See the difference between the new 2020 Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 in a series of drag and rolling races.
We know that underneath that fancy Toyota exterior that the 2020 Supra is essentially a BMW. It has BMW suspension, a BMW engine, brakes, windshield, and tires. Just about the only thing that Toyota provides the car is software and bodywork.
And yet, the Supra seems to be the superior vehicle according to new testing performing by Carwow. They got a new Z4 M40i and an A90 Supra lined up on a runway for a series of drag and rolling races to see how the two compare, and the results were surprising.
But first, let’s go over what BMW and Toyota say about their respective cars. BMW’s Z4 comes with a 3.0-L turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine, designated B58B30, which is said to produce 380 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Zero to sixty takes 4.2 seconds, and the car weighs 3,550 lbs.
The Toyota Supra also has the same B58B30 engine but is advertised as producing 335 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque. Earlier testing by Car and Driver revealed that to be a bald-faced lie as dyno testing revealed 339 horsepower at the rear wheels, which means that the Supra makes somewhere close to 380 horsepower at the crank.
Zero to sixty is said to take 4.1 seconds, but testing again revealed it to be closer to 3.8 seconds. Thanks to its lack of a convertible roof, the Supra weighs in at 3,461 lbs.
On paper, the cars should be roughly equally matched. In reality, the Supra comes out ahead. Way ahead.
In the drag race, the Supra managed a time of 12.0 seconds, while the Z4 posted a time of 12.5 seconds. Even with a do-over, the Supra still pulled ahead with no sign that the Z4 would ever be capable of catching up.
The rolling race held the same result. Only in braking did the Z4 beat the Supra, and there it was close enough that you could argue that the Supra driver was simply a little late on the pedal.
Mat from Carwow puts it best: “Toyota is the better BMW.”