So I used to be racing down some fabulous again roads, diving off a ridge down right into a valley, timber and golf course greens flashing previous, winding out third gear into some ridiculous triple-digit pace when it hit me: The 2023 Toyota Supra GR with a 6-speed handbook transmission is PERFECT. I imply, there may be nothing unsuitable with this automotive. The whole lot – EVERYTHING – about it’s implausible.

We final drove the latest iteration of the Supra again in Autumn of 2021 – two years in the past. We beloved it regardless of it’s automated transmission. The paddle shifters labored exceptionally properly and we had been in a position to paddle our approach throughout some enjoyable Michigan roads. However nonetheless…working that third pedal and a handbook gear shifter would have made it…higher. Extra satisfying. So when Toyota introduced that they had been going to supply a 6-speed handbook model we began calling our Toyota rep to see once we might snag a journey. The when turned out to be now and…what a journey it has been.

Nothing has modified in regards to the design within the final two years. It’s nonetheless the identical gorgeously curvaceous street rocket that it was then. It’s eye catching for certain, from the sharp F1-inspired nostril up the lengthy arching hood, the fake fender vents, the aggressive roofline with bubbles over the motive force and passenger offering a number of further inches of headroom clearance for helmets, to the sexiest rear fenders this aspect of a Dodge Viper GTS, and eventually that ducktail spoiler that has to supply some critical downforce at pace. It’s attractive. Actually the least costly unique you should purchase right this moment.

Inside is simply as well-thought out. The cockpit is a combination of wealthy plastics, leather-based, and real carbon fiber, all tastefully built-in. Critical drivers will respect how properly laid out every part is: The necessary stuff is major within the inside design and the peripheral stuff is tucked out of the best way the place it gained’t be a distraction. Tachometer? It’s the main focus of the instrument cluster. The pace studying is digital and resides to the left of the round tach. It’s additionally thrown up on the windshield so that you don’t need to be distracted when driving at pace. The stick-shift falls readily handy within the middle console. The “Sport” button and “Traction Management Off” buttons lie between you and the stick. The knob that controls the sat-nav display screen is on the passenger aspect of the console – inside straightforward attain in the event you want it however out of your approach when driving. Lovely. If the satan is within the particulars, Toyota has gone to nice pains to exorcise that satan. There’s loads of legroom for tall individuals – simply watch your head as you’re getting in as a result of the roofline is low. The trunk is fairly spacious below the rear hatch and Toyota gives a privateness display screen to cover your stuff from prying eyes.

Beneath the hood lies a BMW turbocharged 3.0L inline-six (it’s a joint undertaking, in the event you recall). It needs to be the silkiest, smoothest engine I’ve ever had the privilege of driving. It makes 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. That torque comes on onerous at low rpms and carries it proper as much as it’s 7000 rpm redline. It’s a ridiculously robust engine with no weak factors wherever in it’s rev vary. Heck, I managed to spin the tires leaving a car parking zone in second gear. Talking of second gear, it’s much like God pushing you up the street. My neck about snapped again into the headrest a number of occasions as I grabbed second gear and planted the throttle. Every redline shift drops you again into one other robust upward sweep of the tach. The engine sounds implausible, particularly with Sport mode engaged. The lively exhaust opens up and that frenetic free-revving inline six simply sings out the 2 giant exhaust pipes in again.

Having a honest-to-God six-speed handbook on this automotive perfects it. It’s SO good to have a 3rd pedal within the pedal field, so good to relaxation your hand on the shift knob at a lightweight, to really feel the direct linkage once you shift, feeling the engine slip into a special vary of energy, to have that management and have it so tactilely in your hand. A very good handbook simply makes a automotive. The clutch is mild and set a bit greater than we’d have favored, however it wasn’t a detriment. The sprint show tells you what gear you’re in, which is a pleasant reminder at occasions. While you downshift, the automotive rev-matches for you, completely blipping the throttle on your downshift. Whereas it appears a bit disingenuous, it IS useful and I favored it. Out again, an electronically managed LSD put down the facility as evenly and totally because it might.

The Supra 3.0 GR will speed up to 60 mph (100 kph) in about 4 seconds. It’s electronically restricted high pace is 155 mph. While you’re driving one thing that accelerates like that and might attain 155 as shortly because it does, it pays to have good brakes. The Supra is match with Brembo four-piston calipers up entrance over 14” ventilated discs and single-piston rear calipers over 13.5” rear discs. They clamp down with sufficient pressure to cease the 3400 lb automotive with mind scrambling pace. We by no means acquired caught out by a state of affairs within the Supra. If site visitors backed up instantly throughout our rush hour commute, we had been all the time in a position to break quicker than the man forward of us. All that braking skill is ensconced inside 19” wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Tremendous Sports activities. Whereas ferociously sticky, they are often coaxed into sliding round with distinctive steadiness – one thing we did fairly a little bit of because the temps turned cooler right here.

The suspension is Toyota’s adaptive variable suspension, which does job of constructing the journey really feel tremendous clean. Sharp bumps and growth strips in straight line driving upset the suspension a bit. You might really feel the automotive bounce to 1 aspect or the opposite once you hit a entry cowl within the street. The suspension felt tight. Minor imperfections within the street are eradicated utterly. Glide via a set of curves and also you’d swear the suspension was utilizing AI to determine what stance to take, then adjusting the suspension to greatest deal with the angles and angle of the automotive. The consequence was that you could possibly take corners with little effort and are available out feeling like knowledgeable driver. The Supra simply eats corners and curvy roads like an athlete at a buffet after coaching.

Our automotive, whether or not aligned to manufacturing unit specs or not, had razor-sharp steering. An inch or so of flip might deal with almost any s-curve with out breaking a sweat. It additionally made it really feel twitchy on the freeway because the Pilot Tremendous Sports activities tramlined within the lower grooves on the concrete sections and within the tire depressions of asphalt sections. It was unsettling sufficient that you simply actually needed to maintain each fingers on the wheel always. With time although, we grew extra snug with it.

Typically a sports activities automotive is able to posting implausible efficiency numbers however lacks that magical human-machine interplay. The Supra isn’t a type of vehicles. You are feeling one with the automotive once you’re driving it and that’s the signal of a superb automotive. We had a number of implausible drives on again roads whereas we had it. The cornering, the acceleration, the braking, the steadiness – all encourage whole confidence within the package deal and that confidence makes it an especially rewarding automotive to drive quick. On a monitor, this automotive could be an absolute pleasure to pilot. Accelerating, winding via the gears to redline, downshifting whereas braking, tucking into corners too scorching however feeling the automotive come alive and steadiness on a knife’s fringe of controllable slip, getting it straight once more and powering to the following curve, listening to the throttle blip as you downshift, working that stick and clutch, feeling the suspension arrange beneath you and the automotive glide effortlessly via the nook, again flat on the throttle, listening to the revs construct, the engine clean as silk. Its heady stuff. Stuff you need to get pleasure from over and over. Toyota and BMW have nailed it with this automotive and it actually is ideal. I’m in love.

The beginning worth for the three.0 GR with a stick within the US is about $60,000. A implausible worth for the efficiency you’re shopping for into. The one actual possibility package deal is a bunch of digital security options and cruise management. The whole lot you want is already there. This is among the most rewarding, most economical offers within the automotive world proper now. Good job, Toyota. You’ve made the right sports activities automotive.