It might have been a brand-new myth. However, it is basically a rebadged BMW Z4. Japanese design and engineering are what made the supra and other legendary JDM cars so remarkable. However, the new supra is ultimately simply another automobile, which is a bummer.
In This Article...
The latest Suprais it really a BMW?
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.
Upon what vehicle is the Supra based?
The Toyota Celica liftback served as the foundation for the first version of the Supra, which was 129.5 mm longer (5.10 in). The front panels were lengthened to provide room for the Inline-6 engine rather than the 4-cylinder engine found in the Celica, although the doors and back part were shared with the Celica. The Supra was initially intended by Toyota to be a rival to the wildly popular Datsun (now Nissan) Z-car.
What kind of foundation does the Supra have?
You’ll be happy with the 2020 Toyota Supra, especially if you can drive it to a track day. The vehicle features some design inspirations from the F1 but is mostly a BMW, sharing a basis with the inferior Z4. Although the engine cover reads Toyota, the parts are almost entirely BMW.
The Supra is a mere BMW Z4?
Under their epidermis, they are identical twins with distinguished names. But should you choose the German roadster or the Japanese coupe if you only have roughly $90,000 to spend?
Nowadays, making an economic case for a sports vehicle is more difficult than ever, so it’s not hard to imagine that neither the third-generation BMW Z4 nor the fifth-generation Toyota Supra would have been possible without cooperation between the two automakers.
Thankfully, two prominent motoring lineagesgoing back to the 1930s in the case of BMW’s roadsterscontinue. And in conventional shape, without any attempt to undergo a horrifying crossover mutation to entice SUV enthusiasts (hello Ford Mustang Mach-E).
Since the last Supra was delivered in 2002, BMW’s open-top sports vehicle has gone by the name Z3, even though both models’ production came to an end in the same year. The Supra is back for a number of very excellent reasons, including Toyota’s success with the 86 compact sports coupe, another collaborative venture with Subaru, and the fervent cries of Supra fans.
According to the legend, Toyota flew its head engineer to Munich to suggest a joint venture that would help the business cut expenses when it decided to finally produce a new generation Supra.
Therefore, despite the fact that the Supra is a coupe and the Z4 is a convertible, both vehicles share the same BMW base as well as other essential BMW parts. Additionally, the same company, Magna Steyr in Austria, constructs both vehicles.
BMW’s six-cylinder engine is one of those shared components, but it can only be had in a Z4 with the $124,900 M40, which is significantly more expensive than the base price of the Supra with its 3.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.
Which BMW engine powers the Supra?
The turbocharged B48 2.0-liter inline-four or the turbocharged B58 3.0-liter inline-six are the two BMW-sourced engine options for the Supra. The 2.0-liter engine was first made available in Japan, a few Asian nations, and Europe. It was introduced in the United States in 2020 for the 2021 model year.
Why was a BMW engine used by Toyota?
BMW’s involvement, according to Toyota’s performance chief, was compelled by necessity in part because BMW possessed the tools required by Toyota for the Supra, particularly Bimmer’s roaring 3.0-liter inline-six engine.
Does the Supra share an engine with the BMW?
The 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged engine in the all-wheel-drive BMW M240i XDrive produces 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The M240i’s engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is the only way to change ratios. The vehicle is a quick compact car from the firm that creates the ideal driving machine, weighing in at 3,871 lbs.
The same 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged BMW engine that powers the Toyota GR Supra produces 382 horses and 369 lb-ft of torque. The Supra is a two-door coupe, just like the BMW, and it features an eight-speed automatic transmission and the same engine with the same power numbers.
The cost of the new Supra in BMW?
You’ve likely heard by this point all the jokes about how the new Toyota Supra is really simply a nice BMW Z4. While it may have disappointed the big following of the Toyota Supra and its renowned 2JZ motor to learn that it shares a powertrain with the new BMW Z4, Toyota still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to differentiate the eagerly anticipated revival.
Same motor, different output?
While it’s true that both vehicles share a 3.0L inline 6-cylinder powerplant created by BMW, you might be shocked by how different each vehicle’s manufacturer advertised its specifications to be. BMW claims that the Z4 M40i offers 382 horsepower, whereas Toyota claims that the same engine in the Supra only produces 335 horsepower. This discrepancy is reportedly caused by different tune. It isn’t one of the JZ motors that the Supra is famous for, but it isn’t entirely different either. According to Toyota, the BMW motor can handle substantially more horsepower with aftermarket tuning.
One engine, Two Designs
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.
What Lexus ought to have replaced the Supra?
Let’s be clear about one thing: the new Toyota GR Supra is not a poor car. In fact, BMW’s influence helped make it an exceptional automobile. However, we believe Toyota should have developed the Supra internally and used a Lexus chassis for its construction.
The aging RC Coupe and the LC grand tourer are the only two sporty cars made by Lexus. The underlying design of the RC’s platform is approximately 30 years old, making it unsuitable for a modern sports car, whereas the LC is built on the far more recent and cutting-edge TNGA-L platform, which is intended for large engine vehicles with power traveling to either the rear or all four wheels.
The A90 Supra would have been significantly different from what we ultimately got, but if you think about it, it would have improved in nearly every manner since it would have progressed similarly to how the Honda NSX and Nissan GT-R did. Instead of only one generation, it would have jumped two. The GT-R exists purely to obliterate lap times and be adorned with extravagant and occasionally gaudy body-kits, while the NSX is now the main concern for most entry level supercars.
Consider it this way: if the Supra had been built on the LC and later the TNGA-L platforms, it would have moved the Supra upmarket and into competition with cars like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Porsche 911 GTS while remaining distinct enough not to compete with the LC500. Yes, costs would have increased, but that’s contemporary transportation for you. You should expect to pay extra if you want a better engine, a nicer interior, and more standard safety equipment.
The 2JZ, Paul Walker, and soft style eras are over, and the new Supra ought to be a fire-breathing cruise missile that can hold its own on a respectable racetrack.
We therefore believe that Toyota should have chosen this path with the Supra, but wait until you see what they ought to do with the MR2 nameplateit involves a well-known European brand.
What do the Z4 and Supra have in common?
The link between the 2020 Toyota Supra and the 2020 BMW Z4 is quite intriguing. The two automakers came up with the two models after deciding to divide the costs of creating the legendary car that each brand desired and required to be back in its portfolio. The agreement made a lot of sense to Toyota. There are many inline-six engines available from BMW, and the Supra required one to continue the legacy started by its prior iterations. BMW would be able to introduce a new version of the legendary roadster to the market by sharing the costs of building a new Z4.
Toyota has traveled this path before. The Japanese carmaker collaborated with Subaru to develop the 86/BRZ, and its joint venture to develop the Supra with the Ultimate Driving Machine team was a major success.
How similar are the Z4 and Supra to one another? The vehicles are produced by Magna Steyr at the same factory in Graz, Austria, and share a common platform and powerplant. The majority of what is concealed beneath the sheet metal remains largely the same, yet practically everything that is visible is entirely new. There is just one convertible version of the BMW. Compared to the previous Z4, its exterior design, which has quick lines, has undergone a significant shift. Contrarily, the Supra is exclusively offered as a coupe and is based on the Toyota FT-1 concept, which debuted at the 2014 Detroit car show.
Why is the Toyota Supra so renowned?
The MkIV Supra is one of the most recognizable automobiles on the planet, even though it takes a different approach from other movie hero vehicles thanks to the franchise’s mysterious, supersonic stardom. A few years ago, the one shown above, which the late Paul Walker used in the first FF movie, sold for many hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The subsequent generation of petrolheads will now look to the new Supra to lust over, given that the franchise shows no indications of slowing down (or even ceasing to make sense). Here is what they will receive:
A failure of the new Supra?
Toyota sold 2,884 Supras globally in 2019 and 5,887 in 2020. Not at all impressive for a halo vehicle. It should also come as no surprise that, aside from the engine, the Z4 and A90 Supra are very identical. Particularly, the interior positively shouts BMW.