One Big Thing About The 2023 Toyota Supra Manual: Hands-On Experience

The Supra finally gets the manual gearbox it deserves, like the Nissan Z and Porsche Cayman.

Jeff Perez

By: Jeff Perez

Sep 18, 2023 at 12:00pm ET

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Verdict

8.2 / 10

– Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

As the internet loves to point out, the Toyota Supra has BMW bones and a Bavarian-built six-cylinder engine, and for a while, you could only get it with an eight-speed automatic transmission. At least the 2023 model year fixed what the internet deemed to be one of the Supra's biggest flaws: It finally has a six-speed manual.

The standard six-cylinder Supra is already a pretty fantastic sports car in my mind. Its turbocharged 3.0-liter engine gives it a whopping 382 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, which pushes it to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds with the auto and 4.2 seconds with the manual. Competitors like the Nissan Z and base Porsche Cayman aren't as quick by comparison.

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But while the eight-speed is just an okay gearbox, the six-speed manual makes the Supra more enjoyable to drive hard. And besides, what's three-tenths of a second between friends?

The manual in question is a ZF six-speed borrowed from the European BMW Z4. It's a pretty unremarkable gearbox (as I noted in my initial first drive review); it has a narrow catch point and a spring-loaded clutch with long, notchy throws. By comparison, the Porsche 718 Cayman and Nissan Z both have snappier manuals.

But the six-speed does have a shorter final drive ratio of 3.15 compared to 3.46 in the auto, plus standard rev-matching. And pairing the do-it-yourself gearbox with the Supra's punchy six-cylinder makes for a fun sports car no matter which way you slice it.

Accelerating off the line and ripping it into second and third gear is a hell of a good time. Downshifting with the standard rev-matching feature makes it easy to drop into a lower gear and lay hard into the accelerator for quick passes. And in general, the Supra's balanced suspension and excellent steering help maintain its status as a pretty stellar sports car.

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The car tested here is a Supra 3.0 Premium with the six-speed, which had a starting MSRP of $53,595 with destination at launch. After options, this tester comes in at an estimated $56,660.

But if you want a 2023 Supra with a manual these days (as it currently sits on the Toyota consumer site), the base 3.0 model is the only option, starting at $54,695 before the mandatory Safety And Technology package ($2,960). The 2023 Premium model is no longer available with the manual. The 2024 model, though, is available with an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed across trim lines, with the base 2.0 model being the only outlier.

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FAQs:

Does Toyota Offer A Manual Supra?

Yes, the Toyota Supra is available in both automatic and manual transmissions for both the four- and six-cylinder models.

Is The Manual Supra Faster Than The Automatic?

No, the manual Supra 3.0 takes 4.2 seconds to hit 60 miles per hour whereas the Supra 3.0 with the automatic transmission takes just 3.9 seconds to reach 60.

How Much Does The Manual Supra Cost?

The Supra with a manual transmission and a six-cylinder engine starts at $53,595 with the $1,095 destination fee included.