settings, and all 3.0-liter models have an active rear differential as standard.

So, more power? Check. Manual transmission? Check. Lighter wheels? Check. Now there's a new question begging to be answered. Will it be offered in the Philippines? Well, good things come to those who wait. Let's stay tuned.