The collaboration between BMW and Toyota is a few years old now and while some of the details were previously released, there were still a few ones left behind closed doors. One of them is the potential use of BMW engines in future Toyota cars.
According to this report, the two companies are working on two sport cars that will be sharing a few of their underpinnings. Apart from the new Supra, BMW is also working on a replacement for the current BMW Z4 which will soon go out of production. Its successor, rumored to still be called Z4, will also be using Toyota’s hybrid technology for one of its models.
This is where Toyota’s expertise in electrification will come in handy, while BMW will provide the internal combustion engines, most likely 3-liter straight six cylinder versions hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Even though the powertrains will be shared among the two brands, the two models will have completely different designs, unlike other cars developed by two collaborating brands in the industry (such as the Mazda Miata and Fiat 124 Spider for example).
The Supra will be considerably bigger in size compared to the Z4 allowing the Japanese automaker to position it above the current GT86 offering with a premium price tag and superior performance. At the same time, the BMW will be smaller, aiming at a total weight under 1,400 kg (3,086 lbs) with the batteries and electric motors included in the mix.
