Autocar recently had the opportunity to sit down with M Division president Markus Flasch and one of the topics that came up was the future BMW M3 engine – the S58. The British magazine asked whether that engine could also power the Toyota Supra.
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“We’ve certainly made no offer to supply the engine to Toyota – and no request has been made, as far as I know,” he said. “But it’s an interesting idea, if unlikely for now. It would be a lot for us to give away, you might say. But I’d never say never.”
The idea of the S58 in the Supra is quite intriguing, considering the power output of the S58 can go higher than 500 horsepower.
The entry-level version of the S58 delivers 480 PS (473 hp in the US) and offers 600 Newton meters (442 lb-ft) of torque, making it more powerful that even the engine found in the M3 CS and M4 CS models. The top models X3 M Competition and X4 M Competition are using a tuned up version of the S58 delivering around 510 PS (503 hp), but the expectations are that more power can be squeezed out of the engine.
Yet, Flasch indicated that it’s unlikely for the S58 engine to be given to Toyota.
“As a rule, we don’t offer BMW M engines to third parties because we consider them such a strength of our cars,” he said. “I think it would be a hard decision for a lot of the team to accept – particularly with the S58 being so new. Why would we sell it before we had a chance to use it ourselves in all the places we plan to?”
The Supra, just like the Z4 M40i, is powered by the B58 3.0-liter, turbo straight-six delivering 335 horsepower, enough to reach 62 mph from standstill in 4.1 seconds.
By may, M GmbH has already sold 48,000 vehicles. 2019 could become the next record year. The US continues to be by far the best single market, followed by Great Britain, Germany and China.
The wisest decision Flasch could ever make for M GmbH is to keep the original front-end design for the F90 LCI.
If the F90 LCI gets infected with the new G30 kidneys, it will kill the market’s best performing and quintessential non-Tesla sport saloon.
I agree with you.
How is a Tesla a “sport saloon”?! It would need an extension cord to do laps, naming something after 3 doesn’t make it 3. Ask Mazda, or Audi A4.
If Toyota wants a beefed up BMW I6 for their Supra and doesn’t get the S58 … they could ask Alpina for a dual turbo B58 variant … maybe not as sophisticated than a S58 … but good enough?
Why would BMW or Alpina give up top of the line to another manufacturer? We already know Supra produces more hp. than promoted.