The manual transmission on the new Toyota GR Supra is a dream come true
UMW Toyota Malaysia had invited us to to drive the 5 newly unveiled GR models at the Sepang International Circuit yesterday, and I got to drive the A90 Toyota GR Supra which is now available with a manual transmission and I also launched the car to test it’s 0 to 1000km/h time and this was truly a dream come true.
Okay, so I am obviously a Supra fanboy, but honestly, after launching the car at full speed while still being able to shift gears myself with a clutch? Come on, who wouldn’t be giddy? Also, I can’t prove this but I feel like the new Toyota GR Supra is actually faster to 100km/h than Toyota claimed it is.
Moreover, the addition of the manual transmission is perhaps the best addition to the 2023 manual A90 Toyota GR Supra as it is the most engaging and fun thing about the car overall. Obviously there are many other changes and additions to the car but we will get to that next.
On top of that, this new manual transmission was specifically built to match the performance of the 3.0-litre BMW-sourced turbocharged inline six cylinder engine that makes 388PS of power and 500Nm of torque and power is sent to the rear wheels. This is just one of the many improvements Toyota made based on customer feedback.
Of course, one could opt to get the 8-speed automatic transmission with their Toyota GR Supra and enjoy the Auto Cruise Control feature but if you don’t care for that feature then revel in the fact that the manual version (which comes with rev matching) is 22kg lighter than the automatic so… faster lap times due to weight savings.
Speaking of lap times, the all-new manual Toyota GR Supra is electronically limited to 250km/h and Toyota made other changes to the car based on customer feedback including refining the steering and suspension, retuned the suspension and recalibrated the chassis control systems to improve handling, performance and ride comfort.
On top of that, the all-new manual Toyota GR Supra has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, just like the all-new Toyota GR86 and has 19-inch forged alloy wheels which simply look fantastic. The overall design is also fantastic and has not changed much since its initial release but that is not an issue as the car has always looked good.
However, the reason I feel the manual Toyota GR Supra was exceptional in more ways than one is something unquantifiable. It is the rush of emotion I felt when I took my foot off the clutch and felt the car push me back into my seat as well as the symphony of angels I heard when the engine was roaring on the straight line.
In short, the manual Toyota GR Supra offers something invaluable, but with Toyota, that feeling can be had from just RM649,070 and I say you can never put a price on happiness. Don’t take my word for it though, test drive the car yourself and experience the pure bliss I felt in this car yourself.
