BMW Z4 vs Toyota Supra: Which Manual Sports Car Twin Is Best?

You’d never know it from just looking at them, but the Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 are nearly identical under the skin. This isn’t your typical case of badge engineering or platform sharing, as neither brand is otherwise affiliated with the other—they’re from opposite sides of the world, and typically operate in different parts of the automotive market. However, one joint sports car project between BMW and Toyota spawned two similar but distinctly excellent sports cars that both offer rear-wheel drive and manual transmissions at a time when both of those things are dying. And I had the chance to drive both of them back-to-back. 

Despite their drastically different looks, the Supra and Z4 share the same chassis, engine, and transmission. Most of their suspension and steering components are the same, too, but both Toyota and BMW tuned each car to their liking. Both brands will tell you that the cars feel different enough from each other to distinguish themselves. But after driving them back to back, is that actually true? 

Prior to this comparison test, I’d driven both cars before. However, those drives were months apart and before they received their respective mid-cycle refreshes. In addition to facelifts, each car also received manual transmissions that weren’t available the first time around. And since transmissions are such a big factor in how a car feels, I was hopeful that the Supra and Z4 would reveal more of themselves to me this time around.

Thankfully, I was right. After driving them back-to-back, I was actually shocked at how different they felt. Toyota and BMW impressively tuned each car to feel unique, or at least as unique as they could with the same running gear. However, which one is better? 

2024 Toyota GR Supra: The Everyday Exotic

Don’t let its mechanical origins distract you from just how much fun the Supra is to drive. Most of this fun comes from its engine and the Supra’s BMW-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six is among the best six-cylinders on the market. It’s dairy smooth, makes a great noise, and shoves you back in your seat like taking a punch to the chest from a prime Mike Tyson. 

Making that engine even better is pairing it with three pedals and a stick. The Supra’s clutch feels very much like a modern BMW clutch but a bit lighter. So its engagement point is pretty vague and it can be a bit like an on/off switch, making it tricky to be smooth with until you really learn it. That being said, the Supra’s shifter is nicer than BMW’s: it’s thin with a small knob (be adults, would ya) and really enjoyable to use. It might not be as slick as that of Toyota’s other manual sports car, the GR86, but it’s still great. 

A great sports car is more than just a great powertrain, though. It needs to handle well, too. For the most part, the Supra is great fun to toss around. Its steering is a little too light and a little too vague but it’s accurate and it points that long front end exactly where you ask it to. Its brakes are great, also, with excellent pedal feel and tons of stopping power. However, I found the ride a bit too stiff and the narrow view out of its pillbox-like windows could sometimes make driving quickly feel a bit sketchy. When you’re driving hard, you want to feel confident but the Supra’s poor outward visibility doesn’t really help in that department, and it made me a bit claustrophobic. 

Boy, does it look good from the outside, though. Toyota nailed the Supra’s styling, as it looks like nothing else on the road. That gives it an interesting, almost exotic feel that’s so endearing every time you see it. The Supra creates smiles wherever it goes, be it on its owner’s face during their walk up to it every morning, or on passerbys’ faces who get excited to see something so unique. On styling alone, every trip in the Supra feels special. 

BMW Z4 M40i: Better Than Every M Car

Right now, the best-driving BMW isn’t an M2, M3, or M5. It’s the Z4 M40i. It might not be BMW’s best-looking car (it isn’t even the best-looking car in this test) nor is it particularly good value on paper. However, the Supra’s convertible cousin is better to drive than anything else with a blue and white Roundel available right now. That’s because it does everything a good sports car is supposed to do, the way BMWs used to do it: it’s small, it’s light, it makes good enough power, and, most importantly, it’s fun. 

The Z4 M40i, equipped with the Handschalter Package, uses the exact same powertrain as the Supra: a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six, a six-speed manual, and rear-wheel drive. It even makes the exact same 382 horsepower. However, BMW tuned the Z4 to sound different, with a quieter, deeper growl than the Supra’s. The shifter feels different in the Bimmer, too, with a more rubbery, notchier feel, while the clutch feels the same. I prefer the Supra’s manual but the Z4’s isn’t bad. 

On the road, though, the Z4 M40i is much more refined, even with the roof down. It’s quieter, the suspension is more comfortable without feeling any less planted, and its steering is heavier but equally as vague. The brakes feel about the same but the pedal bites slightly lower down in the travel, so it’s marginally less aggressive. Overall, the Z4 feels like BMW slathered a thin layer of comfort on top of the Supra’s driving experience which I actually think helps it be more enjoyable. 

The Z4’s extra refinement and outward visibility—this is a droptop, after all—mean it can be driven harder with more confidence. I was able to enjoy the Z4 M40i more because I could trust what I was seeing more and because its suspension was less upset over bumps. Infinite miles of headroom didn’t hurt, either.

Which One Should You Buy?

This isn’t as easy as saying “If you like convertibles, get the convertible. If you don’t, get the coupe.” Both cars feel different enough to make each one worth owning on their own merits, not just because of their body styles. That’s actually what makes the choice difficult: they each have their own endearing personalities, which makes it hard to choose. 

However, if it were my money, I’d have to choose the BMW Z4 M40i. Maybe I’m just a sucker for convertibles, or maybe it’s the added refinement, comfier ride, and vastly superior outward visibility. In any case, the Z4 is a more confidence-inspiring machine while still offering a rewardingly sporty driving experience. The Z4 M40i is more confidence-inspiring, while still offering a rewarding experience, and having added bonus of being able to drop the top. 

The Z4 M40i doesn’t look anywhere near as good as the Supra—no one will give the Z4 a second look and if they do, it’ll be in disgust—nor does it have that nearly exotic car feel. But I’m more interested in the drive. And, for me, the Bimmer’s drive is just a little bit better. 

Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com

 

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