Almost Half of Toyota Supras Sold Since Manual Transmission's Introduction Have Had Three Pedals
The calls for a manual transmission option began almost as soon as people got past the fact that the new Toyota Supra is essentially a BMW Z4 underneath. Toyota obliged, releasing a six-speed manual version of the inline-six-powered variant, and we’re now learning that buyers have rewarded that decision.
Speaking with Road & Track, a Toyota spokesperson confirmed that almost half of the Supras sold since the manual was introduced had the feature. The automaker has sold 1,216 cars since then, and 47 percent of them had three pedals.
The Supra’s manual comes from the BMW 3 Series with gearing from the M3. Toyota massaged the software and had to rework the car’s center console to accommodate the shifter. Changes to the final gear ratio were also made.
Though it didn’t happen at first, it’s not surprising that Toyota came around on the manual transmission. The last Supra, the iconic Mark IV, is expensive no matter how it’s set up, but versions with manual transmissions command far higher premiums than their automatic counterparts. While the new Supra is staggeringly powerful and quick, it lacked engagement with the eight-speed torque converter automatic. The manual brings much more fun and driver involvement than the auto and makes the car far more of a driver’s machine.
[Image: Toyota]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I would take 3-in-the-tree, plus dashboard pull handle overdrive, and mushroom head screw cruise. 🙃
While I agree that cars like this should be manual, or at least available in manual, the 600 units or less that were sold since it was offered, are a pitifully LOW number. And especially if you tell us how many PER MONTH (I went thru the article twice and could not see any info), assuming one year, of sales, that's just 50 lousy units a month? AUtomakers do not make profits at such volumes for such models., Only ROLLS ROYCE and FERRARI can.
Evidence there is a god.
I don't understand how a manual transmission has software that needs massaging, but I can say Toyota's software controlling the automatic transmission in my Supra is a marvel of modern technology. Unlike all other automatics I've ever experienced, the Supra never, ever guesses wrong and -- new to me -- it even uses the brake pedal as a signal to downshift, just like you would if you wanted to use the engine to brake when going downhill. In sport mode on a twisty mountain road, the shifts are equally uncanny and appropriately more violent. Maybe it's not "engaging" in the same way as the manual but the automatic is fun in a way I would never have expected as a long-time manual driver. I recently drove a Z4 with the same transmission and its behavior was nowhere near the level of the Supra's tuning.