This is one of the most controversial sports cars you can buy…which sucks becasue it’s one of the best sports cars for under $100,000
But of course nothing’s perfect so we’re here to cover the highlights both good and bad
This is the 2023 Toyota Supra
And the year is important because this is the first year that you can get the manual transmission
He Supra came out for 2020 and each year they’ve done something to it to make it better than the year before….which in this case comes to mean they’re finally offering the transmission option they should have offered from the jump
But anyway, let’s get into the best and the rest…starting with the rest
BAD:
1 – The BMW thing
We have to get this out of the way because I know that’s all half the comments are going to be.
Yes, it’s a BMW chassis
Yes, it’s a BMW engine
Yes, it’s a BMW interior
And some people will write off the Supra for those reasons exclusively, but the reality is that this car is still one of the most proficient sports cars that I test each year
It’s just good so the only reason I put this on the negative side of the video is because if you get one of these just be prepared for a bunch of irrelevant drivel to come your way
2 – The tech
This is what happens when you buy into a platform from another manufacturer that’s phasing out that generation of interior design and OS
This Supra still runs iDrive 7, which is a perfectly brilliant system, BTW
You still get ACP, no AA
You’ve got reverse cameras, but no 360
You’ve got a HUD
But if you were looking for the latest and greatest well you’re not getting iDrive 8 that BMW is rolling out to its whole lineup right now
Again, I don’t have an issue with the technology here, but it is a reminder htat BMW has moved onto a new tech generation from this car
3 – Steering wheel
This, I will admit is a total nitpick from me, but I have herd other people complain about it too
It’s the steering wheel – it’s too thin
The BMW M-Sport steering wheel is the best, girthiest steering wheel and the rest of the interior here is BMW except for the thing you interact with all the time
Would have liked a thiccer steering wheel…but whatever
4 – Still buffetting
This has been an issue since day 1 and I know you can fix it with a super cheap part from the aftermarket
But I shouldn’t have to go to the aftermarket simply to drive my car with the windows down over 40 mph
Fix it at the factory, Toyota, it’s been 4 years
But anyway, there’s a LOT to like about this supra so lets talk about that
GOOD:
1 – The Stick
Obviously we have to talk about this right away as it’s the big thing for this year
Personally, I think we should have gotten the stick right away when the car dropped in 2020, but at least it’s here now
It actually has a pretty good story
BMW doesn’t have a stick mated to a B58 anywhere in it’s lineup, even globally
So what Toyota had to do was take the stick from the base Z4 in Europe, and completely adapt it to fit the B58 here
So it’s BMW hardware, but with the Toyota reinforcements and programming and it’s awesome
First, it’s a no-cost option
Second the pedal box is perfect for heel & toe
Third, if you DON’T want to heel & toe on your own you have a really great auto rev-matching system…it’s toyota’s iMT
Fourth, I like that the clutch engagement is low in the pedal, it just feel nice and natural to me, and unlike the Z’s gearbox 1st and 2nd gear and I are friends
Fifth, the shift action is pretty solid, it’s a short and notchy throw and it feels rewarding
Sixth, I like that the cluster shows what gear you’re in before you’ve engaged the clutch so you can see if you’re going to miss a shift or if you’re about to slot in the wrong gear
Seventh, just a fun fact, but the manual saves 22lbs from the auto car
And lastly, you can only get the stick here in the 3.0 straight 6, not on the base
Overall, i really like this gearbox and I feel like this is the product the Supra should be – I feel more in control of the car and I feel like I better understand it now
Love the new manual
2 – The seats
This was an interesting one, but I’ve been having back pain like all winter from snowboarding
And while getting in and out of the car isn’t the most fun right now, the seats are AMAZING
I’m 6’1” and about 195 lbs
The seats PERFECTLy fit to my body
The bolsters hug my lower back without squeezing
And then they open up right around my lats so my shoulders aren’t pinched at all
Of course they’re heated as well, but not cooled, but they’re really nice seats
3 – The engine
It’s still the BMW B58 engine, but the more cars we test this engine in, the more we’re blown away by it
It’s super quick, it’s torquey, it pulls hard, and it’s shockingly efficient!
It makes 382 hp…which is more like 420
369 lbft
0-60 in the manual is done in 4.2 seconds
AND it’ll get close to 30 mpg on the highway
Plus it’s super robust and can take a lot more power through tunes and bolt ons
It’s a ridiculously good engine and will be the next generations LS swap
4 – The dynamics
Again, if you’re writing this car off simply because it’s a BMW it’s like being mad that your Toyota is really a Porsche or a McLaren
You get a brilliant and dynamic chassis
You get one of the best 6 cylinders money can buy
You get excellent damping and suspension tuning
Your steering is great
I love the athletic feeling i’m getting from the front end and these Michelin Super Sports
Toyota did do some reprogramming to the diff for the manual and it does feel a lot more predictable
The last year’s car had a tendency to bite you if you got on power too aggressively through a corner
The diff would seem to lock and send the back end around
This steps out more predictably and more organically
This is such a rewarding car to drive as you explore the limit
Oh and it’s PROPER FAST
5 – The Looks
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here this is a fantastic looking car
For 2023 you get this new Stratosphere Blue paint which looks good, but i’ll still take my Supra in yellow
You still get the LONG hood with the LONG running lights
You still get fake vents and I still don’t care about that
You do get a new design for your 19 inch forged wheels, they’re pretty good, but I like last year’s better
You still get carbon fiber wing mirrors
You still get teh double bubble roof
And you still get some of the more aggressively flared rear hips out there – I love it
And then around back you get the aggressively sculpted duckbill which looks excellent
The taillights fit the personality
And you get the F1 style reverse light in your huge black diffuser sandwiched between you dual exhuast
Your diffuser, side skirts, and front splitter make the car look so aggressive but it would look even better if you could drop the ride height half an inch
6 – The interior
And then finally we talk about the cabin
Sure it’s not BMW’s latest and greatest, but when you compare this interior to what you get on the Subaru-based GR86 or even the true Toyota GR Corolla..I can’t understand why people are complaining about the BMWness here
The interior design, materials, and build here are so far above anything Toyota would have done themselves
The carbon fiber on you center console
The aluminum running the dash
The leather on the seats
I mean, it’s just nice and it feel way more expensive and solid than it otherwise would have
Conclusion
So that’s the best and the rest of the 2023 Toyota Supra..with a manual
The Supra has been out for 4 model years now and 2023, with the manual is the best one so far so it’s almost a shame that they waited until the car was out this long to give us the best one
I get what they were trying to do with making improvements each year, but the original hype and attention is gone and I can’t help but feel like the Supra would have been more of a success for Toyota if they offered this manual, full power one form the jump
But regardless, an incredible sportscar. Maybe a bit overpriced at almost 60k as tested, but damn is it good