Toyota GR Supra Manual vs Porsche 718 Cayman GTS Manual vs BMW M2 Manual - Head to Head Review! 

I got my 2023 Toyota Supra A91 delivered 3 weeks ago. I can tell you that you are right about the manual transmission being the best of the 3. Such a fun car to drive. The M2 Comp 6MT was my 2nd choice. 😊

You nailed the articulation of differences between the 718 GTS and M2C. The M2’s charm is, in part, the exercise in car control and the ability to drive on the limit of grip in many more circumstances (and more of the time) compared to the 718. The M2 is, based on my experiences with both, quite like a bigger, faster, and more upscale GR86/BRZ. It’s weirdly surprising how much you can exercise the M2 on public roads. Limits of the 718 are tougher to flirt with on public roads. The 718 in stock form is more communicative and predictable at the limit compared to the stock M2. However, its limits out of the box are much higher, which is a mixed blessing. I love the 718 in all guises and powertrains. Driven many on track and roads. The 2.5 turbo allows more throttle-oversteer provocation than the sixes, but there is no bad way to go with the 718 cayman. If you can afford it, I recommend a midengine, bespoke platform for precision, but combined with a front-engine, RWD platform for the sheer fun of car control.

Non LCI M2 with low mileage is still 40-45k LCI M2 is 44-49k. M2 under 40k probably has over 70k miles on it.

All of this just reminds me of how fantastic the GR86 is. If they ever put in a motorsport/better sounding engine and kept evolving the steering feedback (think of it as a STI/GRMN version like Porsche does with their GT lines) it would take one of the best sports cars that can be enjoyed on the streets and elevate it to the Gods. I don't own one but did Turo it and was blown away. I have owned performance cars for 20 years.

The Porsche short shift kit is highly rated, I put one on my old 987 Boxster S and my 981 Spyder came that way. It feels like a bolt action rifle.

Pumping out the videos. Thanks Zygrene!!

I was cross shopping these three and actually talked to you about it and I'm glad you convinced me to buy the Supra. It really is a great all around car.

Finally someone compares the supra and the 718. THANK YOU!

I owned a 2018 m2 6MT for 5 years and sold it for an Elantra N recently. Unbelievably, I don’t actually think about or miss the M2 at all unless I encounter a situation where I want to slide it. Overall the Elantra N is actually far more engaging and talkative than the M2 and reminds me of M cars of old [Thanks Albert Beirmann]🎉

It's here!! Been looking forward to more GR M/T Supra videos. Can't wait for you to review the CT4-V Blackwing. There's one on Turo in the area... So tempting

Great comparison video! I have a 981 Boxster S, and watching this video, it gave me a few thoughts: 1. I just can't love the turbo 4 engine note. The new engine is more capable performance-wise, but give me the NA flat 6 all day. 2. Watching the Supra able to shift up to 4th gear on that road gave me envy. That car looks like a blast to drive, and it's actually geared appropriately for roads like that. 3. Building on that last point, I'll fight to my last breath that the better transmission for 718/Cayman/Boxsters of these generations is the PDK. The manual shifter is pointless when you only get to rev through 2nd gear, shift to 3rd, then have to brake for the next turn. The NA versions of these cars also really benefit from the easier/faster shifting by the german robot. 4. I just don't love most BMWs, and the lack of grip is why. I must say, though, I'm really impressed by their partnership on the Supra. That car is quite the performer.

Imagine fitting better tires onto the Supra? It's a fantastic piece of hardware, and I give kudos to BMW and Toyota for continually improving it.

hey bro just saying you are one of my favorite car channels now, its just so clean, simple and good content thank you and keep on making it

This is an incredible comparison. The details in the differences between the cars are excellent. Zygrene is simply one of the best car reviewers I know of. He actually provides real, useful information to a potential buyer.

This has inspired me to go on a canyon run to the snow dusted mountains above San Diego in my bugeyes WRX wagon tomorrow just to go for a fun drive. Great review!

I bought one of the special edition A91-MT Supras in CU Later Gray 2 weeks ago, and I honestly love the car. I'm coming from an S2000, and it doesn't feel as raw or turn in as sharply as the S2K, but it still feels really great, it has just enough of a premium feel to make you feel comfortable and feel like you're in a nice place (especially with the Cognac interior of the A91-MT), and of course the power and torque is way better. It does feel like a heavier car though, but the chassis also feels really good, and it rides well. I like both the S2000 and new Supra for very different reasons. For me, the S2000 will make a lot more sense as a raw track car, while the Supra will be the fast, comfortable, stylish daily driver. I still would like to get ahold of a GR86 too though. :)

Great review, and good insight regarding the flywheel on the Supra.. completely agree

The best channel

This channel deserves more subs and views

M2 for 35-40k in good condition? Sign me up, but I can’t find that anywhere.

Fenton- excellent comparison as always. I am surprised to hear about slop in the 2.5 Cayman gearbox. Was the Cayman 4.0 better in this regard? I am wondering if it is is a car specific situation with this particular Cayman example, as Jubbai said the same in his prior review.

Yes!!! I’ve been waiting for this video. Thank you so much as I narrowed my choices to these three exactly

Great video, love that supra!

I was cross shopping all of those and ended up with a GT350 lol.

Absolutely crazy someone paid $90k for a four cylinder and yes I’ve driver two GTS Caymans. Get the 4.0 GTS. Personally I would go M2 because I like driving with my windows down which you can’t in the Supra

Dang it again? No cow pun?! I want a cow pun next time, please.

WUT! I have a 981 gt4 and am considering the SUPA! Can't wait to hear your thoughts

Zygrene is really upping his game. Loved this comparison. Honestly all great but Supra would be my choice for the looks, engine sound, and best manual transmission

Mrs. Cows sir. Thanks for the great compassion review. Cross shopping these platforms, perfect timing!

great video! these all seem like the next step if i ever get sick of my fk8

Would be interesting to see how a base cayman would fare in this comparison. It would be closer price wise to the Supra.

Really appreciate the video. I am curious about an additional car. I know you didn’t like the C7 Zr1 on the track but I wonder how a C7 GS would stack up. I have one and do enjoy it but wonder about it against the 3 you tested to day. I believe the current price range is around 55-66k. Its a wide car with poor rear 3/4 visibility so not as good as a city car as the other 3 but offers an open top experience / high limits / reliability and relatively free revving V8. I would offer mine but I live in MS.

Great video, any comments on visibility of supra. Turoed one and could not get over the lack of visibility. Unfortunately ruined it for me

Really glad I came across this. I got my A91-MT back in October and have given praise for the shifter in the Supra. Given who it is made by, it does not feel like it's relatives which is great. The steering is so much better (at least) than the previous gen Supra. There is a noticeable difference with suspension and steering in comparison to my old 2022 Supra. 🥳

If you think in terms one of the last pure ICE cars would you rather take a BRZ (light, NA) or Supra manual (semi light, more power) ?

You know someone's from Cali when they say "Mr. Cows" 😂

With the cayman you may lose the awesome 6 cylinder sound but you gain serious tuning potential with a factory turbo engine. Tunes gain 50-100hp. So you can get the higher performance of the more expensive versions with much less costly mods instead.

Thank you for uploading! Thanks dude

This video just makes me want a 981 S. Best of all worlds for around $45k used

Also the n55b is not the same as the n55 that’s in those other mentioned vehicles it shares quite a bit from the s55 and has forged internals, improved cooling and is a very capable and potent reliable engine. What makes an m car is more than just the engine it’s the chassis. Great and amazing vid.

Really good analysis of all three of these cars. I've owned two M2s, completely agree with you. The weakness of that car is the high center of gravity and the weight.

The 718 would definitely have benefited from disabling SoundAktor. Fake engine noise invariably ruins the analog feel of cars and makes them sound like a blender. I have yet to see a remotely decent execution on the concept. The GTS 2.5 also has an advantage over the GTS 4.0 in terms of tunability. a Stage 1 93 octane tune from APR brings it up to 442 crank horsepower.

The more I read and watch anything on the manual supra, the more I want one. Been looking for a 718 Cayman for some time, but it looks like the best bang for your buck may just be a new manual Supra.

You should do an OG M2 vs 981 Cayman S

Unfortunately the M2 isn't 30k range in good condition. More towards 40k to 50k, 45K average.

This episode was filmed in Swiss Alps. Nice comparison.

Nice comparison of two BMWs and a Porsche! 😄I have the same Manual Transmission Preservation Society sticker that's on the M2 on my MINI Cooper S.

I can say I miss my M2C in terms of an every day driver I could take to the track and then back home. My gripe with the M2 was how much work you had to put into driving it at the limit on the track. That weight (which is even more than the regular M2 by 200lbs) would definitely rear it’s ugly head when on the track. Daily use, it was more than plenty and very fun to hoon through corners! I hope to some day drive the Supra in a manual on track and hope to fall in love!

I know I’m in the minority, but I’d drive the flat four in the Porsche. I kinda like the exhaust note

Sub 40 degrees summer tires are useless. My GR Supra had no traction period with the michelin pilot SS

Tempting me to buy a Supra MT in burnout white 💙

Honestly I feel like the Supra offers amazing value for under $60k new.

Another awesome vid! I need to drive a cayman asap! Love the size.

lmaooo the cows 10:27

Great vid! I have an '18 Cayman GTS. I put a Porsche sport shifter on it and improved the shift feel, shortened the stick and throws...but not too much. It's a bit of a bear to get in reverse...but otherwise, much more intuitive and "right" over the stock shifter. That said, clutch take-up is a complaint I had with my '06 Cayman S that follows with this car. It's a little tricky to make consistent smooth starts. If you don't it can make a noise somewhere in back that doesn't feel expensive. Agree that it is a riot to drive and look at. No regrets on this purchase. I bought it new...traded for a 4 month old 19 Carrera T...which felt to "GT" for my taste, although I completely loved its 3L TT engine.

Upvoting for the cow cameo! Just kidding, great comparison video. Love all three cars.

Hey Fenton, put in the order for the GR Supra manual as your next upgrade from the GR 86. :) It is a good 6-7 months wait, ask me how I know :)

shoutout to mr cows

Props for doing a proper comparison. I'm amazed by how BMW fanboys like Jason Camissa tore Supra to shreds as an inferior M2 without noticing that one is a dedicated sports car, the other is a hooligan-mobile

Should’ve put the caption “Holy cow “ 😅

I wonder how the driving experience in a M2 competition compares to that cayman gts

would love to see you do a head to head comparison of the manual supra vs the new nissan z

Snow and Cows lmao. The next version of Cocaine Bear

but how come you and the RU-vidr Jubbal & cars have identical content? Same cars, same comparison, same thumbnails even… it’s good content don’t get me wrong but it’s confusing to see. Maybe you guys should join forces

I love driving the M2 in the rain because the rear end will unexpectedly kick out, and regaining control is so rewarding and fun.

Oof. Driving on summer tires in the canyons while it's cold and snowing is a bad idea. Good way to wrap yourself around a tree.

OMG! GET OUT OF THE SUPRA! (Just kidding. At about 17:15 it looks like there is someone in a light colored jacket lurking in the rear hatch area. Later you don't see it.) Given the near-snowy conditions, what was your ambient temperature? Just curious, because if these are pure summer performance tires (not all-season) you are possibly running them below recommended temperature range, and they might be a little stiff. The M2 is obviously the odd man out here, given that it is based on the coupe and has a rear seat, but if you need the utility, the other two aren't even on the table. Glad to see that Toyota took the effort to make the MT an excellent one. For the 86 fans, it is unfortunate that they couldn't graft the Supra automatic into the 86 instead of that Lexus sourced 6-speed auto. Even if you hate automatics, the more 86/BRZ they sell, the better the odds that they will continue to make and sell them. Having a good automatic might help keep overall sales volume higher. Great job with the drives and review.

Do I think GR Supra Manual is worth $60K no, but in the U.K we have Used Autos for $50K which I’m aiming for. Interesting comparison went as I thought it would. Surprised gearbox in GR Supra better than GR86 / BRZ but nice to hear Toyota tuned the GR Supra gearbox well.

IMO, it's easier to produce an MR that's dedicated to being a sports car and nothing else, than it is to produce an FR coupe that is supposed to be more of an all rounder. I guess this is why Porsche don't bother doing FR coupes, the only FR's they produce are SUV's. So as a sports car, obviously the Cayman was always going to come out on top over the M2 and the 'Supra' Porsche are the king's of Sports Cars. They imo have the best track focused sports car (GT4RS) and a wide range of fantastic road focused sports cars. It's what they do.

Save the manuals !.

Question for Fenton and other M2 fans/owners. N55 M2? Or M2 Comp? I much prefer the sound of the N55 and that the original M2 is a bit cheaper but wanted to see peoples opinions and preferences between the two. Thanks!

do not understand that Supra rear trunk is open into the cockpit… !?

Great comparison. I just picked up an M2C. I was looking for a Supra but mark ups steered me away. I agree about the seating position and the feel of the manual. Could use some improvement.

M2 and Supra would be suit for DCT or AT. 718 has PDK and MT both good. From my experience.

Love seeing a properly priced sports car, versus just charging 40,000 over its value for a badge. Porsche has lost its way, and its roots

Mr Cow 😂 ; Trans cow 😂, great video, great review, thank you, great commentary, 💯💯💯💯

Haven't seen snow in 11 years and say it should make for more fun. I'm glad you didn't end up in a ditch lol. Love the supra, fantastic package.

The cayman also has torque vectoring

Dude - you put the M2 into MDM mode - not sport or sport + :D

I have the a91mt in Cu later gray and truly love it. Porsche is just overpriced. Supra is probably the best BMW has to offer but not priced by BMW

Hm.. so I’ve been following your channel for the last year and I agreed/liked most of your takes. But I had a completely different experience with my Supra. Some background- I owned a 981S/6spd, A91 SE manual Supra, G80 m3 50jahre, and a street/track 128i (which now has 235whp, lsd, coilovers, etc). When I got the Supra, I was legitimately excited for a “cayman” replacement- a $60k-ish 2 seater with great driving dynamics and premium feel. After all, I’m a big BMW guy and the Supra was very much a Z4M coupe replacement type car. I regret to say that the Supra was very disappointing to me in a number of ways and I sold it almost immediately (after doing 3 autocrosses with it). Here’s my take: 1. Shifter, while very notchy, was almost too notchy. I preferred my 128’s shifter tbh (which I also prefer over the m2’s gearbox). The shifter was also set back a little too far back (like an Aston) and I had to do this “right angle” thing with my arm to shift properly. Clutch also felt it engaged a bit too high for my liking. 2. Steering - while very quick and direct, lacked so much feel. It felt like I was operating a Logitech steering wheel. The fast steering was very nice to have in autocross though. It made the car feel very light. However, when I steered the car, it almost felt like the turning wheels were closer to the middle of the car versus out to the front. Almost like it needed more caster. Could my alignment have been off? Maybe. But the sensation that I experienced was very weird and I didn’t feel like I could trust the car. It did feel better in an autocross setting, but around time, it felt weird and disconnected. 3. Throttle and brakes were awesome. No complaints. Minimal turbo lag. Best brakes I’ve had on a BMW. 4. Power - it could not put the power down between 1-2. Even when I was being very smooth in feeding the throttle, the immense wave of torque overwhelmed the whole chassis. On a 1-2 shift (while being smooth with throttle), the torque would jolt the chassis and it would do this squishy reflex thing. It did not feel like I could put the power down. Maybe it was due to the short wheelbase, FR layout. It wouldn’t be fair to compare this to the Cayman’s MR layout but even the G80 M3 was supremely better at this. More on this later. 5. Seating position/size - I just could not find a good seating position. I couldn’t get low enough and the car felt so tiny inside. Cayman wins big time here. Seats were comfy but not as good as even Porsche’s 14 way seats, IMO. I’d also hop into my G80 for A/B drives and the new M bucket seats (and the driving position they offered) are clearly superior than the Supra’s. Overall, the car felt a bit too digital for me (which is weird because I’m about to compare it to the G80 M3). I wish I loved it because it was a very nice, appropriate price point for what you got. While owning this Supra, I also owned that G80 M3 and the 128. The Supra made the M3 feel *immense* in its feel and connection. Granted, I had the bucket seats (which I loved, btw), the G80 had WAY more steering feedback and chassis connection. Older BMW’s would’ve killed to have the G80’s chassis advancements (I’m looking at the E39 M5- which the G80 seems to be a replacement for with its big size and power. You always felt you could put all 500hp+ down even in RWD mode. BMW clearly saved the best for themselves and I suspect the new G87 M2 will be very good because of how good the G80 was (though porky). Then I’d hop into my little 128 and it was like having ginger while eating sushi. The 128, in all it’s lowly form, was a palate cleanser, revealing good FR balance, spiky-ness from its short wheelbase, and has very good FR behaviors: brake, turn in and trail, feed throttle, wot- traditional stuff. Yet I loved driving my 128 and I really disliked the Supra. At the end, the Supra was sold in 2mo after 3 autocrosses. I had fun with it but I just couldn’t gel with it the way I did with a G80 M3 (which should’ve been more digital) and even my 128, let alone a Cayman. My 2 cents. Appreciate your reviews.

Love that Supra 👏🏻

I think this review went straight to the garbage as soon as I saw freezing temps, snow, and original run flat Michelin pilot super sport tires from 2018 on the M2. It is not a “German muscle” car, it’s precisely the opposite.

I know that Livermore road like the back of my hand! Used to rip my s2000 through there! Lol

Wow Am surprised the supra shifter feel is even better than the 718. BMW shifter feel is known to be trash.

Three of the best German recent sport cars*

Fake exhaust sound through the speakers much?

Did they really get rid of the auto-stop/start for the manual Supras? The spec-sheet said they did. It's cool to see a modern manual sports car with no stop/start, cylinder deactivation, skip-shifting, etc.

Those cows. 😍😍

Man it sucks to hear that the M2 is a bit loosey goosey. I want it to be the agile track focused option for good value on the used market but it sounds like it just isn't that. Maybe some mods would sharpen it up

BMW should really stop calling themselves the “ultimate driving machine” before they cause a class action lawsuit for false advertisement 😂

How does compare BRZ to the M2? Is more fun the BRZ right?😌

14:12 These *3* german machines.

You’re the first to not comment on how cramped the Supra interior is so I take it you are a smaller guy haha Great review, I’m literally trying to decide between a manual Supra or a Cayman GTS with PDK.

Thanks for another great head to head video review! You're right about the tail-happy nature of BMWs. Even when not driving super aggressivel my rear tires were down to the cords, on the inside edge, after only 10,000 miles. Mr. cows? Even in this age of gender fluidity that's a bit of a stretch.

This should be a base cayman or a cayman t, not a GTS! That GTS is nowhere near these two cars price wise!

You seemed to have more fun in the M2

The 4cyl caymans are going to fall a lot in value. not as much as normal cars, but much more than the flat 6 ones. The future bargain porsche.

Supra is the best for the price

I think the base M3 would have been a better comparison. It's RWD, less $ than the 718, and the GR has the same manual 6 with basically the same S58 engine, but with single turbo.