Both the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo and the 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbo engines for the new Toyota Supra are direct imports from BMW. The smaller engine, internally referred to as the B48B20, will be offered in two states of tune, producing 197 and 255 horsepower, respectively, which are exactly the same outputs the same engine has, for example, in a MINI Cooper S and a BMW 330i.
It’s unclear how much Toyota modified this engine for the Supra, but it’s undeniable that both this engine and the larger 3.0-liter, which typically powers BMWs with the 40i label, are products of the German automaker. It is adjusted to produce 335 hp and 494 Nm/365 pound-feet of torque in the Supra, which is actually 6 Nm less than it does in the Z4. The ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is the exact same one BMW uses in its Z4 to drive the rear wheels, is currently the only way for any engine configurations to transmit power to them.
The BMW Z4 is two tenths faster to sprint to 100 km/h or 62 mph than the six-cylinder Supra, which has the same engine with essentially the same output. It’s amusing that BMW lowered its claimed sprint time for the fastest current Z4 from 4.1 to 3.9 seconds after Toyota announced the Supra could sprint to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, undoubtedly just to outdo the Japanese automaker on paper – it will obviously be significantly faster in practice.
This could show whether one or both manufacturers are exaggerating engine and performance numbers, which could turn out to be very different in practice.
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The Meeting
Finding parity between two comparison-test vehicles was unusually simple. We opted for that setup since it is the only one available for the 2020 Supra, a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six (yep, from BMW) mated to an eight-speed automated transmission. The same turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that powers the standard BMW Z4 will also be made available for the Supra in 2021. The Supra’s six will also gain 382 horsepower for the upcoming model year. However, it currently only has a 335-hp detuned version of that engine.
The Z4 M40i was an obvious option for the BMW used in this comparison. It is powered by a nearly identical turbo 3.0-liter six with 382 horsepower. You might wonder why the Supra was introduced to consumers with a lower-powered version of this engine and then had it updated after a year on the market. That is a valid question. The test results we got at our test facility are directly on top of one another, therefore it doesn’t really matter. In the sprint from 0 to 60 mph, the two automobiles are separated by two tenths of a second (3.7 seconds for the Z4 and 3.9 for the Supra). Through the quarter-mile, the BMW slightly widens its lead, clocking 12.3 seconds at 116 mph versus the Toyota’s 12.4 seconds at 112 mph. The Supra is 160 pounds lighter than the Z4 at 3375 pounds, helping to mitigate the Toyota’s lack of horsepower.
The BMW and Toyota both perform similarly on the 300-foot skidpad, with 1.02 g and 1.05 g, respectively. Perhaps you anticipated that. We did so since both vehicles use the same summer tires, sized 255/35R-19 up front and 275/35R-19 up back, and have the same fundamental suspension systems. Yes, both tires are “star spec,” which means they are made specifically for BMW cars. Scandalous! The Toyota stopped from 70 mph in 150 feet, whereas the BMW stopped in 148 feet using the same braking system and tires.
The cost is one of the few significant variations between the two. The entry-level six-cylinder BMW costs $64,695. A $500 driver-assistance package that includes lane-departure warning, blind-spot recognition, and park-distance control was installed in our test vehicle. A $1400 premium option with a head-up display, wireless phone charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and remote engine start was also included. A $2500 executive package added adaptive LED headlights with automatic high-beam capabilities and an enhanced music system. The price amounted to a hefty $73,295 after adding $3600 for matte-finish gray paint.
Naturally, the Toyota was more affordable because BMW trademarks were more expensive. At $50,945, the 2020 Supra 3.0 is affordable. Our test vehicle was of the 3.0 Premium trim level, which includes heated seats, a premium audio system, and an 8.8-inch center touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay compatibility for a total as-tested price of $57,400.
Same motor, various results?
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.
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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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.
So different on the surface, yet so same on the inside
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 partnership made a lot of sense for Toyota because BMW has a lot of inline-six engines and the Supra needed one to continue the tradition started by its previous incarnations. 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.