Toyota Australia is getting ready to take on the Nissan Z with a three-pedal GR Supra.
The company has confirmed the “GR Supra sports car will soon be offered in Australia with a newly developed manual transmission, designed to offer a unique dynamic experience while meeting the demand of driving purists”.
Overseas reports suggest the stick-shift Supra will make its debut on April 28. The manual will only be offered on the range-topping inline-six instead of the entry-level four-cylinder option offered elsewhere, according to the reports.
The BMW inline-six cylinder engine powering the Supra sold in Australia, codenamed B58, was paired with a six-speed manual in the previous-generation M240i and M340i.
It’s not clear if Toyota has developed its own transmission for the Supra, or whether it’s a development of the unit previously used by BMW.
Aside from the extra pedal in the driver’s footwell, an overseas teaser for the Supra manual shows the rear model badge has been finished in red to distinguish it from automatic models.
Although it offers a manual transmission on the Z4 with which the Supra shares most of its bones, BMW only makes it available on the entry-level, four-cylinder sDrive20i. There’s no indication the Z4 M40i with which the Supra shares its engine will gain a three-pedal option.
When it arrives, the GR Supra manual will take on the Nissan Z and its available six-speed manual.
Power in the Supra comes from a turbocharged inline-six cylinder engine making 285kW and 500Nm, down 13kW but up 25Nm on the hotly-anticipated Nissan.
MORE: Everything Toyota Supra
