New Toyota Supra And BMW Z4 To Offer Unique Driving Characteristics

BMW and Toyota may have tied the knot to share development resources for a pair of new sports cars—the BMW Z4 and the Toyota Supra—but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be identical. They’ll be two very different machines, according to BMW Australia CEO Marc Werner.

The executive told Car Advice the new Z4 will still be an “ultimate driving machine,” and the overall driving experience and design will be “unique” to both cars. “As far as the design is concerned, it will be absolutely unique, not only in terms of design but how they drive and how they handle,” Werner said.

The major benefits of the Toyota-BMW joint development are cost savings and pooling resources, rather than developing two separate cars altogether. “Product development of each and every car costs you a couple of billion dollars, and the roadster segment is, unfortunately, declining over the last couple of years—not only for us [BMW], but each and every manufacturer,” he added.

With Werner’s comments, it’s easy to picture how both automakers plan to position the cars. The Toyota Supra will likely not play in a similar price bracket as the BMW Z4, which should feature more premium finishes. The BMW Concept Z4 gave us our first look at the German automaker’s design direction. Meanwhile, Toyota hasn’t uncloaked the Supra just yet, though spy shots indicate it will channel the FT-1 concept.

What isn’t clear are powertrains. Leaked information has flip-flopped over what to expect under the hood of both cars. First, rumors said the Toyota Supra wouldn’t offer a manual, but the Z4 would. A few weeks later, contrary evidence surfaced. The most recent leak points to a 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 engine for the fifth-generation Supra, purportedly developed by both Toyota and BMW. Previous rumors claimed a BMW-sourced, inline-6 engine would power the Supra, as well as a turbocharged 4-cylinder.

Hopefully, all of it will be cleared up soon. Toyota may debut the new Supra at the 2017 Tokyo motor show, which opens its doors to the media on October 25th.