---
title: "World’s First 2020 Toyota Supra With Manual Transmission Heads to SEMA 2019"
description: "Row, row, row your gears."
date: "2019-11-04"
modified: "2019-11-04"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Tsui"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-tsui"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/30821/worlds-first-2020-toyota-supra-with-manual-transmission-heads-to-sema-2019"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Toyota News"
tags:
  - "Coupe"
  - "GR Supra"
  - "sports car"
  - "Toyota"
---

# World’s First 2020 Toyota Supra With Manual Transmission Heads to SEMA 2019

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/11/manual-supra-conversion.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Electric [vehicles may have overtaken manual transmissions](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/30774/electric-vehicles-now-outsell-cars-with-manual-transmissions-in-the-us-report>) in terms of sales in the U.S., but among enthusiasts, the passion for the stick is still strong. Case in point: San Antonio, Texas tuner European Auto Group (EAG) has done what Toyota and BMW refused to do and fitted the [2020 GR Supra](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/30652/the-first-wrecked-2020-toyota-supra-finally-turns-up-at-a-salvage-auction>) with an honest-to-goodness six-speed manual transmission. And after weeks of hard work, the car is finally ready for SEMA 2019.

EAG has documented the build pretty extensively on [YouTube](<https://youtu.be/ETq0Ke5QET4>), and as seen in their most recent video, the three-pedaled Supra can now move under its own power. "We did it. We got it running. Shifts through the gears, clutch feels great, engagement's smooth, no grinding," said shop owner Art Bartosik.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4VIz6wl2xR

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4VwgNmlm0O

Notably, this isn't the first car EAG has performed a manual conversion on. The Texas outfit was also responsible for [that gated six-speed Ferrari 458 Italia we reported on over the summer](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/28393/think-of-the-children-texas-shop-builds-ferrari-458-italia-with-six-speed-gated-manual>) as well as the world's first manual-converted 430 Scuderia.

As of Friday, some bits of the Supra's altered interior still needed some final buttoning up but we fully expect the car to be completely finished when it hits the show floor at [SEMA](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/30814/1000-hp-dodge-challenger-sema-build-stolen-rammed-into-police-car-days-ahead-of-show>) this week. According to [*CarBuzz*](<https://carbuzz.com/news/the-manual-toyota-supra-will-be-more-special-than-we-thought>), the center buttons controlling lane keep assist, traction control, auto stop/start, and parking brake had to be relocated while the climate control buttons had to be pushed in 2.5 inches to accommodate the car's manual shifter.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3sMygxl1E2

Fortunately, this isn't just a one-off engineering exercise made to generate internet buzz, because interested Supra owners will be able to ship their cars to EAG and have 'em converted. Granted, it'll cost a decent chunk of change and there will most likely be a long waiting list. The shop told *CarBuzz* that it plans on carrying out just 16 swaps next year, each costing a total of $12,000 with a $6,000 upfront deposit.

It doesn't look like EAG is finished with the mad manual conversions either because listed under "Future Development" on the shop's [website](<https://www.gatedsix.com/forsale>) is a little-known car called the [Chevrolet C8 Corvette](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/30133/the-2020-chevrolet-corvette-c8-convertible-reveal-is-about-to-begin>).

## Author
Chris Tsui is *The Drive*'s former Reviews Editor and current freelance automotive journalist. He's based in Toronto.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/cltsuii/>)