GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I dont think its about ego at all, unless the person you're talking to is one of those who thinks "manuals are for real men and autos are ghey'. I love driving and the stick makes it more engaging for me, even on the streets. It's just like those who own v8 rwd luxury vehicles. You dont need 8 cyl with rwd to get to the office, but you have it anyways because you enjoy having such features; otherwise, we could find it more to be an ego thing than anything else

PhantomZX

That's because their "boring boxes" are more profitable overall. The MKIV Supra didn't sell well at all brand new. Although it has cult status now, only a small percentage of those who worship the MKIV would actually shell out the money to pay for a brand new one.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Which is exactly why the IS-F and IS350 do not have a manual option. Not enough buyers.

AFA the Supra not being hard edged - the first time I test drove the car (1994) I could not believe how loud it was inside. It was difficult to hold a conversation. It is still true now, and with the Tein HAs I have, it's even worse. The SCs have bushing problems, the Supras do not. Why? Because the SCs were intended to have a luxurious ride, not a hard edged stiff bushing ride. Toyota wanted to annihilate the competition on the skidpad and they succeeded with Pilot Sport MXX3s specifically built for the Supra, stiff suspension, and stiff bushings (that's how the hardtops got 0.98g). They wanted to annihilate the competition with brakes - Motor Trend said in 1998 the Supra's brakes are the best brakes they've seen in 30 years of new vehicle testing bar none.

Despite all this good stuff, dealers with Supras in 1998 could expect the car would sit on the showroom floor for more than 180 days, and often as much as 9 full months before a buyer came along. Unfortunately Supras do not taste good even with salt and pepper, so dealers hated them. Only 13k of all types (TT, NA, SE) were imported over 5 years. The dealers were glad to see them finally go away.

Then came F&F. It was the best thing ever for MkIV Supra owners, and still is. When my ex drove the first one into a wall in 1995 after one whole year of ownership, ACV was $31k on a car I paid $39,600 to purchase. I bought my second one a year and a half later (luckily it was also a silver hardtop TT) before F&F for $28,500 with 32k miles on it. Now it has 145k miles and I could sell it for what I paid for it. Not bad in my mind for a car I've owned and driven for 11 years.

AFA the manual being more "fun" - no, it's more work. But you get to decide what gear you are in, and what gear you need to be in to do the thing you want to do. Paddles and manumatics shift quicker no doubt, and if going truly fast is your first task, they're a significant improvement because the driver isn't distracted with all the intricacies of executing a clean shift. But the electronic gizmos won't let you slip the clutch mercilessly to build boost faster and launch harder. So, as with all things, there is good and there is bad.

BTW, the hardtops weigh 3415 according to Toyota, and mine weighs exactly what they claim. It also made 305 whp on a DynoDynamics just a few weeks ago, with everything bone stock except boost. Even with high mileage, they're strong performers.

SecPole14

Yup. The end of Supra production was the beginning of the epically bland direction of the Toyota brand, and sadly continues to this day...

f=ma

Supra had turbos. IS F is NA. I think I like NA better.
I enjoy my automatic a hellava better than my old manual.
It only takes a little more skill to drive manual. Don't give yourself too much credit. Honestly, people who drive manuals truly think that just because they have 3 pedals, they must be better drivers. I've been looked down at by people driving manual civics. im tired of this bs. I'm not refering to you btw, silver.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

But as was pointed out, Supras just didn't sell very well when available.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

i'd just like to point out that BMW started offering a manual 6spd for the M5 after MASSIVE consumer demand.

they had no plans prior to the release of the manu-matic.

wolverine

iTrader: (9)

and toyota lost alot of money...

splitfire

iTrader: (6)

I think it has something to do with the high insurance rate.. i remember my full coverage with Statefarm was 8k a year and then the 2nd year it went up 12k a year!!!! back in the 90's thats a lot of money for insurance.. I was trying to hard to trade the supra in for a E36 M3 so i can get cheaper insurance but no BMW dealer will take my supra.. I been all over SO cal trying to find a place to buy my Supra no luck... I even went to the largerst Toyota dealer in US call LONGO TOYOTA and used car manager there won't buy it back cause they have Supra in their used car lot that they cannot sell.. this was back in 97... and yeah not to mention my 50k 94 Supra went down to 40k MSRP in 97.. that didn't really help the resale value got to thank toyota for doing that.....

SilverBull

I think autos are great depending on your car of choice. If I want a sports sedan I at least want the option for a dual clutch or 6MT. It is certainly fun as long as you aren't in traffic. The supra appears to have one of the most bulletproof engines every created. I am reading some books on Turbocharging and each one visits the Supra specifically to discuss how they design those cars. Supras and Silvias make great FI cars. There something cool about a Japanese BOV and the turbo rush after 3500 rpms. My buddy has an FX500 kit on his NSX and that is pretty similar to a Supra. I would take that car over the Supra any day. It looks soooo much better and it actually looks and feels like a supercar.

GS69

Toyota Supra Dropped from Production Plans

While GM is pushing forward with lithium-ion battery technology, Toyota will play it safe and move forward with nickel-metal hydride battery powered hybrids. Lithium-ion will come into play after the next-generation Prius makes its debut. A plug-in version of the Prius powered by lithium-ion batteries is expected in mid-2010.

According to Automotive News, the Toyota Sienna and the new Venza crossover are next on the list to get hybrid systems. Both hybrid models will arrive in 2012. 2012 will also be a big year for other models in the Toyota lineup.

A redesign of the Yaris, Camry, Avalon, RAV4 and a new rear-wheel-drive sports coupe will all arrive in 2012. In 2013, we’ll see a redesign of the Corolla and Matrix.

However we have some horrible news for you. If Automotive News is to be believed - and they mostly always are - the Supra has been dropped from Toyota’s production plans due to high mpg requirements.

SilverBull

If it is your daily driver than get an auto but if it is a weekend car i expect it to be a manual, case closed.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

speculation from the news media is STILL SPECULATION!

Gojirra99

Shouldn't be a surprise though, Toyota is always about making a business case first & foremost. They don't build a car just for the sake of having it in the line-up & put profits over flash . . .

mmarshall

Why are 0-60 and quarter-mile times the first thing you ask about? There are LOTS more important things to be concerned with on a vehicle (especially a used one) than acceleration times.

In most cases, the main thing to look at is the physical condition of the specific car you're interested in. All kinds of problems can happen with a used car.