Lambo Blogging: Behind the Wheel: 2020 Toyota Supra vs. 2020 BMW Z4

The 2020 Toyota Supra and 2020 BMW Z4 M40i have different personalities—and I’ve experienced both. Here are our initial thoughts on how the two cars compare:

In Sport+ mode, the Z4 M40i feels immediate and aggressive, frenetically piling on speed and issuing aggressive shifts, like an M-division car. The Supra felt more linear and polished in the way it accelerated, shifts were far smoother, and anybody would be able to discern the Supra’s creamy, more fluid operation but also appreciate the shove of torque it delivers from just 1,600 rpm up to 4,500 rpm.

There are obvious questions that need to be answered: Would a person be able to detect the Supra’s 47-hp (13 percent) deficit to the U.S.-spec Z4? Perhaps a car-savvy person could, and basement bench racers will pound this drum until their moms tell them to do the dishes already. A satellite data logger surely will reveal a difference in a sprint to 60 mph, where it will come down to electronic launch strategies and weight-to-power ratios.

As it now stands, with manufacturer-supplied estimated figures, the Z4 at 3,385 pounds to 382 hp (that’s 8.9 pound/hp) is on par with a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera (with 370 hp and a seven-speed manual), which sprints to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. The Supra’s quotient of 3,300 pounds to 335 hp (9.9 pound/hp) lines up with a 2017 Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 (362 hp, nine-speed auto), which runs to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Toyota says the Supra can hit 60 in 4.1 seconds, and we look forward to testing that claim.

Is that half second a big deal? To fan forums, it will be, but not in the overall enjoyment of either car. They’re both fast and fun in their own ways. Also, as of this writing, Toyota has yet to release its figures for the Supra, but we’re confident that the highly sculpted Supra coupe’s aerodynamics will be more “slippery” than the angular Z4 convertible’s (top up) 0.29 Cd figure. As aerodynamic drag increases with the square of speed, this factor will come into play in the race to the quarter-mile marker.