johnny_10196
Well-Known Member
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/toyota/supra/2020/2020-bmw-z4-m40i-vs-2020-toyota-supra-car-comparison-test/
So different from the outside, but so similar underneath
Miguel Cortina
Oct 29, 2019
The relationship between the 2020 BMW Z4 and the 2020 Toyota Supra couldn't be more interesting. The two models were conceived after the two automakers agreed to split the costs of developing the iconic car that each brand needed and wanted back in its lineup. For Toyota, the agreement made a lot of senseāBMW has plenty of inline-six engines, and the Supra, following the tradition set by its previous generations, needed an inline-six under its hood. For BMW, splitting the costs of developing a new Z4 would make it possible to bring a new generation of the iconic roadster to the market.
Toyota has been down this road in the past: The Japanese automaker co-developed the 86/BRZ with Subaru, and partnering with the Ultimate Driving Machine team in a joint venture to develop the Supra was a huge win.
How closely related are the Supra and Z4? The cars share a platform and powertrain and are built by Magna Steyr in the same plant in Graz, Austria. Most of what's hidden under the sheetmetal is the same, but almost everything that's in plain sight is completely different. The BMW is only available as a convertible. Its exterior design, featuring swift lines, has changed drastically in comparison with the previous Z4. The Supra, on the other hand, comes only as a coupe, and its design is based on the Toyota FT-1 concept that made its debut at the 2014 Detroit auto show.
With that in mind, let's see how the two models compare head to head.
The Brothers
Although the Z4 can be had with the standard 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder that makes 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, we got an M40i for this comparison so we could compare the same engine on both cars. The BMW Z4 M40i is powered by a 3.0-liter turbo inline-six that sends 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic. Our test car was equipped with the Driving Assistance, Premium, and Executive packages, which added about $4,500 in options for an eye-popping $73,295 as tested.
The 2020 Toyota GR Supra Launch Edition is powered by the same 3.0-liter turbo inline-six, but it produces 335 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque in the Japanese two-seater. The eight-speed automatic is the same one as in the Z4, and it also sends that power to the rear wheels. Where we see a big difference is in pricing; our Supra came equipped with the Driver Assist package, which costs an additional $1,195 for an as-tested price of $57,375.
The Z4 M40i's base price is higher than our Supra's as-tested price, which already hurts the Z4. And given that the Supra has so many BMW features, Toyota made a smart move with its pricing: The four-cylinder Z4 is only about $5,000 less than the Supra's base model.
The Drive
Associate online editor Duncan Brady took the Supra on a twisty loop under the watchful gaze of a windmill farm near Tehachapi, California. He thought it felt "marginally less powerful than the Z4 at full throttle" but conceded that "most of the time it's not that noticeable." He also found the Supra's sound unique for a Toyota. Turn on Sport mode, and you'll immediately hear loud pops and snaps coming from the exhaust. Even inside the Supra's cabin, you can't avoid hearing the loud note when Sport mode is on.
Despite its hard top, the Supra is noisy over rough pavement, with a lot of tire noise making its way into the cabin. During our test drives, the Toyota's interior was also prone to creaks from the infotainment screen and the dashboard. "Pretty nasty rattle with the stereo turned up and bass hitting hard," Brady noted.
If you can get over that, the Supra is fun to drive. The two-seater is equally happy on a twisty road or the freeway and shows good push from the engine. Just as it does with the exhaust, Sport mode makes the transmission's tuning livelier, ensuring it shift quickly and at the right times. Although there's a bit of turbo lag, acceleration is strong once you get underway. And the torque doesn't seem to endāpress the gas when going at high speeds, and the Supra will downshift quickly and deliver.
The Supra's steering is well balanced and provides good road feedback. It feels well planted and has good grip, but there were a couple of instances where its tail drifted to deliver a spirited drive.
Although the Z4 felt a bit more powerful than the Supra, during our testing, both cars made it to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Even accelerating at full throttle, the Z4 is barely quicker on the quarter mile, completing it in 12.4 seconds at 112.0 mph to the Supra's 12.5 seconds at 111.2 mphānumbers that feel the same in real life.
The Bavarian is 259 pounds heavier, and that's one of the reasons it's not that much faster than the Japanese despite the extra power. But in the real world, the Z4 M40i delivers a different experience with its top down. The Z4 handles better than the Supra, with a bit more push and steering that provides more feedback. The ride is also sportierātoo sporty, perhaps, when Sport Plus mode is engaged. But in Sport mode, the Z4 feels more balanced.
"This engine feels special," Brady said of the Z4's powerplant. "Great throttle response that sounds more muscular than the metallic rash I associate with BMW inline-sixes." Despite the nice sound from the engine, the Z4 doesn't have the same snaps and pops as the Toyota. The Z4 also stood out for its braking performance, stopping from 60 mph in 101 feet, compared to the Supra's 106 feet. Even during our test loop, the BMW showed a better brake pedal feel than its Japanese counterpart. And unlike in the Supra, we didn't notice as much tire noise in the BMW despite its soft top, which makes us wonder why Toyota didn't invest more in NVH.
Interior
Although these cars are essentially the same under their skin, they couldn't be more different inside.
Sporting Magma Red Vernasca leather, the BMW Z4's interior looks and feels more premium. The luxury brand equipped our test car with this good-looking leather, which complemented the car's personality well.
Our Z4 was equipped with a 10.25-inch screen with BMW's latest iDrive infotainment system, which has nice graphics and is easy to control via a big knob located next to the gear shifter. BMW includes wireless Apple CarPlay for the first year; after that, you'll have to pay extra for it. The Executive package ($2,500) includes ambient lighting, adaptive LED lights, auto high-beams, and a sweet Harman Kardon surround sound system.
The rest of the interior is tasteful, though we'd like to see a better trim for the plastic in the center console. Brady thought the seats were comfortable but criticized the lack of seat cooling in a car that costs over $70,000.
On the other hand, the Supra falls short in offering more color inside. Given its wild exterior design, the black-on-black interior feels out of place; we wish there were more color for better contrast. Yet there's no doubt this interior was taken out of a BMW: The fonts, switchgear, and infotainment system all come straight out of Bavaria. Toyota did make some small changes to the interior, though, like swapping in a different shifter.
We liked the Supra's 8.8-inch touchscreen, which can also be controlled via a knob, and it didn't even bother us that the infotainment system uses a previous version of BMW's iDrive system. Unlike the Z4, wireless Apple CarPlay is standard in the 3.0 Premium trimāthe higher of the two trims availableāand you don't have to pay any kind of subscription.
Our tester was equipped with navigation, a wireless phone charger, and a 12-speaker JBL audio system, though we prefer the Z4's Harman Kardon. Comparing both cars, we prefer the carbon-fiber trim on the Supra's center console to the BMW's plastic.
The X-Factor
As car journalists, we're used to driving the newest vehicles on the market, but some get more attention than othersāand that was the case with the Toyota Supra. During our evaluation drives, the Supra turned heads, and people even snapped pictures as we cruised down the street. And it wasn't all because of its Renaissance Red paint. The Supra has an appeal that makes it more special than the Z4āits sharp lines, big hips, and overall polarizing styling attracts eyeballs. It's wild.
The Z4 doesn't really have that. Its European design is much more subtle and conservative. Even with the beautiful Frozen Grey II Metallic paint, which adds a matte touch, it doesn't get the attention the Supra does.
And it doesn't matter what generation you're part of, the Supra simply gets more attention.
Conclusion
Although the BMW Z4 M40i and the Toyota Supra have the same platform and powertrain, their interior and exterior designs are so different that it's hard to see the relationship. Both drive and handle similarly, and our test numbers confirm how close these two cars are.
But with that in mind, we asked ourselvesāis the BMW Z4 worth the nearly $16,000 difference? The Z4 M40i is a compelling package, but it's not that much better than the Supra.
Second Place
BMW Z4
First Place
Toyota Supra
So different from the outside, but so similar underneath
Miguel Cortina
Oct 29, 2019
The relationship between the 2020 BMW Z4 and the 2020 Toyota Supra couldn't be more interesting. The two models were conceived after the two automakers agreed to split the costs of developing the iconic car that each brand needed and wanted back in its lineup. For Toyota, the agreement made a lot of senseāBMW has plenty of inline-six engines, and the Supra, following the tradition set by its previous generations, needed an inline-six under its hood. For BMW, splitting the costs of developing a new Z4 would make it possible to bring a new generation of the iconic roadster to the market.
Toyota has been down this road in the past: The Japanese automaker co-developed the 86/BRZ with Subaru, and partnering with the Ultimate Driving Machine team in a joint venture to develop the Supra was a huge win.
How closely related are the Supra and Z4? The cars share a platform and powertrain and are built by Magna Steyr in the same plant in Graz, Austria. Most of what's hidden under the sheetmetal is the same, but almost everything that's in plain sight is completely different. The BMW is only available as a convertible. Its exterior design, featuring swift lines, has changed drastically in comparison with the previous Z4. The Supra, on the other hand, comes only as a coupe, and its design is based on the Toyota FT-1 concept that made its debut at the 2014 Detroit auto show.
With that in mind, let's see how the two models compare head to head.
The Brothers
Although the Z4 can be had with the standard 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder that makes 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, we got an M40i for this comparison so we could compare the same engine on both cars. The BMW Z4 M40i is powered by a 3.0-liter turbo inline-six that sends 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic. Our test car was equipped with the Driving Assistance, Premium, and Executive packages, which added about $4,500 in options for an eye-popping $73,295 as tested.
The 2020 Toyota GR Supra Launch Edition is powered by the same 3.0-liter turbo inline-six, but it produces 335 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque in the Japanese two-seater. The eight-speed automatic is the same one as in the Z4, and it also sends that power to the rear wheels. Where we see a big difference is in pricing; our Supra came equipped with the Driver Assist package, which costs an additional $1,195 for an as-tested price of $57,375.
The Z4 M40i's base price is higher than our Supra's as-tested price, which already hurts the Z4. And given that the Supra has so many BMW features, Toyota made a smart move with its pricing: The four-cylinder Z4 is only about $5,000 less than the Supra's base model.
The Drive
Associate online editor Duncan Brady took the Supra on a twisty loop under the watchful gaze of a windmill farm near Tehachapi, California. He thought it felt "marginally less powerful than the Z4 at full throttle" but conceded that "most of the time it's not that noticeable." He also found the Supra's sound unique for a Toyota. Turn on Sport mode, and you'll immediately hear loud pops and snaps coming from the exhaust. Even inside the Supra's cabin, you can't avoid hearing the loud note when Sport mode is on.
Despite its hard top, the Supra is noisy over rough pavement, with a lot of tire noise making its way into the cabin. During our test drives, the Toyota's interior was also prone to creaks from the infotainment screen and the dashboard. "Pretty nasty rattle with the stereo turned up and bass hitting hard," Brady noted.
If you can get over that, the Supra is fun to drive. The two-seater is equally happy on a twisty road or the freeway and shows good push from the engine. Just as it does with the exhaust, Sport mode makes the transmission's tuning livelier, ensuring it shift quickly and at the right times. Although there's a bit of turbo lag, acceleration is strong once you get underway. And the torque doesn't seem to endāpress the gas when going at high speeds, and the Supra will downshift quickly and deliver.
The Supra's steering is well balanced and provides good road feedback. It feels well planted and has good grip, but there were a couple of instances where its tail drifted to deliver a spirited drive.
Although the Z4 felt a bit more powerful than the Supra, during our testing, both cars made it to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Even accelerating at full throttle, the Z4 is barely quicker on the quarter mile, completing it in 12.4 seconds at 112.0 mph to the Supra's 12.5 seconds at 111.2 mphānumbers that feel the same in real life.
The Bavarian is 259 pounds heavier, and that's one of the reasons it's not that much faster than the Japanese despite the extra power. But in the real world, the Z4 M40i delivers a different experience with its top down. The Z4 handles better than the Supra, with a bit more push and steering that provides more feedback. The ride is also sportierātoo sporty, perhaps, when Sport Plus mode is engaged. But in Sport mode, the Z4 feels more balanced.
"This engine feels special," Brady said of the Z4's powerplant. "Great throttle response that sounds more muscular than the metallic rash I associate with BMW inline-sixes." Despite the nice sound from the engine, the Z4 doesn't have the same snaps and pops as the Toyota. The Z4 also stood out for its braking performance, stopping from 60 mph in 101 feet, compared to the Supra's 106 feet. Even during our test loop, the BMW showed a better brake pedal feel than its Japanese counterpart. And unlike in the Supra, we didn't notice as much tire noise in the BMW despite its soft top, which makes us wonder why Toyota didn't invest more in NVH.
Interior
Although these cars are essentially the same under their skin, they couldn't be more different inside.
Sporting Magma Red Vernasca leather, the BMW Z4's interior looks and feels more premium. The luxury brand equipped our test car with this good-looking leather, which complemented the car's personality well.
Our Z4 was equipped with a 10.25-inch screen with BMW's latest iDrive infotainment system, which has nice graphics and is easy to control via a big knob located next to the gear shifter. BMW includes wireless Apple CarPlay for the first year; after that, you'll have to pay extra for it. The Executive package ($2,500) includes ambient lighting, adaptive LED lights, auto high-beams, and a sweet Harman Kardon surround sound system.
The rest of the interior is tasteful, though we'd like to see a better trim for the plastic in the center console. Brady thought the seats were comfortable but criticized the lack of seat cooling in a car that costs over $70,000.
On the other hand, the Supra falls short in offering more color inside. Given its wild exterior design, the black-on-black interior feels out of place; we wish there were more color for better contrast. Yet there's no doubt this interior was taken out of a BMW: The fonts, switchgear, and infotainment system all come straight out of Bavaria. Toyota did make some small changes to the interior, though, like swapping in a different shifter.
We liked the Supra's 8.8-inch touchscreen, which can also be controlled via a knob, and it didn't even bother us that the infotainment system uses a previous version of BMW's iDrive system. Unlike the Z4, wireless Apple CarPlay is standard in the 3.0 Premium trimāthe higher of the two trims availableāand you don't have to pay any kind of subscription.
Our tester was equipped with navigation, a wireless phone charger, and a 12-speaker JBL audio system, though we prefer the Z4's Harman Kardon. Comparing both cars, we prefer the carbon-fiber trim on the Supra's center console to the BMW's plastic.
The X-Factor
As car journalists, we're used to driving the newest vehicles on the market, but some get more attention than othersāand that was the case with the Toyota Supra. During our evaluation drives, the Supra turned heads, and people even snapped pictures as we cruised down the street. And it wasn't all because of its Renaissance Red paint. The Supra has an appeal that makes it more special than the Z4āits sharp lines, big hips, and overall polarizing styling attracts eyeballs. It's wild.
The Z4 doesn't really have that. Its European design is much more subtle and conservative. Even with the beautiful Frozen Grey II Metallic paint, which adds a matte touch, it doesn't get the attention the Supra does.
And it doesn't matter what generation you're part of, the Supra simply gets more attention.
Conclusion
Although the BMW Z4 M40i and the Toyota Supra have the same platform and powertrain, their interior and exterior designs are so different that it's hard to see the relationship. Both drive and handle similarly, and our test numbers confirm how close these two cars are.
But with that in mind, we asked ourselvesāis the BMW Z4 worth the nearly $16,000 difference? The Z4 M40i is a compelling package, but it's not that much better than the Supra.
Second Place
BMW Z4
First Place
Toyota Supra
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