I wouldn't be mad at a Supra with the LC500 V8 paired to a good 6-speed manual
I wouldn't be mad at a Supra with the LC500 V8 paired to a good 6-speed manual
I think that Toyota began from the premise that an inline six is an inseparable part of the Supra, and everything else proceeded from there, in particular the BMW collaboration. Ie they'd rather have a car with the 'right' mechanical layout using other people's parts, than a pure-bred Toyota with a V6 or V8.
True. Still best to wait for the manual version, or one with a good DCT.
I agree it would be best to have a manual or dual clutch gearbox - that perfect direct link between engine and road, and what I would choose if the choice was there.
I also remember having a flame war with Randycat (?) when I said that torque converter automatics are inherently inferior and not worthy of any driver's car, IIRC. But.. that was almost two decades ago. Automatics have changed a lot since, and dare I say it, I may have changed a little bit too. It's anyone's guess when Toyota might deign to offer its customers full control of their drivetrain - as early as next year, at a mid-life refresh, only as a rare and pricey special run-out edition, never? I guess it depends upon how hard it is to do, what BMW are doing, and on whether Toyota see a business case for offering one. But in a position where I'd really like a new car in the first half of 2020 (if I can swing it), then I'm open to taking a test drive and seeing how the ZF8 auto stacks up in proper driving.
Local dealer had an already sold Launch Edition sitting outside today, stopped by to take a gander. It is roughly the size of my BRZ overall but much lower in terms of suspension and roofline, and the interior looks much more snug and encompassing. The "F1 nose" still looks ridiculous and is my least favorite part of the car, especially with the weird sensors protrusions for the front bumper. The rear bumper doesn't seem that great either, the actual bumper is a huge chunk of black plastic that doesn't seem to fit well aesthetically with the pearl white paint. What I could see of the interior looked quality, obviously leap years ahead of the BRZ. It's obviously overall a nice car, just not something visually pleasing to me and I'm certainly not in the market for a $58k sports car.
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