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2022 GR Supra even more fun with three pedals and a gear stick
The full interactive driving experience for sports car enthusiasts is here, with the 2022 GR Supra now complete with a manual transmission.
Since the GR Supra was launched in 2019, keyboard warriors and motoring writers around the globe have called for a GR Supra with manual transmission. Toyota has answered that call and from July this year will begin producing a six-speed manual GR Supra, which will be available in New Zealand later this year.
The 2022 GR Supra has exciting new performance features born from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing technology. Since its launch, the GR Supra has been continuously improved by the GR motorsport division, including a major power upgrade to the inline six-cylinder engine in 2021. The 2022 GR Supra will bring two transmission options, new colours including a Matte Avalanche White finish unique to the manual transmission, and a new wheel design.
Toyota New Zealand General Manager of New Vehicles and Product Planning, Steve Prangnell said the GR Supra already has incredible power and torque and the addition of a manual transmission further enhances it as a key competitor in the high-performance sports car segment.
“Toyota is living up to the promise to make its cars even better with this powertrain change. By allowing the driver to interact with the car and select the optimal gear ratio for the road ahead, the GR Supra driver will enjoy the true delights of a manual, rear wheel drive sports car. Changing gears on a twisty kiwi road is going to be a massive buzz in the manual Supra.
“TOYOTA GAZOO Racing continues to inject energy, fun, and adrenalin into our sports cars such as the GR Supra, GR Yaris and GR Corolla,” he says.
The manual GR Supra has a 6-speed manual transmission which is capable of maximising the performance of the high-output 285kW inline six-cylinder engine. A bonus of the manual transmission is that it also weighs 18kgs less than the automatic transmission; the lighter weight enhancing the car’s dynamics.
Steve says the spirit of kaizen – continuous improvement – flows through the new manual GR Supra, which has advanced technology to further elevate the enjoyment of driving with a manual transmission.
“Of course, a manual transmission gives the driver complete control over the gear ratio and engine speed, but the GR Supra, like the GR Yaris, has some extra smarts to get the best out of it,” he says.
A Gear Shift Assistant detects the driver’s shifting and synchronises the engine speed with the gear, helping to stabilise the vehicle and assist smooth shifting. When the Drive Mode is set to Sport, the Gear Shift Assistant can be turned off; it is always on during Normal Drive Mode.
While accomplished manual drivers will, after a time, get a feel for which gear they are in and whether they should change up or down, the GR Supra has clever technology that digitally displays the selected gear position and recommends a gear position to suit the driving situation. This feature can be turned off if not required.
Another useful feature for the Supra manual is a Shift-Light. The central gauge rev counter illuminates just before the red zone is reached (around 6,000 RPM) to notify the driver that it might be a good idea to change up. This also can be turned off.
The manual’s stick shifter has brand unity with other manual GR models such as the GR Yaris and GR86. The relatively heavy (200gm) shift knob has a spherical shape for excellent controllability and easy shifting.
Other new colours for 2022, in addition to the Matte Avalanche White of the manual transmission, are Volcanic Ash Gray with copper sparkles and a vivid and silky Dawn Blue.
The sport grade red and black leather seats feature red and grey two-tone stitching and perforated Alcantara for excellent grip.
For GR Supras, manufactured after July 2022, they will ride on 19-inch forged aluminium wheels in dark silver as standard. The spoke shape and cross-section have evolved from the first-generation wheel of the GR Yaris. The GR engineers have pursued a cool design for a sports wheel that is lightweight, highly rigid, and perfectly balanced. They have gained a weight reduction of around 1.2kg per wheel compared to the current model.
With the recent global reveal of the GR Corolla, the World Car of the Year shortlisted GR Yaris, the launch of the GR86 and now the manual GR Supra, the TOYOTA GAZOO racing division is developing a range of performance-enhanced vehicles that confirms the desire to produce even better and more fun-to-drive cars.
Andrew Davis, Toyota New Zealand General Manager of Motorsport says the investment and commitment to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is now delivering in terms of great cars and in motorsport with the GR racing series in New Zealand.
“GR Supra is the most powerful model in our growing range of new generation GR Sports cars and with a manual transmission it now joins both the GR Yaris and soon to arrive GR Corolla in being as driver focussed and rewarding as possible,” Mr Davis says.
“I can’t wait to see the happy faces of customers and enthusiasts who will get to drive the new Supra.”