There may not have been a bigger drop-off of excitement for a car than when the new Toyota Supra was first revealed. Prior to its reveal, enthusiasts were buzzing with excitement over the possibility of yet another Supra, regardless of which parts it shared with BMW. Yet, after enthusiasts realized it shared virtually everything with the BMW Z4, that excitement started to fizzle.
Immediately after its first drives occurred, the internet was awash with criticism for it feeling too BMW-like and not Japanese enough. Is that criticism warranted, though? Does it matter where it feels it comes from like if it’s a really good car to drive? In this new video review from Top Gear, Jack Rix drives the new Toyota Supra to find out.
Yes, under the skin, the Toyota Supra is almost entirely a BMW. It has a BMW engine, a BMW-developed chassis, a BMW interior with BMW’s iDrive and it even has an older BMW steering wheel. Nearly everything about the Supra is pulled from a BMW.
Having said that, Toyota does claim that it’s tuned the engine, gearbox and suspension itself, so it should feel like a different car to drive. That might be true but the engine does sound exactly like a BMW B58. Does it matter, though? According to Rix, the Supra is actually really quite good to drive and we’ve heard that from many journalists as well, even its critics.
The main complaint is that it doesn’t feel enough like a proper Supra and that seems to be a bit of a let down for a lot of enthusiasts. However, it is a new Toyota Supra and that alone is something to celebrate. It also looks like a proper Supra and its styling is very different, very Japanese. I think in time fans will grow to realize that it’s a good car and drives really well, regardless of which brand’s engine is under the hood.
