Toyota Motor Corporation is bucking global trends by introducing a newly developed manual transmission to the updated 2022 GR Supra which will arrive in Australia in the fourth quarter of this year.
The brand says the six-speed manual gearbox has been specifically developed to match the performance characteristics of the 285kW/500Nm 3.0-litre straight six, rear-drive engine to deliver driving thrills for enthusiasts.
Toyota Australia sales, marketing and franchise operations vice president Sean Hanley says the upgraded GR Supra with a manual gearbox would further build on the car’s reputation as pure sports car which has Toyota Gazoo Racing DNA at its heart.
“When Toyota first launched the reborn GR Supra in September 2019, we drew from our experience in motorsport to deliver a sports car that delighted fans of the nameplate across the globe,” Hanley says.
“But we always knew there were those that wanted an even more engaging drive experience and now we are able to provide that with a new manual gearbox available across the range and a suspension and steering retune to provide even more dynamic handling,” he says.
The six-speed manual gearbox will be available on both GR Supra GT and GTS models and is an intelligent manual transmission that is able to match engine speeds on up and down shifts for smooth and sporty driving.
A spherical gear shift knob, topped by a GR logo, offers a firm grip and the transmission has been tuned to deliver an appropriately sporty driving experience.
In addition to the new manual transmission, Toyota says it has also further refined the steering and suspension with modified stabiliser bushings and retuned adaptive variable suspension and other chassis control systems to improve handling performance and ride comfort.
For GTS models, new design 19-inch forged alloy wheels with revised spoke and cross-sectional shapes and premium Titanium Dark Silver finish deliver a more sporty style, greater strength and a weight reduction of 1.2kg per wheel for the ultimate in sports performance.
Further styling improvements for the GR Supra come courtesy of three new exterior metallic colours – Volcanic Ash Grey, Dawn Blue and Avalanche White – while the interior of the car is now available with a tan trim option.
The GR Supra has proven popular as the first road car to launch the Toyota Gazoo Racing brand, with approximately 721 cars delivered in Australia since its launch in 2019.
