Manual sports car heroes! 2023 Toyota Supra FINALLY joins Nissan Z, Ford Mustang and others in offering affordable three-pedal fun

Toyota has finally let loose pricing for the much-anticipated manual Supra, but buyers hoping to save a few dollars on the three-pedal sports car will be disappointed.

And that’s because the manual Supra isn’t any cheaper than its automatic counterpart.

Available in both GT and GTS variants, the manual and automatic Supras as positioned at $87,000 (+$506) before on-road costs and $97,000 (+$506) respectively.

However, the manual version is 18kg lighter “to improve driving dynamics”, according to Toyota, and possibly shave some time off the zero-to-100km/h sprint.

For reference, the automatic version will hit the landmark triple-digit speed in 4.1 seconds.

The shift-it-yourself Supra also makes do with six gears, whereas the automatic has eight ratios to play with, potentially affecting the fuel economy rating which is pegged at 7.7 litres per 100km for the latter.

However, the manual Supra also has automatic rev-matching technology, so even those inexperienced at heel-and-toeing can feel like a professional race car driver.

And aside from the transmission differences, the 2023 Supra also scores a reworked power steering and stability control tune, designed to “enhance turning response during initial steering input”, as well as ventilated sports brakes with red-painted callipers.

Aside from the mechanical tweaks, the new Supra line-up is offered in three additional colours – Copper Grey, Azuer Blue and Matte White – but they come at the cost of the Suzuka Silver and Goodwood Grey options.

Finally, the top-spec GTS can be optioned with a tan-coloured interior, replacing the red on offer before, and each of the 19-inch wheels fitted to top-spec variants are now 1.2kg lighter.

Powering both transmissions is a BMW-sourced 285kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine, which sends drive to the rear wheels.

But the Toyota Supra isn’t the only affordable front-engined, rear-drive sports coupe with a manual transmission, and joins the following in offering the enjoyment of three-pedal driving.

Nissan Z

The Supra’s most direct rival, Nissan’s new Z arrived on the scene just last week, and offers up even more power from its 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6.

Drivers are afforded 298kW of power in the Nissan, but it must be said that there are 25 fewer Newtons in the Z (475Nm).

Regardless, Nissan has to be given credit for offering a manual version of its hero sports car from the get go, while it has taken Toyota three years to bring the three-pedal Supra to Australia.

Subaru BRZ

Though not as potent as the Nissan Z or Toyota Supra, the Subaru BRZ’s deficit in power is also matched by its deficit in pricetag.

On offer from $40,290, the Subaru BRZ is more than half the price of the Supra, but still offers plenty of driving enjoyment thanks to its 2.4-litre four-cylinder boxer engine.

With power and torque figures of 174kW and 250Nm respectively, there is more than enough performance for the BRZ to be enjoyable at legal speeds.

Mazda MX-5

The most affordable option in Australia for the manual, front-engine, rear-drive formula, Mazda’s perennial MX-5 also offers the appeal of open-top motoring.

While a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 135kW/205Nm might seem underwhelming compared to the company it keeps on this list, keep in mind its bantam 1058kg kerb weight.

And priced at $37,990, you could buy an MX-5 for the weekends and a sensible family SUV for the weekdays for the same price as a manual Toyota Supra.

Ford Mustang GT

It’s a bit cheeky putting this one on the list given orders books are now closed for the sixth-generation Ford Mustang ahead of a new-model reveal next month, but this pony car has long reigned as the most popular sports car in Australia.

With a mighty 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine up front, the Mustang GT lights up the rear wheels to the tune of 339kW/556Nm – making it the most powerful car on this list.

And just because its engine outputs are big, doesn’t mean it's pricetag is too, because with a starting price of $65,290, it undercuts both the Toyota Supra and Nissan Z… if you could still buy one, of course.