The new Toyota Supra has arrived and so far, all indicators point to the revived fifth generation becoming an instant classic. But fans of the original Supra models seem split on whether they love the fact that a BMW-sourced engine powers the new car, especially given the legendary status of the MkIV's over-engineered 2JZ-GTE powerplant. No matter how much Toyota needed to create a new partnership just to get the Supra back on the market, the fact remains that the decision to build in concert with BMW may yet prove detrimental to the Supra's overall success. On the other hand, BMW has a ton of history dropping impressive powerplants in other cars, from the legendary to the downright strange.
World Beater
Probably the most famous use of a BMW engine in a non-BMW car is the world-beating McLaren F1. Nestled within the F1's gold-lined engine bay was an S70 BMW V12 with double overhead cams that was essentially a pair of the silky-smooth inline-sixes that powered the Euro-spec E36-generation M3 bolted together with a dry-sump oiling system to produce 618 horsepower at 7,400 RPM.
More And More
While BMW is best known for the inline-sixes in its performance cars, the same engineering prowess that built those motors didn't go unnoticed by other brands. Partnerships and corporate takeovers (some might say subsidiaries) led to BMW engines finding their ways into plenty of other marquees. BMW engines have motivated Rolls-Royce's luxury cars ever since the German company bought the classic British brand in 1998.
SUV Applications
Similarly, partnerships with Rover, including MG and Land Rover, mean that Range Rovers, Land Rover Freelanders, and the ill-fated MG ZT have employed BMW's V8 and diesel inline-six motors over the years. Perhaps the weirdest BMW-powered SUV, though, is the Bertone Freeclimber, which was essentially a Daihatsu Rocky with Italian styling and a German engine.
Sources: Top Gear, Motor1