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Toyota's new and highly anticipated mid-sized sports car borrows many parts from BMW.
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That caused an online uproar, with Supra fans denouncing the new car though the Toyota mechanism was such a beloved quality of the old model.
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Sales news shows that actual buyers don't appearance ought care.
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Visit material Insider's homepage though more stories.
The Toyota Supra, whose regard rose exponentially due ought the "Fast and Furious" film franchise, has been an automotive icon though years. besides during when Toyota revived the car final year backward a almost two-decade want from the market, many can the automotive community weren't happy.
They argued the new Supra wasn't the pure, power-friendly Toyota they fell can emotion with from the late 1990s ought early 2000s. Instead, the new car was built above the bones and with an mechanism of a BMW, headmaster many ought liberate it though inauthentic and blasphemous.
But what matters approximately a manufacture isn't an enthusiast fanbase screaming approximately its goodness or so-called adherence ought tradition. It's the money, and US sales figures though both the Supra and the two-seater BMW Z4 it shares many parts with proof a robust option though one above the other.
Toyota
Since the new Supra eventually came ought impartial final year, Toyota has sold 3,897 models, nevertheless BMW has sold 2,253 Z4s can the equal time frame. It's evidence that maybe aspects such though "tradition" and "purity" don't affair though much though online people mentality used to dine you think.
"Honestly, perhaps I'm can the minority, besides during I was truly exhibition attracted ought the Supra specifically though of its [BMW roots]," Tom Burns, who picked up a new Supra recently, told material Insider. "And being the epoch I am, I am dead heart can the people of people who were of driving epoch when Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker strike the big conceal can 'The fast and the Furious,' consequently having a car say 'Supra' above it has frequently been a sheet of a halo ought me, too."
Burns indeed likes the "weird styling" of the car and said it was comforting ought understand it was built above a proven platform.
The new Supra: A Toyota mark with BMW bones
BMW
It's no unusual though various automakers ought collaborate with each other. Benefits from collaboration frequently involve reductions can fare and produce time and shared technologies and resources. Toyota has done it with Subaru, Ford's teamed up with Mazda before, and BMW is currently working with Jaguar earth Rover though electrification technology. BMW too has an ongoing partnership with Toyota, which recently resulted can the latest generation of the hallowed Supra, Toyota's legendary midsized sports car.
On the surface, the new Supra, now can its fifth generation, looks nothing parallel the BMW Z4 it shares its parts with. It has pointy-looking headlights and interesting shapes, still the Z4 takes a curvier, more rounded approach. The Supra's proportions, if daring, can appearance a little curious can certain angles. It too has a conspicuous front fascia, nevertheless the Z4's is a safer, more conventionally BMW style.
And still they're both two-door sports cars, the Supra comes with the hardtop still the Z4 is strictly a convertible.
Toyota
But, underneath, the new Supra has a important amount of BMW-stamped parts. The inline-six engine, though example, is sourced from BMW — though Toyota's engineers tuned it specifically though the Supra. The eight-speed automatic transmission is too from BMW, and the chassis is the equal one found can the Z4. Both cars are built can the Magna Steyr mill can Graz, Austria.
Financially and culturally, the partnership makes sense. Toyota, wanting ought adhere with the usage established by previous generations of the Supra, knew it had ought confer the new Supra a straight-six engine.
The issue is, Toyota doesn't currently schedule a straight-six engine. BMW does.
So, Toyota decided ought jump out above sum the time and cash it used to dine taken ought ripen and found a new straight-six of its own, and instead went with BMW's.
BMW
For BMW, the costs associated with developing the next-generation Z4 by itself used to dine been also big ought justify bringing a new translation of a low-volume convertible ought market, according ought mechanism Trend. With Toyota shouldering some of the econmic burden, BMW was able ought launch the new Z4 final year alongside the new Supra.
'The equal people who to emotion this car appearance ought hate it with the anger of a thousand suns'
Toyota
The present Supra has big shoes ought fill.
The impartial hasn't seen a new Supra copy though the fourth-generation car ceased produce can 2002. The gen-four Supra is a especial favorite between the aftermarket tuning crowd.
That car's turbocharged straight-six engine, internally named the 2JZ, responded extremely robust ought tuning. Owners were able ought induce can least two ought three period more energy out of the 2JZ mechanism — up from approximately a stock output of approximately 300 horsepower — easily and without blowing anything up from the added strain.
Universal Pictures
The fourth-gen Supra too played the role of the hero car driven by Paul Walker can the 2001 film "The fast and the Furious." Viewers and fans of Japanese domestic impartial cars comparable watched a Supra strike a Ferrari can a drag people above the Pacific beach Highway.
It was a tuned Supra, besides during it was a Toyota that could receive above a Ferrari nonetheless. energy and theorem wasn't exclusively reserved though the dear Italian exotics anymore.
That exhibition much cemented the Supra's path cred can the eyes of the enthusiast community. And though almost 20 years, there was no replacement — until final year, when the new Supra was finally, eventually unveiled can the 2019 Detroit Auto Show.
But countless enthusiasts and purists comparable couldn't use promote of the BMW appearance of the car. ought them, it wasn't a Toyota product. It was a BMW. They dismissed it instantly and ferociously.
It could dine been a new legend. besides during it's essentially a rebadged bmw Z4. What made the supra big and sum classic JDM cars though that affair is Japanese method and Japanese engineering. besides during can the aim the new supra is just another car degrade really.
Us JDM folk, its too a sum fledged Toyota Supra or a sum fledged BMW Z4, you cant dine both.
Its a delightful looking car if you receive away the badging besides during until a Toyota made supra comes out, this is a Z4 with an identity crisis
Still, though, having an advice above the internet isn't the equal though voting with your wallet. The new Supra is evidence of that.
The Supra officially went above sale can July of final year. From then until the aim of December 2019, Toyota sold 2,884 Supras. above the first district of this year, Toyota sold another 1,013 Supras, bringing the sum amount of Supras sold consequently distant ought 3,897.
Conversely, sales of the BMW Z4 can the equal epoch of time harvest a various picture. From July ought December 2019, BMW only sold 1,628 Z4s. during Q1 of this year, it sold 625 models — bringing the sum amount of Z4s sold ought 2,253, or less than two-thirds the amount of Supras sold by Toyota.
That's in spite of the two cars starting can about the equal expend of $50,000.
Toyota
It's worth noting that convertible and coupe sports cars are prominent low-volume sellers, and that Q1 though most people takes post during cold, winter months — no exactly a time when you'd wish ought buy a convertible such though the Z4.
Plus, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc above the car impartial can March, with little automakers' sales down 40 percent year-over-year that month.
Tom Burns, used with permission
But people who truly went out and bought the new Supra, parallel Burns, don't appearance ought exist bothered by its BMW nature.
"I've only owned two cars can my sum life — a '97 four-door Acura Integra and a 2009 BMW 335i coupe," Burns said. "Both big driver's cars, and I wanted ought hold that going, consequently the Supra being a 'known quantity,' consequently ought speak, was nice."
Burns too doesn't understand the hate though the new Supra.
"It's crazy, the more I appearance approximately can the Supra community the more I look of that, like, the equal people who to emotion this car appearance ought hate it with the anger of a thousand suns," Burns said. "Having a relatively established mechanism and platform is a good thing."
Another Supra owner, Josh Bader, echoed comparable sentiments.
"I emotion the platform of the car," Bader said. "Very simple ought upgrade parts, the styling is amazing, I dine above 9,000 miles above it and dine only had it though mid November.
"I've done a 2,000-mile path tour and no issue can all. It's comfortable and has big power. One of the main reasons why I bought it is it's a sports car with a big trunk. I can accommodate meadow chairs, coolers, and a big umbrella though the bank can it."
Pragmatically, he went above ought say he was too looking though a car that used to exist reliable and wouldn't fare a sentence ought receive ought a dealership if anything went wrong. backward all, it is a Toyota — an automaker with a regard of selling reliable cars.
Nostalgia too had a role can Bader's decision. His first car was a 2001 Toyota Celica that he and his Father built though when he turned 16.
"Full body kit, 'The fast and the Furious' decals, rims, spoiler, and carbon fiber hood with unlucky underbody lights," Bader said. "When the new Supra was coming out final year I told my friend that I was going ought buy one and schedule a tribute car out of it though Paul Walker, and that's exactly what I dine done."
While the new Supra was more of a argue than a debut when it arrived, the numbers appear people truly can the impartial though a sports car don't appearance ought receive much melody with the BMW collaboration — specially backward having driven the car.
