2020 Supra and BMW M240i?

sdot

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Anyone drive both of these cars? Curious to see how they compare as they both have the same engine and trans.
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Twisted Tuning

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XtremeMaC

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m2 and M240i are two totally different cars and engines.
for sure! I just saw the news and I guess I didn't check back his subject line carefully. lol.
 

ToyotaBoy

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There are countless of Supra vs M2 comparisons but hardly any comparison of the Toyota against the M240i.

I have an M140i and drove the Spura two months ago. My BMW has the same B58 and ZF8 gearbox as the Supra,

The M140i/M240i were BMW’s first Mlite cars. A half way house between a regular Bimmer and an M car. From factory they had two glaring flaws, no LSD and just like the Z4 M40i the suspension is over sprung and under damped.

I addressed those flaws by fitting an:
1. MPerformance LSD
2. BMW underbody brace
3. Birds B1 springs and dampers which is a Bilstein B12 kit tailored for better compliance on poor British roads.

These enhancements had a transformational impact on transforming the M140i from a great all rounder but mediocre performance car to a world class GT Sports car.

Stock M240i/M140i vs stock Supra. There is no contest. The Toyota has been developed to be the best car possible while the potential of the M140i/M240i was held back to allow the M2 and M4 more breathing space.

How does the Supra compare with my M140i:
-The slight dead zone in the steering or the top of the throttle pedal in the M140i does not exist in the Supra.
-The steering in the Supra feels more artificially but is direct and very good. The 992 CS is the only car that I have driven recently that has better steering.
-The Supra has a bit less body roll, is firmer but is still comfortable enough to daily
-The ASD(speaker enhanced engine note) in the supra is louder but convincingly good as the speakers are right behind the seats.

Other than that the cars drove exceptionally alike. Think of them as non-identical twins. Driving the Supra felt very familiar in power delivery, handling, size and weight.

On merit, the Supra is a stunning looking car that’s very polished. However, if you want its performance, handling and drivetrain and perhaps a bit more practicality then it’s worth considering a used M240i/M140i and spending a bit of money on an LSD and a suspension kit. You will get 90% of the Supra minus the looks for $30,000/£30,000 less.

The Supra does look incredible and I understand why some are willing to spend the money and not look back.

I am happy to answer more detailed questions.

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ichitaka05

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That’s gonna be a bit hard to find. Keep in mind, US Supra 2.0 isn’t same as other county Supra 2.0. Example, JP Supra 2.0 have 2 models: SZ & SZ-R. SZ have lower hp (195) vs SZ-R have higher hp (255), so a lot of ppl assume, compare & read the article of SZ-R (few Japanese journalist have made the comparisons). Sadly that’s not a good idea, cuz what US get in other options is not same as SZ-R. SZ-R comes w Active Dif, AVS & other stuff you’ll see in RZ (in US, 3.0), but US Supra 2.0 doesn’t come w any of those things. A lot of journalist have stated SZ-R is a great car and some even have stated if they buy new Supra, they’ll choose SZ-R over RZ. That DOESN’T transfer equally to US Supra 2.0.

If you’re looking into getting one, I would wait to read the actual US Supra 2.0 review before hand. US journalist have been invited to do media event to test em out (sometime in summer), so I’m pretty sure they’ll do some of those comparison review & vid lil bit before summer.
 
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sdot

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ToyotaBoy - great insight on the comparison! I'm super jealous of the M140i as those never came to the US. RWD and an I6 in a hatchback? What a dream! Do you know if the M40i BMW's have a similar response to mods as the Supra (ie. downpipe and tune for big gains)?
 

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ToyotaBoy - great insight on the comparison! I'm super jealous of the M140i as those never came to the US. RWD and an I6 in a hatchback? What a dream! Do you know if the M40i BMW's have a similar response to mods as the Supra (ie. downpipe and tune for big gains)?
The Hatchback does not have the sleek looks of the Supra but the practicality makes it a very easy car to live with. Unlike the Supra it has big door bins. Today I put a big double pram in the boot and last month my girlfriend has four other women in the car. It's our second family car.

The B58 engine has existed since 2015 and has huge mod and aftermarket support. There are plenty of ECU tunes, remaps, exhaust systems, trutbraces, cosmetic mods and aftermarket suspensions for the M240i and M140i. Many of the tuners are now developing parts or mods for the Supra.

It goes back to what I said before. The Supra is very much a BMW with a shell that has been designed by Toyota. It's a good thing and the car is very good.
 

Edslittleworld

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m2 and M240i are two totally different cars and engines.
Nah...I'd have to partially disagree with this one. I drove both and picked the latter for the "better" engine until the S58 comes out (no spun hub issues), adaptable suspension and enough leftover cash to buy a BMW R1200GS. One thing the BMW-badged cars have over the Supra is the optional 6-speed manual...unless you want the $12K conversion. Plus, both the M2 & M240i have rear Brembo brakes.

Nonetheless, I actually prefer the look of the new Supras over the BMWs. I now see them being somewhat discounted to high $40s. If they drop the price a bit more, then I may budget for one and the manual conversion, a flash tune, exhaust and maybe even a rear brake upgrade. Then, how much more perfect can it get? :)
 

s219

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Just the size of the brakes alone drastically separates the M2 Comp and M240i -- M2 Comp has track brakes and the M240i does not. Other suspension bits and running gear are totally different as well, then go on the inside and you get true M seats. I own a BMW with the B58 and the M2 Comp with the S55 and can't believe anybody would confuse those two engines either -- if you can't understand the advantages of the S55 (and that it's way higher than the rated 405HP) then you're missing a lot. At higher speeds the S55 runs away.

People pick the M240i to save money and because it's good enough for their needs, and that is fine. But come on, there is a reason the M2 Comp is so popular despite that.

The original M2 was no slouch, but until the M2 Comp came along it was a half hearted effort. I can see maybe comparing the OG M2 and M240i and going either way, but the M2 Comp pushed the platform closer to the M4, for the better.
 

Edslittleworld

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Just the size of the brakes alone drastically separates the M2 Comp and M240i -- M2 Comp has track brakes and the M240i does not. Other suspension bits and running gear are totally different as well, then go on the inside and you get true M seats. I own a BMW with the B58 and the M2 Comp with the S55 and can't believe anybody would confuse those two engines either -- if you can't understand the advantages of the S55 (and that it's way higher than the rated 405HP) then you're missing a lot. At higher speeds the S55 runs away.

People pick the M240i to save money and because it's good enough for their needs, and that is fine. But come on, there is a reason the M2 Comp is so popular despite that.

The original M2 was no slouch, but until the M2 Comp came along it was a half hearted effort. I can see maybe comparing the OG M2 and M240i and going either way, but the M2 Comp pushed the platform closer to the M4, for the better.
I have not driven the latest M2 Comp with the S55 engine. I wonder if it will get the S58 engine and how much better it will be. I tend to buy the softer version of everything including a M240i vs M2, Jeep Wrangler Sport vs Rubicon, a Tacoma TRD Sport vs TRD PRO, the BMW S1000R vs S1000RR, the Mazda MX-5 GT vs Club, etc. Some compromises work for me. Plus, save some money for other mods and such.

Still I am interested in the Supra, but not if it's as hard-edged as the 2017 M2 I drove. Here in AZ, some of the paved roads are not the best, so I'm willing to trade more extreme suspension for some compliancy. There are some poorly maintained paved roads here in AZ where a 152HP Crosstrek would do comparably well as a "track" version car for spirited driving.
 

Voidec

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I have owned quite a few cars up until this point. I currently own a 20’ Supra 3.0 Premium and in the past I owned a 18’ M240i xDrive. I’m gonna go through a few things that stood out to me right off the bat.

Looks:
Supra is by far a better looking car. The amount of road presence this car has is astounding. The 240i is just too “normal” looking.

Performance:
As of right now they are both great performers. However the Supra does have more favorable numbers sitting at 385ish vs the 335ish numbers from the 240i. In terms of modding, the amount of aftermarket parts favors the 240i just slightly but in a year or two the Supra is most likely going to have more aftermarket parts.

Utility/Useability:
The 240i takes the cake here, it has more space in the trunk, has passenger seats in the back, and the headroom is much better.

Visibility:
Supra has worse visibility.

Ride/Comfort:
Both are extremely comfy if you are a driver or a passenger in the front. If you are in the back it’s decent for the 240i and impossible if you are in the Supra unless you fit in the trunk . However the feel of the drive is much smoother in the Supra compared to the 240i. I’ve gone over many bumpy roads and quite a few potholes in both and it always seemed like the Supra took them much better, it almost feels like I’m gliding when I’m in the Supra. The turn radius on the Supra is also shorter compared to the 240i.

Steering:
Subjective here but both feels about the same although the Supra does have just a bit more “drivers feel” to it over the muted BMW steering everybody knows about.

Interior:
Also subjective here but I feel like the 240i has a much nicer interior. Although the Supra has a heads up display which the 240i dosen’t which is awesome. 240i also has a better sound system. Standard seats on the Supra are much better than the 240i. The 240i interior is also much better placed such as cup holders and it has more utility to it. Supra doesn't have a arm rest storage bin.

Reliability:
Both have their quirks but I believe long run the Supra will fare better. I haven’t had any issues on my Supra but 2 months into owning a brand new 240i my cars electronics failed on me in the middle of the highway. Wipers wouldn’t work, turn signals non functional, headlamps turned off, high beams wouldn’t work. Scariest thing to happen.

Driving:
Bit of a toss up here but I prefer the Supra, it handles much better and is more fun driving it hard compared to the 240i. It’s also like I mentioned a much more smooth ride.

Safety:
Kinda hard to say but they have the same amount of sensors and safety features but I feel more safe driving the 240i over the Supra. Not to mention the abundance of Supra crashes in my area and recently a fatal yellow Supra crash 5 mins from my house is quite scary seeing how the car crumpled in like that.


Pricing:
No matter which way you look at it, unless you talking a 2.0 Supra, the M240i is cheaper in all cases. HOWEVER, depreciation and your car holding value favors the Supra. Used Supras atm are going for just as much as a brand new one. 46k-52k for a used one versus a brand new one for 53k+. The moment you drive your 240i off the lot, you looking at 32k if you trading it in right back.


My Verdict:
If this is a daily vehicle or your only vehicle, get the M240i whether the RWD or the AWD. If this is an enthusiast car then get the Supra. If you also want to do stuff to your vehicle or you want a track car or want a better performing car then get the Supra.
 

ToyotaBoy

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Pricing:
No matter which way you look at it, unless you talking a 2.0 Supra, the M240i is cheaper in all cases. HOWEVER, depreciation and your car holding value favors the Supra. Used Supras atm are going for just as much as a brand new one. 46k-52k for a used one versus a brand new one for 53k+. The moment you drive your 240i off the lot, you looking at 32k if you trading it in right back.
Because of the high depreciation, the M240i and even 440i can be very expensive on finance. I was fortunate to buy My M140i last year when BMW offered a 33% discount on factory orders. It will be interesting to see how the next generation M240i due next year will compare against the 2021 Supra.

My Verdict:
If this is a daily vehicle or your only vehicle, get the M240i whether the RWD or the AWD. If this is an enthusiast car then get the Supra. If you also want to do stuff to your vehicle or you want a track car or want a better performing car then get the Supra.
I don't think this is true.

The M240i and M140i were BMW's first mlites. They wanted performance to be good whilst giving the M2 and M4 generous breathing space. The outcome was a fantastic engine and gearbox coupled with two glaring flaws:

1. No limited-slip differential as standard equipment.
2. Awful springs and dampers whether adaptive and passive.

Address the aforementioned flaws and the M240i rides more smoothly, flatter, grips better and is more predictable at the limit. Basically you have to look beyond what the M240i is in stock form.

The aftermarket support is extremely generous with lots of suspension options ranging from the no-brainer B12 Pro Kit that substantially improves comfort for $900 to coilover options. There are lots of options for mods depending on what your objectives are. I also have a 2019 X3 with 19 inch alloys and adaptive dampers but the aftermarket suspension on my M140i is superior on over rough roads. The faster I drive, the better the progressive springs perform.

I recently replaced my Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 and the difference in cold or wet grip is night and day. My next mod will be XHP transmission flash to make the shifts snappier.

However I think the Supra is extremely well setup from the factory and is a performance car that rarely feels too stiff or too soft, and it would pass most wife tests. If I bought one I would be yellow :)
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