2022 Toyota GR Supra comes with a BIG surprise

KUALA LUMPUR: When we say BIG in bold and capital letters, it translates the magnitude of the surprise, which is… Toyota GR Supra finally gets a six-speed manual gearbox!

Yes, that’s right. Finally, after three years of pleading with the brand, the enthusiasts successfully saved the manual gearbox. And we’d like to thank the #savethemanual troops & Toyota (of course) for making this possible, as most of us have been craving a manual Supra since the car returned in 2019.

 

Which Toyota GR Supra variant will benefit from the manual gearbox?

The Toyota GR Supra is offered in several trim options; however, only those with a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine will get the six-speed manual transmission. So, in the US, the benefiting models will be 3.0, 3.0 Premium, a new A91-MT special edition, and the top-spec RZ trim in Japan.

The new A91-MT limited edition Supra will also be offered with an exciting colour choice called CU Later Gray, making the car all the more exciting.

Toyota Supra manual transmission detail

The six-speed manual transmission that the ‘real enthusiasts’ have been asking for so long comes with Toyota’s Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) system (also seen in the GR Yaris). In addition, the iMT offers automatic rev-matching/throttle blipping.

Further, the manual offers a shorter final drive ratio than the eight-speed automatic transmission gearbox, from 3.46 to 3.15.

Changes Toyota made in the Supra cabin to adjust the manual gearbox

To adjust the manual transmission system, Toyota’s engineers had to make several alterations to the car, like-

• The clutch has been re-designed with a stronger spring and larger diameter to cope with the 500 Nm torque
• Existing driveshaft and housing are modified
• Removal of several miscellaneous items in the cabin
• A new audio system
• A 200 gram easy to grip and operate shift knob
• Specifically designed reworked ‘interior sound’
• Reconfigured centre console for enough space between the air-conditioning system and gearbox
• A total weight saving of almost 38.3 kg against the automatic variant

In addition to the changes mentioned above, the manual GR Supar also comes with several rides and handling enhancing characteristics like a Hairpin+’ function, a retuned suspension system, and a reworked Track mode.

Toyota has also retuned the car’s AVS system, Vehicle Stability Control, and electric power steering for overall improved controllability.

What do you think of the manual Supra? Let us know in the comments.

Also Read: In Pics: Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid; the crossover that feels like a well-accomplished sedan