This quote from Tada to R&T makes it sound like the 86 has a solid future; otherwise their would be no concern of manual (especially the 4cylinder) Supra poaching the 86 market. I haven’t seen this discussed much, especially with all the recent fake news flowing out over the last week or so:
Tada explained that the potential for a manual Supra is complicated by the positioning of the 86, which, of course, offers a stick shift. "I don't want to sound too business-y, but I also need to support the 86. Looking at the role of the 86 and the role of the Supra, I want to differentiate, make sure they each have their own identity," he said. "If the Supra had a manual transmission, there's nowhere for the 86 to go."
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-sho...-future-plans/