Often, the little things are everything, especially in sports cars. Take the way one looks. An errant line can ruin an entire car’s best features. Or, an ergonomics error can totally compromise your driving. These little things must add up to make a great sports car. Or, sometimes, one little change can bring about an entirely new point of view. Say, by adding a manual transmission to the Toyota Supra.
Before we get to that, I want to get one thing straight: this won’t be a discussion on the Supra name. That angle is: (A) beaten to death, and (B) not really worth hashing out when there’s something far more interesting to talk about than that. Specifically, what the manual transmission does, or does not do for the Supra.
Design Evaluation
It doesn’t really change the looks that much — or at all. The Supra is still the Supra. While power was bumped to 382 hp with the addition of the manual, there are no styling updates for 2023. Personally, I’m still a fan of the Supra’s design. The lines are in the right places here, though I do find the front end a little gawpy, mostly because Toyota had to fit the stunning long-hooded form of the FT1 concept onto a shorter car. Though the nose has got a sort of chunky, “grr I’m so tough” thing going, the car’s rear is by far the best angle.
So, park nose-in, and even when you don’t there’s still a handsome car to look at, fake ventwork notwithstanding. The haunches rise beautifully at the rear, and I’m a sucker for a ducktail wing. While there’s certainly a difference in design language between the Supra and the rest of the Gazoo Racing lineup, it’s still a downright fun car to look at.
Photo: Chase Bierenkoven/autoevolution
Interior Assessment
The Supra’s insides are now dominated by the presence of the six-speed manual transmission. That’s largely due to its positioning. Thanks to the Supra’s tall center console, your arm is never far from the shifter. Unfortunately, neither are the cupholders. Again, the little things matter.
Now, the cupholders are largely useless because you need that room to row gears. Toyota should’ve updated the console for all Supras to position the cupholders at the rear of the console, like in the Miata.
Never mind that, because there’s a manual. At least, that’s what I said before I started to work with the last-gen BMW infotainment unit. Now, even the $30k-ish GR86’s Toyota-made system feels lightyears ahead. But those seats look cool, right?
While the backs do look great, the lumbar support pad is hard, and even the cheaper also-rear-drive-manual GR86 has better seats with bottoms that aren’t totally devoid of bolstering. The car’s interior is not a great place to spend time, or even get out of, thanks to the low clearances from the double-bubble roof. In short, for the $58,365 as-specc’d price of this car, the interior just isn’t cutting it in 2023.
Driving Take
Drive the new stick Supra, and you’ll discover it's all the little things here too. Unfortunately, the little things also rob you of the Supra experience. For example, the much-discussed buffetting while the windows are down means you don’t truly get to hear the 6-cylinder B-is-for-Bomb 58 engine. A bummer, because Toyota/BMW did an excellent job here.
It’s a 382-horsepower twin-turbo masterpiece, and the Supra feels genuinely exciting every time you end up in the boost. This engine I like. This transmission I like. Together, the combination is fantastic. I cannot imagine ordering an automatic Supra after this. Yet it’s doing a lot of heavy lifting to assuage the Supra’s other, less-desirable traits.
“Intoxicating” is absolutely a trope, but there’s a real dopamine hit every time you roll the car through second and third gear. First is over far too quickly, but second and third are like riding a missile into orbit. It’s good these are so fun, because the way the manual is geared, this is where you spend much of your time. Your speed at the top of third gear starts with a “1,” and the car feels like you’re holding Taz the Tasmanian Devil on a leash as a result.
Photo: Chase Bierenkoven/autoevolution
The fat rear tires provide great grip, and the suspension keeps things moving without punishing you, but it’s very clear that even with the performance 275-width Michelins of my loaner, the Supra will come for you if you mess around and stop paying attention with the traction control turned off. This, I also like. Like the old wooden roller coaster at your town’s local amusement park, the battle between risk and reward is why it’s fun.
Everyday Living
Stop driving the Supra like a lunatic, and the car is still very livable. I could easily see myself just tooling around town in one. Despite the side and rear visibility, the Supra’s stubby size makes it easy to park, and the BMW parking assist system fills some visibility gaps (though not all).
The trunk is nice and big too. It’s big enough to haul a large dog, even, supposing they’re well-behaved, and the hatch swallows luggage. Fuel economy isn’t that bad considering the particle accelerator sitting a few inches from your feet, and neither is the ride.
But, again, little missteps leave you frustrated. A nice fall breeze is now barricaded on the other side of the windows. First-gear clutch uptake is very vague and feels springy, so your partner is now asking if you really can drive stick, and the seats don’t offer you the comfort you lost in their critique.
Yet for brief spurts of time, you’re happy to ride around in the Supra, blessed by a fantastic-feeling shifter. Until one of these little things rains on your parade.
Photo: Chase Bierenkoven/autoevolution
Test Drive Roundup
So here’s the deal: the highs the Supra provides aren’t enough to outweigh the lows. I have never driven a car that is unable to be used with the windows down, and while aftermarket solutions are available, you’d think someone at Toyota, which has a stellar reputation for thoughtful design and reliability, would have spotted this glaring issue. I’ve also driven plenty of cars with bad cupholder/gearshift arrangements, and I’ve even driven ones with seats that are only just tolerable enough for a good drive.
But to have a combination of these issues in one place, you’ve got to have one stellar driving experience ever to outweigh them. The Supra, while extremely fun to drive, just doesn’t. Maybe, if it were the last stick standing, I could justify it. But the manual Mustang I built online is $52,700 as-specc’d, and the stick BMW M2 I’d have is $64,400.
The two bracket the Supra with enticing, and more powerful options, and one of them has a giant naturally-aspirated V8. Power isn’t everything, but there has to be a substitute for it somewhere, and there isn’t one in the Toyota.
But don’t worry. The brand still knows how to make a sports car, and I’ve got some great news. Toyota makes a rear-drive, manual transmission sports car that is usable enough to be your only car, and it’s half-price. Want a Supra? Go buy a Toyota GR86.
Chase's first word was "truck," so it's no wonder he's been getting paid to write about cars for several years now. In his free time, Chase enjoys Colorado's great outdoors in a broken German sports car of some variety. Full profile
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