The Toyota Supra Will Drive Way Different Than the BMW Z4
The 2019 Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 are being developed alongside one another, but BMW promises the two sports cars won’t feel alike from the behind the steering wheel.
Speaking to CarAdvice, BMW Australia CEO Marc Werner said BMW and Toyota decided to develop the new Z4 and Supra together to save on development costs, but that doesn’t mean they will be the same car. Whereas the BMW will put a focus on comfort and luxury, the Supra will be a bit more bare bones and performance minded.
“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 [BMW], but each and every manufacturer,” Werner said.
“So we decided to join forces with Toyota, as far as the development process is concerned. 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.”
SEE ALSO: 2018 Toyota Supra Shows Off Production Cues in Latest Spy Photos
Spy photos show the Supra and Z4 will have similar proportions, but very different styling. The Z4 will be a soft-top convertible, while the Supra will be a hardtop coupe. The two cars are rumored to share powertrains, with a leaked document pointing to BMW-sourced 2.0-liter turbo four and a 3.0-liter turbo inline-six engines being used. They should also share a transmission (manual on the Supra, please!) and certain interior components.
We’re expecting to see a concept version of the 2019 Supra arrive at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month before the production car arrives sometime in 2018. Stay tuned for more info as we have it.
[Source CarAdvice]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Blah blah blah... it's the same pictureshipment they have been showing us for a year now with these no actual info articles trying to keep people's intereste peaked. For what? A car that might come out in another TWO years?
@disqus_NSAmDZnzSr:disqus Can you drive a manual?... Have you ever owned a manual (true) sports car?... I have a feeling you have not, and that is because if you had, you would understand the connection you gain from it. Yes, I agree, auto trans has come a long way and is superior to manuals in many ways, but it can never give you "the feeling" a manual can.