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Source: Toyota announcement
PLANO, Texas – From the moment of its launch in 2019 the GR Supra captured the spirit of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – one that’s all about the joy of driving. For 2023, it adds another dynamic element: a six-speed intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT), as well as retuning of the braking control systems and suspension.
Tuned for Traction, Stability and Agility
The GR Supra’s traction and braking have been optimized for operation with a manual transmission.
With an automatic, it’s possible to use second gear when pulling away uphill when opposite wheels are on surfaces with different grip levels – for example, when the car is parked on partly icy road, progress is smooth with no rolling back or wheel slip. With a manual gearbox, first gear must be used and releasing the clutch brings a greater risk of wheel spin. To address the issue, Toyota engineers have tuned the car’s TRAction Control (TRAC) system to achieve smooth operation like that experienced with an automatic. The system is also optimized for the GR Supra’s characteristic high engine torque, wide tires and rear-wheel drive.
The car’s behavior when accelerating out of a corner is a key element in the “Fun to Drive” quality Toyota has developed for the GR Supra. For the new manual version, the traction control has again been the focus to ensure an ideal balance of agility and stability when exiting a corner on the throttle. TRAC intervention has been calibrated to maintain stability – so the car keeps faithfully to the driver’s intended line – while allowing the right amount of power for a sporty experience.
The ambition to make the GR Supra fun to drive in the most demanding scenarios has helped inspire the introduction of a new Hairpin+ function. This is designed to allow more freedom and reward when taking tight bends on an uphill gradient (more than 5 percent) with a high-friction road surface. More “freewheel” spin can make such routes more enjoyable to drive, so Toyota has optimized engine torque control to allow a greater difference in the degree of wheel spin on the left and right-side tires.
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To counter the possibility of “snap-off” oversteer – something that may be hard to control with the car’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) alone – an Anti-Roll Program (ARP) has been adopted for both the manual and automatic versions of the GR Supra. This intervenes at an earlier point with the VSC to cover any sudden loss of grip when the car’s high-response suspension setting it used.
In addition, the Track mode has been tuned to allow for easy drifting with freedom of throttle control. The vehicle remains agile, but there is less risk of spinning thanks to specific engine and torque control. To view the entire announcement, click HERE
