It’s no secret that the BMW Z4 M40i and Toyota Supra are nearly mechanical twins, sharing the same engine, chassis and electronics. There have also been countless articles, reviews and tests of each. But Car Throttle recently put the two back-to-back to try and find little differences and similarities in how they actually drive.
Obviously, the two cars look very different. The BMW Z4 is purely a roadster, with no fixed roof version, and the Toyota Supra only comes as a coupe. That’s just the beginning, though. The Z4 is wedgy and squared off, while the Supra has seemingly endless flowing curves and sharp lines. The BMW is typically German and the Supra is typically Japanese. Personally, I like the Supra better but it isn’t without its funky line or two. I also like the Z4 more than most enthusiasts but it’s not exactly a beauty.
Inside, they’re actually more different than you might have heard. There are near-constant complaints about how “BMW” the Toyota Supra feels on the inside. And while there is a lot of Bavarian switchgear, Toyota did enough to differentiate it from the Z4. For instance, the dash design is entirely different, the gauge cluster is unique to the Supra, the seats are different and the iDrive screen is slightly different.
Admittedly, the Supra does borrow a BMW steering wheel, climate control switchgear, steering wheel stalks, shift lever and iDrive controller. Though, they’re all from a mix of different BMW models, rather than just being from the Z4, which helps separate it a bit. It’s as if BMW just let Toyota pick from a Bavarian parts bin, without having any specific requirements.
In terms of how they drive, Car Throttle actually reckons the Toyota Supra is the better car to drive. Sure, the two cars are similar to drive but there’s enough of a difference that they feel like different cars, albeit only slightly different cars. For instance, the steering on the Toyota is sharper and more responsive, the suspension feels better damped and the chassis is more willing to play. Almost all of that is down to software tuning, though, as the hardware between the two cars is mostly the same.
Honestly, we can’t wait to get our hands on the Supra to find out just how similar/different the two cars feel. This way, we can judge for ourselves without having to hear it from others.
[Source: Car Throttle]
