^^^^ exactly how I feel. I love the Toyota Supra, it was one of the few exciting creations to come from a mostly boring, reliable, dependable company. Now it’s just an ugly as fuck car with a soulless auto, BMW engine and Toyota badge. Lame as fuck

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
I don’t see much to get excited about with this new Supra. The lack of a manual transmission is borderline infuriating.

I agree with you, stickman.
I learned to drive a manual transmission when I was 15 and it's what I drove, in many different forms, until recently when there aren't too many offerings.

I don't believe the car is being marketed to those of us nostalgic for the Supras, Integras, Preludes, etc of the 80s and 90s.

Lack of a manual transmission is a deal breaker and not just for old farts like me.

True story:
I bought new front tires for my Focus at Sam's Club. The originals lasted 9,523 miles.

When I pulled up, one of the 20 something tire guys asked if it was manual. I replied it only comes with a 6-speed. His eyes lit up and he smiled while he asked if he could hug me. I said we're not going to hug, but it is a lot of fun with the manual.

I never had a Supra (went from an ‘80 280Z to pickups), but man I’d sure like to have that 1980 Z back. Didn’t care for the direction they went with that one either, first the 280ZX, then the 300ZX. Sigh...

A friend is married to Bikini Racer, who had for a bit the quickest Supra in class. He pointed me to Supra forum for what is an epic meme fest, including this sort of fun:

I had an 89' Supra Turbo with the targa roof and manual trans. I had a lot of fun in that thing.

quote:

Originally posted by alteon180e:
its partially financial, as it shares the 2019 Z4 platform. coupe/sports car sales pale in comparison to SUV/CUV and Trucks. no one wants to invest any serious money into the mid/budget market sports car...50k is now mid to low for these animals. Toyota and BMW could certainly do their own sports coupe, but sharing parts helps their bottom line...or so they assume. Dumb people like me wonder why a flat-6 or high output turbo 4 doesnt go into the 86 platform they built with Subaru.

i fall in love with almost all serious sport wagons...unfortunately i never get them...perpetual disappointment.

+1

This to me feels like they learned nothing from the FR-S/86’s failures, specifically the main complaint about it being terribly underpowered.

Uninspired, unexciting, dull, and exceedingly disappointing, the new Supra. It’s like they wanted to prove how boring they are as a company.

I, too, think it’s a big fail. Especially at $55,000 (for the launch edition).

I was pretty disappointed when I saw it the other day.

They can't win with a reissue like this. Fans of the old car will find something to dislike about anything they make now.

The front bumper / grill and air-vent openings are stolen from, er, 'inspired' by, Ferrari's Enzo.

Pretty lame move by Toyota.

jhe888, being the first to not have a manual or a backseat is a bit offputting to entheusists of the brand. I think they shouldn’t have made it if they were going to halfass it so poorly. Toyota should be ashamed to make such a horrible vehicle and call it a Supra.

It carries on NOTHING in the Supra lineage except maybe being overpriced and overrated in stock form.

A Supra will have to compete with Toyota’s own coupes in the Lexus lineup. That’s tough competition.

And the manual transmission is dead. Time marches on

For performance you need rear wheel drive. I assume this is front wheel drive?

You assumed wrong. But the assholes who made it probably considered FWD.

quote:

I always thought the 90s Supras were uninspired and dorky looking.

Yes

It looks like a Z4 raped a Miata and this is the result

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
jhe888, being the first to not have a manual or a backseat is a bit offputting to entheusists of the brand. I think they shouldn’t have made it if they were going to halfass it so poorly. Toyota should be ashamed to make such a horrible vehicle and call it a Supra.

It carries on NOTHING in the Supra lineage except maybe being overpriced and overrated in stock form.

You make my point. There would be some such complaint about any reinterpretation they could produce. Someone would always say that about some aspect of the car.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
They can't win with a reissue like this. Fans of the old car will find something to dislike about anything they make now.

You're probably right about those of us who are fans of the old car...
However, Toyota is not alone in this reissue.
It's a trend...

Detroit auto show 2019: Why GM, Ford, Toyota are bringing dead cars back to life

The resurrection trend now includes Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Jeep and Toyota, which are all resuscitating models that were discontinued years ago.

"A lot of these nameplates are quite iconic," said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at consultancy Portico Analytics. It "brings back a sense of nostalgia but with all the modern amenities."

It's Toyota's turn this week. In Detroit, the automaker will reveal the long-anticipated return of the Toyota Supra, a sports car that gained a cult following among Generation X in the 1980s and 1990s.

Next up: The Ford Bronco SUV is heading to dealerships as a 2020 model. Ford is seeking to recapture the intensely loyal following the Bronco had before the O.J. Simpson chase basically forced the company to discontinue the nameplate in the 1990s.

Cheaper than making it from scratch

Automakers typically retain trademarks for discontinued models. And they may not have to spend as much on marketing.

"They have the benefit of being recognized model names that the automakers already own," said Joe Wiesenfelder, executive editor of Cars.com. "Lo and behold they had these already paid for. So they can whip them out and use them."

They generate buzz

Just like the entertainment industry loves franchises and sequels, the built-in fan base for past vehicles makes them buzzworthy.

"It's easier sometimes to bring back an old nameplate and build on the awareness and the positive reaction," said Stephanie Brinley, auto analyst at IHS Markit.
Nostalgia sells

Quite simply, retro is in. Older drivers have fond memories of cars from days gone by. And younger consumers often view long-gone brands as authentic.

Many of these vehicles "transcend generations," said Jonathan Klinger, vice president of public relations at classic-car insurer Hagerty. "It's fun to look back at different eras."

https://www.usatoday.com/story...tro-cars/2546120002/

I actually like the looks of it, but it in no way reminds me of a Supra....rather a BMW which it basically is. How they could introduce it without a manual transmission is unthinkable.