BMW and Toyota first announced their technological alliance in 2013, but things are just getting started now in 2020. According to Reuters, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse is in favor of not only extending the partnership until 2025 but also forging a closer connection.
At the Automobilwoche Kongress last week, Zipse added, “We would do well to strengthen ties in the coming decades.”
The alliance has so far produced two vehicles that share a common base and powertrain: a new BMW Z4 convertible and a Toyota Supra sports coupe. As demonstrated by vehicles like the Mazda MX-5 Miata/Fiat 124 Spider and the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86, this kind of cost-sharing is becoming increasingly prevalent in the industry.
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Does BMW produce Toyota motors?
The two titans of the automotive industry, BMW and Toyota, have declared a “medium-to-long-term cooperation” in which they would cooperate to create and exchange green technologies. Toyota will receive 1.6L to 2.0L diesel engines from BMW.
Which Toyota is a BMW product?
However, the new Supra contains a sizable amount of components with BMW stamps underneath. For instance, the inline-six engine, which Toyota engineers specifically modified for the Supra, is derived from BMW. 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.
A BMW or a Toyota Supra?
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.
Does the BMW engine power the Toyota Supra?
The brand-new Toyota Supra is propelled by a BMW engine, which is no secret. That has been widely publicized for at least a year. However, there are currently two BMW engines available for the Supra: a 255 horsepower version of the BMW B48 2.0 liter turbo-four and a 382 horsepower version of the BMW B58 3.0 liter turbocharged inline-six. What needs to be determined is which one is superior.
The Toyota Supra is a BMW Z4, right?
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.
Who designed the Supra?
Isao Tsuzuki, the chief engineer who had also worked on the original Celica and both generations of MR2, oversaw the four-year creation of the eagerly awaited fourth-generation (A80) Supra, which was ultimately debuted at the 1993 Chicago Motor Show.
The A80 was unlike anything Toyota had ever created before; its proportions and flowing appearance were more reminiscent of the 1960s 2000GT. It was clearly designed to achieve a far higher top speed thanks to its long, low bonnet line and high-rise optional rear spoiler.
Less is more was the guiding principle used in the development of the A80, which was reflected in external dimensions that were shorter, lower, and wider than the outgoing car. Additionally, the engineers were able to reduce mass by 100 kg when compared to its predecessor thanks to the extensive use of lightweight materials. To reduce weight, even the carpet fibers were hollow.
Top-spec turbo versions with Toyota’s first six-speed gearbox now offered supercar performance in addition to a streamlined engine lineup of either naturally aspirated or twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre JZ-series straight six engines with between 220bhp and 326bhp (the Japanese voluntary limit was 280bhp).
Who created the new Supra?
Imagine being the head engineer of the 2020 Toyota Supra, one of the most storied sports cars in the world that has recently made a comeback after a 20-year absence, and feeling a touch envious of the team working on the Camry. Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the Toyota Supra and 86, claims as much. The truth is that he faced several difficulties in designing the Supra that were beyond his control.
“Everyone believes I have the best job in the world because I build sports cars. But according to Tada, that is the biggest misunderstanding that exists. ” Designing a passenger vehicle is more advantageous.
Tada doesn’t dislike sports vehicles, exactly. He actually adores them. However, according to Tada, external factors are making it more difficult to produce sports cars. For instance, the rumbling exhaust tone that sports car aficionados so adored is no longer present. Contrary to the United States, whose pass-by noise rules are among the laxest in the world, most nations now forbid new cars from creating much, if any, noise.
“You’ll need to choose whether you want to use an electric motor or seal the engine compartment if you have a gas engine. Tada claimed that creating new cars was that intense. “We’ll need to completely soundproof the engine in the near future.
“Additionally, there are crash safety criteria, which require an automobile like the Supra to add an additional 100 kilograms (240 pounds) of weight in order to meet the requirements. “Additionally, I have to consider about where pedestrians might collide and install airbags everywhere. All of it must be considered when I create.
Due to the global consolidation of automotive suppliers, which was partly sparked by the Great Recession, it is difficult to even make the automobile feel distinctive. Today, according to Tada, parts for engines, suspension, and chassis are all produced by the same vendors, who also sell the same technology to other automakers. On the one hand, this has made all vehicles feel similar, but on the other, it has made them far more dependable.
“He claims that harmful engineering flaws are no longer present in any vehicle, including Mercedes-Benz, Kias, and even late-model BMWs. The business tested these vehicles when jointly developing the new Supra with the Bavarian automaker.
In response to this, Tada created the 2020 Toyota Supra, which was created in collaboration with BMW alongside the new BMW Z4, as well as the Toyota 86, a 2+2 rear-wheel drive sports coupe that was created in collaboration with Subaru. Launched for the 2013 model year was the BRZ/86.
Ichiro Suzuki, Tada’s mentor, led the development of the 1982 second-generation Celica Supra, internally known as the A40, which won Motor Trend’s “Awarded: Import Car of the Year. But it had been a while since Toyota produced a legitimate sports vehicle before the 86.
“Toyota has halted working on any sports cars. Tada recalls that they lacked mentors.” I truly struggled because there was no one in the company I could ask for references from.
It was a similar story at Honda at the time outside of the Civic Si. Mazda, however, has not given up on making genuine sports vehicles. During the Supra’s hiatus, the Hiroshima-based firm continued to develop and produce the MX-5 Miata roadster. Tada then got in touch with Takao Kijima, the principal designer of the MX-5 Miata’s second and third generations.
When they initially spoke, Kijima inquired as to Tada’s happiness at having control of a sports car.
Kijima answered, “If that’s the case, you’re never going to be able to make your sports car,” to which Tada retorted, “Of course.
“Just because it’s a sports car doesn’t mean you should do it for the money; instead, you should do it for the brand’s reputation. Do you genuinely believe that? You had better quit if you’re going to approach it with that kind of mentality.
Tada stated, “I was told that immediately away.
However, there was a logical justification for such response.
“When times are good, it’s okay to create a sports car knowing it won’t turn a significant profit, Kijima advised Tada. ” Economies experience ups and downs. And the automobiles that are not lucrative are the first to be dropped when it dips. The greatest betrayal to your sports car users is that. It is the greatest treachery you can commit. Therefore, once you begin developing a sports automobile, you must never stop, even if it’s on a small scale. You must defend the sports car owners who purchased your vehicle. For the past 20 years, we have operated in this manner.
“But it’s a tragedy that Toyota managed to succeed before ceasing production. You shouldn’t have succeeded right away.
It was a harsh warning for Tada, one that helped him as he worked on the 86 and the 2020 Supra.
“It’s not as though a well-made sports car will automatically sell well. Tada responded, “That’s not how it exists; that’s not how it exists. ” Every car has a purpose in the grand scheme of things, while some are produced just for financial gain. Sports cars improve brand recognition and increase Toyota support. We didn’t need to make a large profit, but we did need to break even or have a tiny profit margin in order to survive the dips and avoid cancellation. You should also be aware that the production of automobiles is a for-profit industry.
Tada realized that he had a lot of room to maneuver once he understood Kijima’s lesson and the significance of the Supra’s 20-year absence and the dramatic advancement in automotive technology.
It wasn’t a question of whether I should tweak, add, or keep something from the previous Supra, Tada says.
The world needed to be reset. Additionally, it had to be adaptable to the new standards and norms of today. We then had to reconsider what the Supra is today. Why does that matter?
“Porsche is unbeatable in terms of production volume, according to Tada.
Throughout the Supra’s seven-year gestation period, this meant testing new Porsches each year, frequently of the same model “The catalogue numbers remained constant, but Tada was able to trace the development of that car behind the numbers. “Everything that a typical client would never look at or go near, for which you would ask, “Why would you even touch that or go there?” Porsche went out and made all of those improvements. I take that as a lesson to be learned for myself. They are fantastic in my opinion.
Toyota benchmarked BMWs as well because the new Supra will have a BMW architecture and engine and Toyota was concerned that the reliability of the brand wouldn’t be as excellent as Toyota’s.
“Actually, the great level of dependability and durability caught us off guard. There was no sense of “Oh, we need to fix those.” Overall, it met Toyota’s criteria.
The 2020 Toyota Supra, created in collaboration with BMW and utilizing the Z4 platform and drivetrain, is the end result. But one thought persisted in Tada’s head the entire time the new sports car was being developed.
“Suzuki-san is no longer with us. I would have delighted to show him the car if he were still living today. He replied, “I think he would have finally complimented me.” ” That’s what I keep in mind as I go along and what I keep on thinking about.