Manual transmission coming soon to the Toyota GR Supra?

I'm just amazed it took them this long!  Talk about missing the initial mark.  I heard some rumors saying that the reason they didn't initially release the Supra with a manual was due to overlapping with the FRS/BRZ as far as target market.  Already had a RWD Sports Car for sale or something along that nature. 

Can't wait to see more information regarding the mechanics of the transmission!  

So after all the posts on this forum telling everyone that wanted this we were wrong......  maybe we aren't wrong.  A lot of sports car buyers want a more involved drive.  

I've always thought the new Supra is neat on paper and this makes it even cooler, but man. I'm not one of the fanboys that thinks it's "not a real Supra" nor do I care that they collaborated with another company...but I'm disappointed that it had to be BMW, just because modern turbo BMWs seem to be absolute nightmares to work on and I'm sure these will have all the BMW problems as they approach 100k miles.

I wonder if it will only be on the 4cy.  I hope not.  

If anyone from GR reads this..  I wouldn't buy a 2.0L Supra..  But I would buy a 1.6L GR Corolla engined one..

I cant help but notice (or understand why it bothers me) one pedal is looks like plastic, while the other stamped steel...

A 3 pedal supra gr with the s58 engine from the m3 would be very tempting.  I worry it would be a 6 figure car though. It should be easy to put together just parts bin sourcing.  Not sure how long the supra will last with BMW discontinuing the z4 for 2025.

I can't imagine how pissed I would be if I bought an auto because it was the only option, then the manual came out. Then again, I never would have bought the auto in the first place. 

TR7 (Forum Supporter) said:

I cant help but notice (or understand why it bothers me) one pedal is looks like plastic, while the other stamped steel...

Gasp! BMW building parts out of plastic when they should be made of steel? Consider me not at all shocked. =P

As someone who has had at least one of every generation of Toyota Supra, you might say I'm a fan of the breed. Even with the manual though, I still wouldn't touch this with someone else's driving gloves. The argument that "a new inline six is too expensive to develop" falls on its face when Mazda and Chrysler whip one up.

"We had to partner with BMW to make the economics work" also falls apart when you see an all-Toyota car like the GR Yaris / Corolla, which, for the record, WAY more impressive than the Mk5 ever has been.

The Mk5 is growing on me, but you'll never see one in my garage, because I tend to like my cars well used, and well... we all know what a well used BMW is like to maintain.

Manufactures can partner and part swap to their heart's content for 99% of their models. Colin Chapman using Renault power in the Europa? Brilliant! Honda and GM playing footsie under the table with different powertrains from the 90's all the way through today? Great! Toyota and Subaru blessing us with the BRZ/FRS twins? What a time to be alive!

All of that changes if we're talking a halo car, one that should act as a showcase of technology and aspirations for the brand. Using another manufacturer's technology and swapping out body panels is stage whispering to the market that your brand is a fraud at worst and adrift at best. 

God I'm turning into such a grumpy old fart.