A J29/DB The Toyota Supra is a sports automobile that Toyota has been manufacturing since 2019. It is primarily sold as the Toyota GR Supra. It succeeded the preceding model, the A80, whose production ceased in 2002, and is marketed under the Gazoo Racing (GR) name. The G29 BMW Z4 and the GR Supra were built on the same platform and were jointly developed by GR and BMW. The Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria, makes both automobiles.
The fifth-generation Supra is identified as a J29 series with DB model codes and adheres to BMW model code norms. To retain continuity with other Supra models, Toyota used the “A90” and “A91” codes in promotional and marketing materials for the fifth generation Supra.
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A Toyota badge with BMW bones on the new Supra
Working together between various automakers is not uncommon. Cost and production time savings, as well as the utilization of shared technologies and resources, are frequent advantages of collaboration. Ford has already partnered with Mazda, Toyota has done it with Subaru, and BMW is currently collaborating with Jaguar Land Rover on electrification technology. Toyota and BMW have a long-standing cooperation that recently gave rise to the most recent version of the revered Supra, Toyota’s illustrious mid-sized sports car.
The new Supra, which is now in its fifth generation, doesn’t resemble the BMW Z4 with which it shares parts at all. It has fascinating shapes and pointed-looking headlights, whilst the Z4 has a curvier, more rounder style. The Supra’s bold dimensions can look a little off-putting from certain perspectives. It also sports a distinctive front fascia, as opposed to the safer, more traditional BMW look of the Z4’s.
Even though both vehicles are two-door sports cars, the Supra has a hardtop while the Z4 is only available as a convertible.
However, the new Supra contains a sizable amount of components with BMW stamps underneath. For instance, the inline-six engine came from BMW, but Toyota’s engineers tweaked it especially for the Supra. The chassis is identical to the Z4’s, and BMW likewise provides the eight-speed automatic transmission. The Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria, produces both vehicles.
The cooperation makes sense both economically and culturally. Toyota understood it had to offer the new Supra a straight-six engine in order to maintain the tradition set by earlier iterations of the Supra.
So instead of spending the time and money necessary to design and construct its own new straight-six, Toyota opted to use BMW’s.
According to Motor Trend, BMW decided against building a new version of a low-volume convertible because the costs associated with doing so would have been too high. BMW was able to release the new Z4 and the new Supra last year thanks in part to financial support from Toyota.
2020 Toyota Supra vs. 2020 BMW Z4 M40i: Stepsibling Rivalry
Yes, we are aware. Underneath the new Toyota Supra is a BMW. You don’t have to keep feigning shock over it. The mere discovery of a BMW emblem on a component under the Supra’s hood does not constitute proof of a plot. The BMW Code is not a book that Dan Brown will pen.
Both BMW and Toyota have been very open about their agreement: Toyota sent a sizable check, while BMW supplied the mechanical components for the most recent Z4 and the Supra. The Supra, though, makes it clear that Toyota has designed its own swoopy hardtop version of these brothers from separate moms. However, do let us know if you discover any Toyota-branded items inside the Z4’s engine. We’ll start a thorough inquiry. Otherwise, let’s determine once and for all which of these two nearly identically sized, nearly identically performing two-seat sports vehicles utilizes the same fundamental components more effectively. Be aware that a coupe and a roadster aren’t typically comparable. But then again, we also wouldn’t typically compare a Toyota to a BMW.
The new Z4 roadster’s increased hardware will be used by the fifth-generation Supra.
When it was announced several years ago, Toyota’s desire to collaborate with BMW on the Supra/Z4 joint project raised quite a few eyebrows. We are only a few weeks away from the A90’s premiere in Detroit after a painstakingly long path to the official unveiling of the vehicle. The fifth-generation Supra will have a BMW engine under the hood when it shows up at NAIAS. Chief engineer Tetsuya Tada gave an interview to Automotive News Europe in which he outlined the justification for choosing to get the Supra’s engine from a different automaker.
In a drag race, the 2020 Supra would lose to its BMW M440i sibling.
In case you somehow didn’t know, the new Supra is essentially a BMW Z4 on the inside. It has a BMW drivetrain, interior, and parts. It is propelled by a B58 twin-turbo straight-six engine from BMW. The M440i xDrive also has the same straight-six engine. In a drag race, even though both cars have the same engine, they are not very evenly matched.
To see which car would be faster, the Carwow Youtube channel recently decided to drag race the two vehicles on a closed runway. Given that it’s a 2020 model, the Supra only has 340 horsepower (it was retuned to 382 hp for 2021). On the other hand, the M440i is producing all 382 horsepower. It also has all-wheel drive, giving it tremendous starting grip.
Although the Supra may have less torque and traction, it does have one advantage: weight. It is significantly lighter than the 4-Series because it just has two seats and does not require an AWD system. Unfortunately, in a straight-up drag race, that wouldn’t be enough to win. The Supra falls short in each of the three races. The only time it can compete is in a roll race, where it finishes neck and neck with the M440i.
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Do you believe Toyota was responsible for the gauge cluster on the Supra? Think again.
Design Works became a complete member of the BMW family and was forbidden from working on projects for other automakers after being acquired by BMW in 1995. The design company also works on non-automotive projects, such as John Deere tractors and personal computers, in addition to BMW. (In fact, after BMW, John Deere is the company’s second-largest client.) However, BMW Design Works is responsible for the Toyota Supra’s instrumentation, specifically the gauge cluster for the 2020 Supra.
You may say that an exception was made or that this is just another hokey instance of how the most recent Supra is really just a BMW in disguise. (After all, BMW Design Works doesn’t work on non-BMW projects.) The BMW Z4 roadster and the Supra share an engine, a platform, and a variety of switchgear. In addition, as we found out, BMW Design Works was in charge of developing the Supra’s on-screen menu icons in the infotainment display, the actual cluster itself, as well as all of its instrumentation and screen visuals, and they did it in accordance with Toyota’s style.
Even though this isn’t brand-new knowledge, Toyota hadn’t previously told us that the Supra’s instruments weren’t made by them. Design Works, on the other hand, prominently promotes its partnerships with businesses like The North Face and John Deere on the corporate website. There is no mention of the partnership with Toyota on this specific project. Given that the Supra and Z4 were developed mainly in tandem with one another, it is a wonder as to why Toyota (or BMW) chose to keep this small additional piece of knowledge a secret, but it is hardly scandalous.
There has been a great deal written about the well-known (or infamous, depending on how much you care) partnership between Toyota and BMW. The Supra is considerably less Japanese and even more Bavarian than we previously believed, as shown by this most recent piece of the puzzle. The new Supra’s compelling performance and outsized visual personality will continue to be appreciated by those of us who are less brand-snobby and protective of their sports car development niches, regardless of who was responsible for it or whose part numbers are stamped into its various components.
Two designs, one engine
The chassis for both cars was developed by the teams at Toyota and BMW in addition to a common powerplant. The Supra and the Z4 are distinguished from one another by their radically dissimilar designs, while having the same powertrain and chassis and being two-seater compact sports cars. According to both manufacturers, codesigning ended with the chassis, therefore each body design is distinct.
BMW offers a slick look in this generation’s Z4 M40i thanks to the car’s distinctive kidney bean grille and angular M-style front bumper. Like earlier BMW Z4 models, the M40i is exclusively available as a convertible.
On the other hand, the Toyota Supra, which hasn’t had a redesign in a number of years, introduced a fresh look for Toyota that will be exclusive to the Supra and perhaps future generations. The Supra is noticeably different from the M40i in design, maintaining clean lines and an aggressive look. The Supra is only available as a hardtop, unlike its sister vehicle, and it is unclear if a convertible version will be released in the future.
Despite the fact that both cars are exclusively available as automatics, much to the dismay of stick-shift lovers, there is a very noticeable pricing difference. While a brand-new Toyota Supra might cost you around $49,900, the BMW Z4 M40i blows the competition away with a far higher MSRP of $63,700.
Does it really matter that they are mechanically similar in the end? A luxury roadster, the BMW Z4. A more narrowly oriented sports car is the Toyota Supra. And neither one resembles the other in the slightest. We’re content to have a choice between the Z4 and the Supra in a time when we have less and fewer options for new automobiles (RIP Ford sedans and hatchbacks).
Furthermore, wouldn’t it be preferable to have a new Supra based on the Z4 than none at all? We concur.
Why does the Toyota Supra use a BMW motor?
The head of Toyota’s performance division claims that BMW’s cooperation was forced upon it in part because it had the components required for the Supra, namely Bimmer’s roaring 3.0-liter inline-six engine.