Toyota Supra getting a manual transmission

The question of whether the Toyota Supra will get a manual transmission has left enthusiasts guessing since even before the current fifth-generation car, an A90 to fans, made its debut at the 2019 Detroit auto show.

Well, enthusiasts need guess no more as Toyota on Friday finally confirmed that a manual transmission is coming to the Supra, and coming soon.

According to Toyota, the manual transmission will be a “tailor-made” solution, suggesting it might not be simply borrowed from the BMW parts bin, like the current 8-speed automatic offered on the car. Recall, the Supra’s platform is twinned with the BMW Z4, and its 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines are both BMW units that in some of the German brand’s cars are paired with manual transmissions, the Z4 being one of them.

Toyota hasn’t said whether the manual will be available on both engines. The automaker also hasn’t said whether we’ll see it in the U.S., though there’s a good bet we will given the high take-up rate of manual transmissions on other enthusiast favorites here, such as the Porsche 911 GT3.

Supras equipped with a manual transmission will feature the “Supra” script badge in red instead of the standard black, which should give the cars some extra street cred.

Toyota said more information will be shared in the coming weeks. It’s good to see the automaker #GiveAShift.