The fifth-gen Toyota Supra debuted three years ago and was strongly criticized by many for lacking identity. A Japanese sports car on the outside, it nonetheless had its chassis, engine, transmission and much of the interior borrowed from the German BMW Z4. It was even made at a Magna Steyr factory in Austria. Now, Toyota seems determined to address this issue by offering a stick-shift version.
Up until now, buyers of the A90 Supra were restricted to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. In the announcement, the company admits it decided to add manual gearbox as an option after receiving numerous complaints from fans who found the automatic version boring and lacking character.
The teaser pic showing a three-pedal unit of the car is all there is to see of it at this moment. Toyota doesn’t even clarify whether Gazoo Racing will design the gearbox or it will be a recycled BMW design.
On the outside, you will be able to tell the stick-driven Supra from its auto counterpart by a rear bumper badge: the wording ‘Supra’ will be in red.