2023 Toyota GR Supra Manual First Drive Review — Same Supra, More Engagement
Available on all 3.0L models, the GR Supra manual costs the same as the automatic variant. There’s also a manual-only special edition.
What if an automaker told you there was a new option for its iconic sports car that not only made it slower to 60 miles an hour, but also hurt fuel economy? And despite said reduction in performance and efficiency, this option costs the same as its faster sibling? Would you tick that option box? Would you buy a 2023 GR Supra manual transmission?
Apologies if the above sounds cynical. That’s not my intention. Rather, I’m hoping to demonstrate the real-world debate enthusiasts face when buying 21st-century sports cars. Manual transmissions were once a must-have performance option. But now they’re are almost all gone, mostly because too few buy them…
But, even if manuals were more popular, modern 8-and-10-speed automatic transmissions provide more performance and efficiency, leaving us with one question…
Would you buy a manual transmission just for the feeling and engagement?
2023 GR Supra Pricing, Packages & Colors
Ready for a Supra data dump? Here we go.
The GR Supra returns for 2023 with four trim levels and two engines. Unfortunately for the budget-minded, the 255 hp 2.0L GR Supra remains automatic only. Fortunately, all 382 hp 3.0L I6 GR Supras offer a manual. This includes a new 2023-model-year-only special edition — dubbed the A91-MT — that’s manual-only. Here’s how the pricing breaks down, including packages and color options —
- 2023 GR Supra 2.0 I4 – $43,540
- 2023 GR Supra 3.0 Base I6 (Automatic or Manual) – $52,500
- 2023 GR Supra 3.0 Premium I6 (Automatic or Manual) – $55,650
- 2023 GR Supra 3.0 A91-MT (Manual Only) – $58,345
- Dealer Processing and Handling – $1,095
- Driver Assist Package – $1,195 (Automatic or Manual)
- Safety & Technology Package – $3,155 (MT); $3,485 (AT)
- Absolute Zero (D01) – $0
- Nocturnal (D04) – $0
- Renaissance Red 2.0 (D05) – $0
- Nitro Yellow (D06) – $425
- Stratosphere Blue (D13) – $425
- Burnout Matte White (D12, A91 only) – $1,645
- CU Later Copper Gray (D14, A91 only) – $0
Toyota plans to produce only 500 of the A91-MT editions, which include a special Hazelnut leather-trimmed interior and two exclusive colors (Burnout and CU Later Gray). Both exclusive colors look awesome in person, with CU Later Gray dancing between a Nardo Gray and something more coppery and metallic. Stratosphere Blue, available on Supra 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0 Premium, is another stunner.
What do YOU think about the GR Supra manual?
Let us know HERE in the forums!
Toyota revised handling and suspension tuning for all 2023 GR Supras. But 3.0 and A91 models add an exclusive Hairpin+ function. Hairpin+ supposedly optimizes “engine torque control to allow a greater difference in wheel spin between the left and right-side tires” when the Supra is climbing an uphill gradient around tight bends.
Every GR Supra purchase also earns a complimentary one-year membership to the National Auto Sport Association. This includes the opportunity to enjoy a day of track driving with a professional instructor. And the 3.0 Premium / A91-MT models now feature a standard 12-speaker JBL sound system.
More Than a ‘Just a Manual’
Toyota heard the fans and began developing the GR Supra manual shortly after the icon’s 2019 return. Gazoo Racing engineers partnered with Toyota Motor Europe and Germany’s famous ZF transmission supplier. Starting with an existing gearbox and gears, they developed a new shifter and removed anything dubbed unessential. Ultimately, the manual Supra weighs 3,389 pounds (vs 3,411 for the auto).
But for the GR engineers, it wasn’t just about simply adding a third pedal and gearbox. They even revised things like the VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) and added iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) software. To oversimplify some very elegant engineering, Toyota optimized the GR Supra manual for clutch engagement and to help prevent “snap off” style oversteer events. In other words, it’s both sporty and safe.
But all is not perfect in the land of the manual Supra…
Despite the upgraded 3.46:1 rear gearing, the GR Supra manual’s 0-60 time drops to 4.2s (with a one-foot rollout) versus 3.9 for the Auto. Fuel economy also suffers, by 3-4mpg. Naturally, running a car to 60mph isn’t the end-all-be-all performance metric, especially when only losing three-tenths. And let’s be honest, no one’s buying a 3.0L GR Supra planning for Prius economy.
But the empirical truth is simply this — the GR Supra’s 8-speed automatic boasts more aggressive gearing for acceleration. Taller gearing for economy. And paddle shifters for full control with near-instant shifts. All in a package that selects gears quicker than most humans (#DriverMod). The auto iteration is arguably the superior car when looking at the numbers…
So why do I love the GR Supra manual so damned much?
Spec Sheets Don’t Define Engagement
For some folks, numbers are paramount. To professional and amateur racers, every shaved millisecond counts. But think back to falling in love with sports cars in the first place. The sites and sounds of acceleration and revving motors. Slamming the gears, braking hard, and G-forces. Wind rushing through your hair with tunes blasting. The friends. The destinations.
Maybe it’s nostalgia, friends. Or others might call it engagement.
The sum totality of a human being interacting with a mechanical device that feels so alive.
From a journalistic perspective, engagement sticks out as an asterisk in the face of game-changing technology. Automatic transmissions, dual-clutch gearboxes, and EVs crush benchmarks and record-setting lap times. But in a world where the Tesla Plaid is an all-wheel-drive assault weapon, might a V8 grand tourer like the LC 500 offer more soul?
Or, for our review today, does this GR Supra manual produce a better experience despite technological inferiority?
I suppose this depends on your needs. But for casual driving or spirited autocross and track sessions, I’d argue yes, very much so. The automatic Mark V is one hell of a sports car. Not to mention a fantastic daily with the ability to track on the weekends. (More on this in a minute.)
Yet it’s also a little numbing and surgical at times. A little too easy to drive. Too quiet and humble.
GR Supra manual evokes the Mark IV and older generations with its light clutch and crisp shifts. Banging gears running up to redline remains exhilarating, yet takes no more effort than short shifting at low speeds in pit lane. In short, the manual makes the GR Supra feel even more like a Supra. More like a sports car. And perhaps more like you’re living out a movie in your head… your own personal Fast and Furious, if you will.
Track Durability Despite Refined Streetability
Defining a great track car isn’t as easy as it seems. Modifications that win races on Sunday might ruin commutes on Monday. But cars like the GR Supra exist in a wonderful hybrid space. Street comfortable and refined. But able to hang out on track. In our case, Toyota flew dozens of journalists to Utah to enjoy the GR Supra on a two-mile section of the Utah Motorsports Campus main track. (We also drove the GR Corolla — more on that next week!)
Imagine inviting 100 of your closest friends to flog your car non-stop on a hot desert track for three straight days.
Would it hold up? The Supra did, and then some.
Sure, techs bled and topped off brake fluid as needed. And by the end of day three (when I attended), the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires were starting to chunk themselves apart. But nothing was overheating. Brake pedal feel remained firm. And all were running full air conditioning with premium interiors.
Want a reliable daily capable of serious abuse? Here you go.
The GR Supra isn’t explosively fast. It would be nice to experience one with 50 to 100 more ponies. (Dare we imagine one with a 2UR-GSE under the hood???) But it’s quick and nimble and all kinds of fun. And it absolutely handles, a divine proof of concept that stems from Akio Toyoda’s personal racing experience and a team of passionate engineers.
GR Supra Manual Final Thoughts
Driving back to my hotel in a GR Supra (automatic) after a day tracking the GR Supra manual — plus GR Corolla Core, Circuit, and Morizo — I couldn’t help falling back in love with the Mark V generation as a whole. Sure, I wish there was a little bit more Toyota DNA. And I wouldn’t mind more power (2UR-GSE for life!). But overall it’s surgical and light and balanced and all the things you’d want. And they’re tough enough for track duty… as long as you budget for tires.
As for the manual, that’s really up to you.
Does a manual make for a better Supra? On paper, no. In my heart, yes. If track-time perfection and/or city driving are your most-frequented environments, the auto is probably better for your needs. If you’re looking for something modern with a hint of old school… if you want to fully immerse yourself and engage as a driver, then opt for the manual. Regardless, you can’t really go wrong with either.
Thanks again to Toyota USA for the chance to drive this icon on track… and for all the stunning photographs used in this review.
