Toyota is making all the right moves with its revitalized 2023 GR Supra. After appeasing our heartaches by giving the 3.0-liter turbo inline-six the same amount of power as the BMW Z4’s blown six-cylinder mill for the 2021 model, Toyota has finally caved in, proof that the automaker is serious about reviving its sporting pedigree. The 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 is finally getting the manual gearbox it deserves, and it’s not merely a chop-and-swap job of the equally-hot GR Yaris and GR Corolla’s manual transmission.
Setting The Stage
You probably know the Toyota GR Supra and BMW Z4 are fraternal twins. It’s easy to tell them apart – the Z4 is a roadster, duh – but they share the same bones and mechanicals underneath. But since BMW never meant to offer the Z4 with a stick, Toyota had to design a manual gearbox from scratch to make everything work for the Supra. According to Toyota, the 2023 Supra’s manual has been “engineered and tuned specifically for use with the coupe’s straight-six engine,” and they’re not kidding.
2023 Toyota Supra: What’s New?
Toyota engineers took an existing transmission housing, driveshaft, and gear set from a ZF-sourced manual of the BMW Z4 sDrive 2.0i (yes, the Z4 four-banger) and removed anything unnecessary to reduce weight. Next came a bespoke, large-diameter clutch with a strengthened diaphragm spring to better cope with the GR Supra 3.0’s torquey turbo six. Toyota boffins also installed a shorter 3.46 final drive ratio (3.15 in the Supra A/T) to improve in-gear acceleration.
The six-speed has a modern touch with Toyota’s intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT), a software that the automaker claims “prioritizes sporty performance” by offering a neat rev-matching feature to make you feel like a seasoned race driver. But if you do not wish to partake in such nonsense, the iMT programming can be turned off in Sport mode, giving you free rein in optimizing your upshifts and downshifts.
Toyota also paid close attention to the manual shifter’s location, orientation, and ergonomics. The lever ratio minimizes effort when changing gears or going to reverse, and the 200g gear knob promises to make every shift as crisp and engaging as possible. We’re not sure if Toyota can match Honda’s sweet manual transmission in the S200 roadster, but the 2023 Supra could be Toyota’s best manual sports car yet, and we say this with due respect to the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, of course.
Better Traction & Stability
Retrofitting a manual gearbox to an automatic-only engine entails tinkering with the suspension, brakes, and traction control. All 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 trim variants have reconfigured shock absorbers, a retuned electric power steering system, and an active rear sport differential to keep the sunny side up. Toyota also retuned the traction control system to make the new GR Supra more fun to drive.
New for 2023 is an updated anti-roll program (ARP) for both the manual and automatic GR Supra, a system that prevents snap-off oversteer when mildly lifting the throttle mid-corner. The traction control also gets a new Hairpin+ function that allows more “freewheel spin” in Toyota-speak, which means the 2023 GR Supra is more willing to slide its tail out when traversing a corner.
In other words, the system allows more wheel spin without the traction control repeatedly slapping you on the wrist. Finally, Toyota updated the engine and torque control settings in Track mode, allowing for “easy drifting” while lessening the chances of spinning out.
Powertrain Options
The 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 has a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 382 horsepower and 365 lb-ft. of torque, all routed to the rear wheels via a standard eight-speed automatic and a newly optional six-speed manual gearbox.
Meanwhile, Supra 2.0 has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine with 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque. Here’s the catch: The 2.0-liter is only available with the eight-speed automatic, as the new manual is exclusively for the 3.0-liter variant.
Toyota GR Supra A91-MT Edition
The 2023 Toyota GR Supra A91-MT is a limited-edition variant that comes exclusively with the 3.0-liter engine and the new six-speed manual. The features list includes unique 19-inch gunmetal wheels, Cognac leather upholstery, a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system (standard to all GR Supra 3.0 trims), and an Alcantara shift knob.
Other bespoke touches include red Supra badges, red brake calipers, and a red strut tower brace under the hood. Two colors are available: Matte White and C U Later Gray. Only 500 units of the GR Supra A91-MT Edition will make it stateside.
Cool New Features
The 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 MT has 19-inch forged aluminum wheels and heated black leather-trimmed seats. It also gets an array of advanced driving aids like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, high-speed cruise control, and parking sensors. Meanwhile, the 3.0 Premium has red and black leather-trimmed upholstery and a full-color heads-up display.
Toyota Warranty
The 2023 Toyota GR Supra has a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
If you are concerned about long-term maintenance costs, an extended warranty may provide you with some extra peace of mind. This helpful guide will give you more insight into Toyota extended warranties and whether or not they are suitable for you.
2023 Toyota GR Supra: Pricing & Availability
Toyota has yet to release the official pricing and specs for the 2023 Toyota Supra, but we think the manual gearbox will demand a premium over the standard automatic. We reckon GR Supra 2.0 will start at around $45,000, while the 3.0 will be $53,000.
You can expect the limited-edition A91-MT Supra to start upwards of $65,000. The first deliveries will arrive later in 2022.
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
