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.
In This Article...
The 2020 Supra was made by who?
However, expressing an opinion online is not the same as casting a ballot with your money. The latest Supra is evidence of that.
In July of last year, the Supra began to be sold in stores. Toyota sold 2,884 Supras from that point to the end of December 2019. Toyota sold 1,013 more Supras during the first quarter of this year, bringing the total number of Supras sold to 3,897.
Sales of the BMW Z4 at the same time period, however, paint a different image. BMW only sold 1,628 Z4s from July to December 2019. It sold 625 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, bringing the total number of Z4s sold to 2,253, or less than two-thirds of Toyota’s Supra sales.
It’s important to keep in mind that coupe and convertible sports cars are infamous for selling in small numbers, and that Q1 for the majority of people occurs during the chilly winter monthsnot exactly the ideal time to purchase a convertible like the Z4.
Additionally, the COVID-19 epidemic struck havoc on the auto industry in March, with sales for several automakers falling by 40% year over year.
However, those who actually purchased the new Supra, like Burns, don’t appear to be troubled by its BMW heritage.
Burns claimed, “I’ve only ever had two carsa 1997 four-door Acura Integra and a 2009 BMW 335i coupe. Both were excellent drivers’ vehicles, and I wanted to maintain that, so having the Supra around as a “known quantity” was wonderful.
It’s weird how the Supra community is filled with folks who should love this car but instead seem to despise it with the rage of a thousand suns, remarked Burns. “It’s good to have an engine and platform that are quite established.”
Who constructs Toyota Supras?
Beginning in 1978, the Toyota Motor Corporation produced the Toyota Supra, also known as the Toyota Spura in Japanese and Hepburn. The Latin prefix supra, which means “above,” “to transcend,” or “go beyond,” is the source of the name “supra.” [3]
The first four Supra models were built between 1978 and 2002. Since March 2019, the fifth generation has been produced, and it debuted in May 2019. [4] The original Supra’s style was based on the Toyota Celica, but it was also wider and longer. [5] Beginning in the middle of 1986, the A70 Supra split off from the Celica as a standalone model. Toyota, in turn, discontinued using the prefix Celica and changed the name of the vehicle to Supra. [6] Due to their names’ resemblance and shared history, the Celica and Supra are commonly confused with one another. The Tahara facility in Tahara, Aichi, produced the first, second, and third generations of the Supra, while the Motomachi plant in Toyota City produced the fourth. In Graz, Austria, Magna Steyr assembles the fifth-generation Supra alongside the G29 BMW Z4.
Due to an inline-6 architecture, the Supra also owes a lot of its DNA to the 2000GT. The M engine from the Crown and 2000GT was made available for the first three generations. Additionally comparable were interior design features and the chassis code “A”.
Toyota gave the Supra its own logo in addition to the moniker. It was based on the original Celica logo, except that blue was used in place of orange. Before the A70 Supra was unveiled in January 1986, this logo was in use. The new logo was the same size, but it did not have the dragon motif. It had orange letters on a red background. Up until 1991, when Toyota moved to its current oval business emblem, that logo was affixed to Supras. (Regardless of color, the dragon logo was a Celica logo. Due to the fact that the first two generations of the Supra were legally Toyota Celicas, it was present on them. The Celica line had a dragon logo until it was likewise retired.) [Reference needed]
Toyota stopped selling the fourth-generation Supra in the United States in 1998.
[6] The fourth generation of the Supra’s production for international markets came to an end in 2002.
The fifth version of the Supra, which was jointly developed with the G29 Z4, was released in January 2019.
[7]
Is the Toyota Supra’s engine a BMW one?
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 does BMW manufacture the new Supra?
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.
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 illustrious automotive traditionsincluding one that dates back to the 1930s with BMW’s roadstersremain intact. 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.
The 2020 Supra was made where?
The Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, produced the fifth generation of the Toyota Supra, which is the most recent model. Magna Steyr is a car manufacturer that works on a contract basis to create automobiles for luxury brands.
In reality, Magna Steyr was also producing the GZ BMW Z4 at the same time as the fifth-generation Supra.
Previous Supra versions were produced by Toyota in Japan. At its Tahara plant in Aichi, Japan, Toyota built the first, second, and third models of the Supra.
In Toyota City, Aichi, Japan, the Motomachi facility created the fourth generation of the Supra.
Supra: Is it a decent car?
How Good Is the Toyota Supra? If you’re looking for a high-end sports car, the 2022 Toyota Supra is a fantastic choice. The Supra is a thrill to drive, whether you’re carving down switchback roads or simply driving down the freeway, thanks to its snappy turbocharged acceleration, dynamic handling, and balanced ride.
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.