No manual but more power for Toyota Supra

Want more power from the Toyota Supra? According to chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada, your wishes will be granted in the future with the kilowatt count set to grow for the venerable sports coupe. However, if you want a manual gearbox, you’re out of luck.

In an interview with Autoblog Tada-san reveals that the 250kW figure is “not the end of the road” for the Supra. “With a sports car, the promise is to offer more performance with each additional version,” Tada-san said.

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The first upgrade is expected within three years, while after that, periodic enhancements are scheduled for the entire car year-on-year. One such upgrade could be the addition of carbon-ceramic brakes as an option.

While power hikes and extra kit sounds enticing, Tada also revealed in the interview that three pedals and a shifter won’t find their way into a Supra. That’s despite the swell of support for a manual transmission from fans globally. Instead, Tada-san’s response was to look elsewhere in the Toyota range. “Customers who want a manual should choose the Toyota 86,” he said.

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The standard Supra isn’t lacking oomph or straight-line prowess. Powered by BMW’s proven B58, the 3.0-litre straight-six turbo is endowed with 250kW/500Nm and will reach 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. It uses a classic rear-drive layout, while the acclaimed ZF eight-speed auto takes care of shifting.

With both allocation runs for Australia being snapped up in minutes, getting your hands on one at all is going to prove difficult, such is the fanfare surrounding the Supra’s return. A third round of allocations is set to open soon, so if you want one, be ready to hit refresh repeatedly on September 25. Supra arrivals are set start down under in September.