In 2023, Toyota decided to offer a manual gearbox for the first time with its sporty GR Supra. Since then, that option has proven relatively popular, with almost one in two buyers opting for a stick shift.
We often hear that manual transmissions are doomed to disappear. That's true when you think of electric vehicles, but we heard the same thing five or 10 years ago, when fewer and fewer vehicles offered the option year after year.
We keep hearing that this is due to a lack of enthusiast interest. This is partly true, as fewer buyers are interested in driving a car with a third pedal.
But the reality has always been that if you don't offer a manual transmission, interest in it will wane. And that's exactly what happened.
It's understandable that manufacturers find it difficult to offer it with a vehicle when only 5 percent of buyers ask for it. On the other hand, it was sometimes offered only with a base model that was not very well equipped, which was of no interest to the buyer.
The case of the 2023 GR Supra is different. In fact, 47 percent of the 1,216 Supras sold since the introduction of the manual gearbox have been equipped with it. This information was confirmed to Road & Track by a Toyota spokesperson.
Interestingly, it was the demand from enthusiasts that convinced Toyota to develop a manual transmission for the car. The enthusiasts themselves are very grateful to the company.
Toyota engineers told Road & Track in an exclusive interview that the transmission in question uses the BMW 3 Series transmission, but with M3 gearing. The linkage and gear selector are new, as is the Toyota-developed downshift rev-matching software. The centre console has been adjusted to make room for the selector, while the final drive ratio has been increased from 3.15 to 3.46.
Having tested a version equipped with this transmission, we can confirm that it's a pleasure to drive.