Car fans have always taken stick shifts for granted, but demand is rising now that they may be extinct. The 2023 Toyota GR Supra is the latest sports car to offer many manual builds. Toyota told Road & Track that 47% of 2023 GR Supras have clutch pedals. This is shocking because the new Supra didn’t come with a stick, and the manufacturer believed only one in four buyers would choose it. Toyota has sold 2,500 Supras with the BMW-made, well-tuned manual gearbox. There are 1,216 GR Supras with this option. Many sports cars and sedans have high manual take rates. Official estimates show 30% of Cadillac’s Blackwing automobiles were hand-built. Most Acura Integra bookings were handwritten. Not mentioned is Porsche, which reported 70% of its 911 GT3s sold in the US were manual. Determining if the tide is turning is impossible, but a strong enthusiast market is emerging. Because automobiles are becoming more electrified and consumers demand bigger, higher-riding cars, many fans buy new cars with manual gearboxes. People who have never driven a clutch-pedal car realise time is running out, and they must act swiftly. The experience continues beyond Toyota’s sales success. Other automakers may offer sticks as a fun configuration rather than a cheap one. EVs and crossovers will dominate the market, but customers and some automakers still prefer manual gearboxes.
