The manual is slower to 100 than the 8 speed auto….”Shocker” (not). Driving enjoyment in one of these is not about lining your car up in a straight line and booting it for 4-5 seconds , a skill most P platers (hell, most L platers) can carry off without too much trouble. Not to mention the selection of high powered SUV / School Run Taxi’s that are just as quick these days….load ’em up with driver aids, and hand over the keys to your Mum.
The manual V auto debate died a long time ago…these days, Auto/PDK/SMG etc is faster every time all things being equal (particularly around a track)…but not necessarily more engaging and “fun” when the driving conditions are right. That’s where the Supra, BRZ and others of the ilk come into their own…..perhaps an element of the “Driving a slow car fast V a fast car slow” adage comes into play here.
But do the handling updates not mentioned here translate to a perceptively better drive? Toyota press lists revised suspension bushes, retuned elect steering & stability control systems, revised adaptive dampers and for the GTS almost 5kg shaved off the unsprung weight with new 19″ forged wheels. “Brilliant…sports car”, “well sorted”, “well planted” but 7.7. Are you marking down a 2-seater sports car base on practical space and ‘comfort’ measured against SUVs?
For 2023, Toyota has rounded up those numbers to $87,000 for the GT and $97,000 for the GTS.
