Manual Toyota Supra Could Arrive in Right Hand Drive Markets
The new A90 Toyota Supra may be offered with a manual transmission in right-hand drive markets.
In a recent interview with Australian publication Car Advice, assistant chief engineer for the A90 Supra program, Masayuki Kai, revealed Toyota has developed a manual transmission for the new Supra. The three-pedal Supra was developed with Japan in mind specifically, however, so the hardware was only made with right-hand drive markets in mind. So while the Supra we’ll receive here in North America will likely be offered with an automatic only, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and other right-hand drive markets may just be able to row their own gears in the highly anticipated sports coupe.
SEE ALSO: 2020 Toyota Supra First Drive Impressions
So far we know the US-spec A90 Supra will feature a BMW-sourced turbocharged inline-six engine making 300-400 hp, an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. It will also be extremely light, tipping the scales at under 3,000 lbs. AutoGuide recently sampled a pre-production prototype for the new sports coupe at the Jarama Circuit in Spain and appreciated its fun, flickable handling and smooth engine. We thought the exhaust could have been louder, though and didn’t care for the inconsistent brake pedal feel, although the car we drove was far from finished from a development standpoint.
So if you were hoping for a three-pedal Supra here in the United States, it seems as though you’re out of luck. Enjoy your manual Supras, Australia, Japan and Britain. We’re not jealous. Nope. Not at all.
[Source: Car Advice]
Discuss this story on our Toyota Supra Forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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