- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 2 seats
- Engine
3.0T, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
285kW, 500Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 8.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2023 Toyota Supra manual review: International launch drive
The Toyota Supra coupe – a twin under the skin to the BMW Z4 convertible – finally has the option of a manual transmission four years after going on sale.
- Light, easy and smooth shift action
- The spread of gear ratios suits the engine's power delivery
- Feels more like a sports car now
- The manual is slower to 100km/h than the 8-speed auto
- Cramped two-seat interior
- BMW's infotainment system
2023 Toyota Supra manual
Meet the 2023 Toyota Supra, also known as Supra 3.0.
There are upgrades to the suspension, a couple of new paint colours, and a new set of wheels.
But the big news is the option of a six-speed manual transmission, which will be offered alongside the existing eight-speed automatic.
Although it looks the same on the outside, this is the third update to the Supra since it went on sale four years ago.
About 10 years ago, when Toyota was considering a modern-day Supra – to revive its iconic sports car nameplate from the 1980s and 1990s – the Japanese company secretly approached BMW to discuss a jointly-developed vehicle.
It wasn’t cost effective for Toyota to go it alone with a new model, so it wanted to partner with a car company with a performance heritage – and an in-line six-cylinder engine, to stay true to the previous generation Supra sports cars.
And that’s a how a high ranking Toyota engineer came to knock of the door of BMW’s headquarters in Munich.
As it would transpire, at the time BMW was looking to share costs to develop its next-generation Z4 convertible. So the approach from Toyota was well received.
The partnership enabled BMW to continue with the Z4 convertible, and Toyota got a vehicle to the form the basis of its modern day Supra coupe.
Beyond new wheel designs and a couple of new paint options, the exterior of the Supra remains unchanged for 2023.
Most of the upgrades – such as revised suspension – are under the skin. The core ingredients are the same as before.
The mechanical twin to the BMW Z4 convertible is powered by a turbocharged BMW-sourced in-line six-cylinder engine.
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The output of 285kW and 500Nm is unchanged, but the price has had a bit of a bump.
How much does the 2023 Toyota Supra manual cost in Australia?
The Toyota Supra GT and GTS models have had a price for 2023 due to indexing changes to Luxury Car Tax.
The Toyota Supra GT was previously listed at $86,494 plus on-road costs, and the GTS had an RRP of $96,494 plus on-road costs.
For 2023, Toyota has rounded up those numbers to $87,000 for the GT and $97,000 for the GTS.
The automatic and manual will be the same price when the stick shift arrives in local showrooms later this year, listed as no-cost options.
Both gearboxes are sourced from BMW suppliers, but have Toyota input.
The main specification differences between the two model grades: the GT is equipped with 18-inch wheels and tyres, the GTS has 19-inch wheels and tyres.
Both model grades have the same large front brakes (348mm discs clamped by four-piston calipers).
The GT previously had 330mm rear discs – versus 345mm rear discs on the GTS – but for 2023, the GT will be equipped with the larger rear brake discs as the GTS.
The GTS gains a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system, a heads-up display, and red painted brake calipers.
We reckon $10,000 is a hefty premium for only a handful of upgrades.
Key details | 2023 Toyota Supra manual |
Price | $87,000 (GT), $97,000 (GTS) plus on-road costs |
Drive-away price | $93,380 (GT), $103,880 (GTS) (NSW pricing, other states vary according to stamp duty) |
Rivals | Nissan Z Coupe | Toyota GR 86 | Subaru BRZ |
How much space does the 2023 Toyota Supra manual have inside?
Many of the interior components – such as the steering wheel, instrument cluster, infotainment screen, air-conditioning controls and other switches – are straight out of a BMW.
The large dial that controls the Toyota Supra’s infotainment system is also from the German car maker.
That said, Toyota has otherwise done an excellent job of disguising the origins of much of this equipment.
And few buyers would ever notice, unless they’d owned a BMW before.
Because this car is manufactured in a shared facility in Graz, Austria, and the core structure of the vehicle is based on a BMW, it has some European idiosyncracies.
For example, the indicator stalk is on the left of the steering wheel – as is the case with most European cars – rather than the right, as it is on most Toyotas.
There’s the option of tan (rather than black) leather sports seats, and faux carbon fibre trim around the centre console.
The seats are broad but snug, and do the job in tight corners. But it does feel cramped inside.
The roofline is low, so it's easy to bang your head when getting in and out of the Supra. Getting out isn't much fun either.
Top tip: lean down and hold the electronic switch that slides the driver's seat all the way back before you attempt to get in, it will give you a bit of a head start.
Cargo space is fair by two-seater sports car standards: enough for the weekly shopping or a weekend getaway. But there's not an enclosed out-of-view boot like there is in the Toyota GR 86 and Subaru BRZ.
2023 Toyota Supra manual | |
Seats | Two |
Boot volume | 296L |
Length | 4379mm |
Width | 1854mm |
Height | 1299mm (18-inch tyres), 1294mm (19-inch tyres) |
Wheelbase | 2470mm |
Does the 2023 Toyota Supra manual have Apple CarPlay?
Wireless phone charging and wireless Apple Car Play are standard, but there's no mention of Android Auto connectivity in the Toyota Australia brochure, spec sheet or press material.
It looks like green-message people may be stuck with Bluetooth connectivity for their Android smartphones.
Thankfully, there are some buttons and dials to make the infotainment system easier to use. And the large dial in the centre console – also borrowed from BMW – is surrounded by buttons, which removes some of the guesswork.
BMW's iDrive system is better than it used to be, but it's still not as easy, as practical, or as useful as a handful of well-placed buttons and dials.
The infotainment screen is slim by modern standards (8.8-inches), the same size as the widescreen instrument cluster.
The top-line Toyota Supra GTS gains JBL premium audio, and a heads-up display that reflects key information – such as vehicle speed and navigation instructions – into the windscreen in the driver's line of sight.
We didn't get a chance to crank the sound system, we were too busy driving on the track and listening to the howl of that glorious BMW engine.
Is the 2023 Toyota Supra manual a safe car?
The Toyota Supra has not been assessed by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) or its European counterpart.
The only guide we have a European NCAP test for the Toyota Supra's twin, the BMW Z4 convertible, which was awarded a five-star rating in 2019.
The Supra comes standard with seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-zone warning, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear camera.
2023 Toyota Supra manual | |
ANCAP rating | Not rated |
Safety report | BMW Z4 twin awarded five-star rating in 2019 |
How much does the 2023 Toyota Supra manual cost to maintain?
Warranty is five years/unlimited kilometres (the same as other Toyota models). It appears Toyota has more faith in BMW's products that the German car maker does. BMW only offers three-year warranty coverage on the Supra's twin, the BMW Z4 convertible.
The Toyota Supra is cheaper to service, too, with each routine service visit (every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first) costing $390.
Insurance is a bit steep based on the calculations we used. The annual premium quoted by NRMA Insurance was $2771, for a 35-year-old male using a metropolitan Sydney address, private vehicle use up to 15,000km per year, opting out of extras such as windscreen replacements or rental cars, and with no previous NRMA insurance and no NRMA roadside membership. So shop around.
As our disclaimer says, insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, insurance history, distance travelled, and where the vehicle is stored.
At a glance | 2023 Toyota Supra manual |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $1170 ($390 for each visit over 3 years) $1950 ($390 for each visit over 5 years) |
Is the 2023 Toyota Supra manual fuel efficient?
The fuel rating label for the Toyota Supra automatic is 7.7L/100km. The manual figure is yet to be published.
We did not take down fuel consumption figures on the day as it was a track test. We will do a thorough road test when the manual arrives in Australia later this year.
Fuel Consumption - brought to you by bp
Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 7.7L/100km (auto) |
Fuel cons. (on test) | NA |
Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded recommended, 91-octane regular unleaded usable |
Fuel tank size | 52L |
What is the 2023 Toyota Supra manual like to drive?
When Toyota launched the Supra in 2019, fans were up in arms because it was an automatic only model. Toyota got the message and now we have the six-speed manual it should have had all along.
Toyota says it started working on a manual transmission almost immediately after the Supra went on sale because it quickly discovered purists around the world wanted a stick shift.
There’s nothing particularly significant about this manual gearbox other than it’s finally available in the Toyota Supra. It’s light and easy to operate. It’s got a nice long throw, and it doesn’t have the notchiness of race-car style gearboxes.
To be honest, with manual transmissions disappearing from all types of cars, we’re just glad Toyota is keeping the dream alive.
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve driven a Supra so this exercise was a really good reminder of what a well-sorted car this is.
The manual transmission will no doubt breathe a new lease on life into this sports car.
The rev-matching technology works really well. And the spread of ratios really suits the engine’s power band.
Thanks to its grippy 19-inch Michelin tyres fitted to the GTS models tested, the Toyota Supra feels planted in tight turns.
It’s also surprisingly quick, which is something else I forgot about. But we reckon the automatic will still have the edge in the 0 to 100km/h dash.
We didn’t get a chance to put the VBox on the Supra, but we know the automatic does 0 to 100km/h dash in about five seconds.
The manual is probably going to be a touch slower given that you’ve got to pause every time you put the clutch in to grab another gear. That said this is still a very nice package, and the manual makes us the Supra that little bit more fun.
In Australia, Toyota has sold about 200 examples of the Supra each year since the sports car arrived in 2019, so it’s still a niche model.
Will the manual provide a sales boost? We will know once it arrives in local showrooms later this year.
Of course we’ll reserve final judgment when we drive the car on real roads back home in Australia.
But so far, the early signs are good. And, thankfully, the manual transmission isn't dead yet.
Key details | 2023 Toyota Supra manual |
Engine | 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo petrol |
Power | 285kW @ 5800-6500rpm |
Torque | 500Nm @ 1800-5000rpm |
Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
Transmission | 8-speed torque converter automatic or 6-speed manual |
Power to weight ratio | 191kW/t (base auto) |
Weight | 1495kg (base auto) |
Spare tyre type | Tyre repair kit |
Turning circle | 10.4m |
Should I buy a 2023 Toyota Supra manual?
With all the hype over various Ford Mustang special editions and the upcoming Nissan Z Coupe, I completely forgot about the Toyota Supra. More fool me. It's a brilliant – if overlooked – sports car. And the manual adds a bit more involvement for those who want it.
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