Toyota’s reincarnation of the Supra was perhaps one of the more controversial rebirths of a car model in recent memory. This despite the fact that people all over the world had been hoping for a new version of the Supra for years. First of all, the new Supra had a lot of underpinnings from BMW. In fact, if it wasn’t for the partnership struck with BMW then the new Supra might not have come into existence. Then was the transmission choices available.
Or rather, there was the lack of transmission available for the Supra when it came to a manual. The reborn Supra launched without a manual transmission, with just an eight-speed ZF 8HP automatic transmission made available for the car. However, in 2022, Toyota finally heard the cries of the enthusiasts who wanted a manual transmission. They duly added the manual option to the Supra to finally give enthusiasts what they wanted. The transmission might not be quite the same as that in the GR86, but it certainly pleased a lot of people.
The Reborn Supra Explored In Detail
The Supra in its current form was first launched back in January 2019, at the North American International Auto Show. As mentioned previously, the car is a collaboration between Toyota and BMW, using the new Z4 of the time. We need to say that without BMW, this car simply would not exist. Sales of the car began in May 2019 for Japan and in July 2019 for the United States. Under the hood of the Supra is a BMW-sourced engine, of either the turbocharged B48 2.0-liter inline-four variety or the turbocharged B58 3.0-liter inline six engine.
When it came to the transmission though, there was a problem. Toyota opted to just give the car an eight-speed automatic transmission, the ZF 8HP. This transmission was re-calibrated for the Toyota with their own software added. Toyota had initially wanted a dual-clutch automatic transmission for the car but the 8HP was initially chosen because of its smoothness, reliability and weight savings. The lack of a manual option though became a source of contention for many. Even though Toyota said it was not offered due to partly wanting to differentiate it from the GT86 of the time. However, things can indeed change.
The Manual Supra Finally Enters The Fray
In 2022, Toyota shocked and delighted fans of the Supra by announcing that a manual transmission as on the way. At this point, many of the misgivings re the car being BMW derived were mostly gone, the Supra proving to be a fantastic sports car. The new manual transmission though only added to that feeling and a growing sense of excitement was in the air. The car at this point is now marketed as the GR Supra, and the new transmission is coming for the 2023 model year of the Supra. So what exactly is this transmission?
While the eight-speed automatic was of course derived from the Z4, this six-sped manual is not. Various components from BMW transmissions were taken to create this new manual transmission which means it is in fact a bespoke manual transmission for the Japanese car. That, is pretty neat. The transmission is also called the iMT, Intelligent Manual Transmission, and like the automatic the manual Supra sends the power straight to the rear wheels. Toyota put a lot of effort into making sure that this new transmission meshed exactly as they wanted it too with the Supra, and didn’t feel like they’d just dumped an existing transmission into their flagship sports car.
Injecting New Excitement Into The Supra
Thanks to their hard work, Toyota have ensured that the new manual Supra will have a shifting experience unlike any other Toyota currently available, or unlike any BMW you can buy with a manual. The new transmission is currently available in the 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder version of the current iteration of the Supra, with 382 hp on offer. That is a very good level of power to feel through a manual transmission. Thanks to its 3.46 final drive ration too, the new Supra is set to offer a lot of excitement to those who get behind the wheel.
The Supra That The Enthusiast Wanted Toyota To Make
This really is a big deal. Toyota have confirmed that the reason they did this now as due to demand. The demand from the enthusiast to have a manual Supra is apparently now so high that they simply had to do it. The demand was probably always there, but better late than never, and it seems like Toyota has done a very good job. It might not be a game changer in terms of the transmission itself, but the new manual Supra does inject new excitement into one of the best sportscars currently available on the market.
Source: Toyota