Sunday, December 22, 2024

2025 Toyota GR Supra Ditches Four-Cylinder Engine, Keeps Manual Transmission

Must read

The fifth-generation Supra has entered the 2025 model year in the United States, where it’s changed a bit from the outgoing Supra. Rather than $46,440 for the most basic of 2024 specs, the newcomer starts at $56,250 – sans destination charge – in 3.0 flavor. In other words, the four-cylinder engine has finally been retired.

Looking at the bigger picture, it was a mistake to charge this kind of money for a Supra with the 2.0-liter mill of the BMW 330i. Thankfully, the manual transmission soldiers on. That is hardly surprising to car enthusiasts like you and me, especially after Toyota explained how much effort went into giving the Supra a manual.

As mentioned, the 3.0 starts at $56,250 for 2025, making it $850 pricier than before. Higher up the spectrum, the 3.0 Premium is coming to a dealership near you at $59,400 (plus $1,095 for the destination fee) as opposed to $58,550 (plus the same delivery fee) for model year 2024.

Arriving this fall, the 2025 Toyota GR Supra rear-drive thriller sweetens the deal with a complimentary membership to the National Auto Sport Association. The complimentary one-year membership results in benefits that include discounted admission to NASA events and one free High Performance Driving Event (HPDE).

Equipped with Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber, the Supra is rocking a single-turbo sixer with 382 horsepower and 368 pound-feet (almost 500 Nm). Said resources are channeled to the rear wheels by ZF-supplied transmissions, namely the 8HP torque-converter automatic or the S6-53 manual with GR Supra-exclusive modifications.

Photo: Toyota

The row-your-own transmission features automatic rev matching, a function that can be turned off as long as Individual Mode is selected. Those who fail to synchronize engine speed with wheel speed will disrupt the balance of the vehicle. In rear-drive cars, consequences include the dreaded uncontrollable spin due to rear wheel lock-up.

60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) takes 4.2 seconds or 3.9 seconds, respectively. It goes without saying that ZF’s automatic is that little bit easier on fuel, with gas mileage estimated at 26 mpg (9.0 l/100 km) versus 21 mpg (11.2 l/100 km) for the manual. Toyota didn’t even mention the manual’s EPA rating in the attached release.

Speaking of which, the most efficient V8-powered Mustang for 2024 nets 18 mpg (13 l/100 km) in the combined test cycle from a free-breathing V8 with a displacement of 5.0 liters. Although not as capable on the track in base form as the GR Supra 3.0, the 2024 Mustang GT Fastback is much more affordable at $42,460.

The seventh-gen Mustang isn’t going away anytime soon, but the Supra could be canned in 2026. Considering that BMW is expected to stop Z4 production at Magna Steyr’s Austrian facility in March 2026, the 2026 model year could be the final one for the Supra as well. That said, it’s not known if the much-anticipated GRMN Supra will drop for model year 2025 or if we’ll have to wait a bit longer for it.

Latest article