2023 Toyota GR Supra Should get a Manual Gearbox, or Will it? Will we?

• Rumours of a manual Supra date back some time.

• At first, the 4-cylinder version was in line for a 6M, now it might be the I6.

• Toyota has yet to confirm anything in relation to the transmission.

The fitting of a manual transmission to the loved-hated Toyota GR Supra has made as many headlines as the car itself did before being launched. The reason is simple: The Supra is a sports car for real driving enthusiasts and a sports car should be available with three pedals and a shifter that slides through a standard “H” pattern gate. Nissan understands.

The debate over at Toyota is solely about costs and ROIs. Long story short: The Z4, which serves as the Supra’s base, does not offer a manual transmission. Toyota, therefore, has to weigh the cost to fit one on either the I4 or I6, or both, and figure out if they’ll sell more cars. And truth be told, they probably won’t.

The thing is though, the all-new 2023 Nissan Z will get a manual transmission and will be less expensive than the Supra. This can equate to only one outcome: Supra sales may very well drop. As we know, BMW will pull the plug on the Z4 in two to three years so it may not be worth investing anything in the Supra…

Images of manual transmission-equipped Toyota GR Supras have circulated online and most big media outlets such as Road and track are saying that a 6-speed three-pedaled sports car is “almost definitely” coming. But will it come to North America? The US and Canada have often been overlooked when it comes to these types of vehicles.

Rumours about the manual transmission intensified last January and Toyota’s still not announced anything. Could it be that there’s nothing to announce?