2023 Toyota Supra Manual Review
2023 Toyota Supra
MSRP: $53,600
3.0 Twin Turbo Inline 6
382 HP / 386 TQ
0-60": 4.3 Seconds
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Guy who did stuff: Yousef Alvi
The 5th generation Toyota Supra has had a world wind of emotions in it’s short life. Going from highly anticipated to highly deresive to finally (hopefully?) highly admired…no other car in recent memory can trigger a cascade of emotions like the Supra.
Obviously, one cannot talk about the Supra without mentioning it’s BMW underpinnings. Built alongside the Z4 and utilizing the same core components, the essence of the Supra could have easily been lost in it’s German DNA. BUT it wasn’t and with this new manual equipped 2023 model year Supra…it really hasn’t.
So while, BMW may out assemble the core of the Supra, the components that you FEEL like the suspension, steering, brakes, torque curve and now the feel of the linkage in the manual transmission are all Toyota specced and tuned. Giving the Supra an entirely different feeling behind the wheel.
Case in point:
The wild BMW M2. Part to part…one can draw a direct line between both vehicles. BUT driving them back to back, it’s a wholly different case entirely.
Now no one in their right mind would call the M2 ‘buttoned down’ but compared to this Supra…it’s approach is a bit more errr technical in comparison to the Supra. The Supra feels wild, manic and hand to heart…more fun! Not to take anything away from the M2 (it is utterly amazing), the Supra just put an immediate child like smile on your face that doesn’t subside. From the hair trigger steering inputs, to the power delivery and down to the manual transmission…everything on the Supra is dialed to over to the ‘fun’ setting instead of ‘nurburgring’ setting.
Oh and speaking of manuals, again on paper, the M2 and the Supra have the same transmission. BUT, while the M2’s is bit rubbery and so vague that you can’t tell if you’re in neutral or not…the Supra’s is perfection!
“Snickety goodness, direct engagement and perfectly weighted…the Supra’s manual has made to the top 3 best manuals I have ever driven. ”
What I’m trying to say is this: this manual equipped Supra is nearly perfect.
Heck the only thing I can really fault is that ridiculous wind buffeting that has plagued this generation Supra since it’s release.
“Long live the Supra!”
Yousef Alvi
