Like chivalry and respect for the elderly, the manual transmission seems to have died alongside Toyota's sense of fun. One report after another has detailed that a new Supra is coming with what appears to be a hybrid drivetrain and no option for a manual transmission. As a car that enthusiasts ideally wanted as a raw high-horsepower alternative to the Toyota 86, that news is disappointing. But not as disappointing as what Supra fan site Supramkv has uncovered.
After sifting through an uncovered internal BMW document featuring engine codes and powertrain options, the truth set in that no Toyota Supra, coming either to the US or Europe, would be getting a manual option. Codes for chassis J29, the Mark V Supra, designate BMW engine codes including a 30i and 40i for the US that reference BMW's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 248 horsepower and the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with about 335 horsepower, respectively. Transmission codes all use the code "AUT," confirming our worst fears that the Supra will be restricted to two pedals only. So the end is near, North Korea seems poised to blow us into oblivion, and now the Supra will only be offered in castrated form.
What is there to be thankful about anymore? Well, that would be hope. The BMW equivalent of the Supra, the G29 chassis Z4, does seem to be coming to America with a stick shift intact for the enthusiasts that still enjoy life. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to see the Bimmer's gearbox migrate to the Supra. Or at least that's so if Toyota doesn't go with the hybrid drivetrain like it's expected to. The upside of that, despite losing hope for a manual transmission as viable option, would be an increase from the 335 horsepower that will be offered by the Supra's range-topping engine. One important thing to note is that Supramkv claims the document is already a few months old and these engine/transmission mashups are subject to change.
Furthermore, as noted by Jalopnik, the uncovered document seems to show cars that don't exist, like a US market X3 xDrive with a manual transmission, so these inconsistencies could point to incorrect information being on the list. Oh gosh Toyota, why do you have to make this so bewildering and heart wrenching for us?
