When the manual Toyota GR Supra is launching in South Africa

The first Mk5 Toyota GR Supra with a manual gearbox is scheduled to hit local showrooms in October 2022, Toyota South Africa confirmed.

The sports car was to be unveiled for the first time at the Festival of Motoring in August. However, “global production allocation was revised, which in turn has pushed vehicle arrival out by two months for our market,” said Toyota South Africa.

The Supra has thus far only been sold in eight-speed automatic guise, currently being available in two trim levels at a starting price of R1,111,000.

Six-speed manual Supra

The hotly-anticipated new Supra will be offered with a six-speed manual shifter paired to the same 3.0-litre turbo-petrol powerplant as its siblings.

This is aimed at enhancing the “fun to drive” aspect of the iconic coupe by adding a weighted, spherical GR-branded shift knob in between the front seats for ultimate driver control which is complemented by a “manual transmission-tuned interior sound.”

The enthusiast-focused drivetrain generates 250kW and 500Nm which is good for a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.6 seconds in the manual, compared to 4.3 seconds in the automatic, and a top speed of 250km/h.

Alongside the addition of the new transmission option which will be denoted by red badging, the entire Supra range has also been slightly refined for better handling performance and ride comfort.

The adaptive suspension system’s damping characteristics have been retuned for better roll balance, the stabilizer bushings modified for sharper initial steering response, and the chassis control systems including the electric power steering and vehicle stability control revised “for improved overall steering feel and control when pushing to the limits,” said Toyota.

Cosmetic enhancements

Along with the performance tweaks to the 3.0-litre Supra models, Toyota has also updated the range visually.

Each specification gets redesigned 19-inch forged aluminium rims contributing to a collective 4.8kg weight saving over the previous wheels, and three new paints are on offer comprising Iridescent Grey Metallic, Sapphire Blue Metallic, and Premium Titanium Dark Silver.

Improved audio quality is achieved through optimal tuning of the premium JBL sound system, too, according to the automaker.

The updated GR Supra will be sold in both manual and automatic specifications in South Africa with pricing to be announced at launch, said Toyota.