Why Is The Toyota MK5 Supra Called A BMW?

Currently one of the most common jokes in the car world, you'll often hear people referring to the Toyota GR Supra as a BMW. Many car enthusiasts were surprised when the fifth generation Supra was announced, which includes plenty of BMW parts — most notoriously, its B48 and B58 engines, both of which are supplied by BMW. This new ideation of the popular sports car was the result of a collaboration between the Japanese and German automakers, which appeared to strip the Supra of its roots. However, teaming up with BMW was the only way to keep the Supra's inline-six engine, according to its Chief Engineer, Tetsuya Tada. 

BMW is one of the only remaining sources of an inline-six engine, so Toyota reached out for a car collaboration. Tada told Japanese Nostalgic Car in an interview that keeping the inline-six was very important for Toyota. Engineer Ichiro Suzuki once told him: "A sports car must have an inline-six." For this reason, Toyota valued getting out a sports car with that engine over having a totally Toyota-built car. 

Tada continued: "One day even diehard Toyota fans will understand this decision. It's really important to be a stickler, but if you are too strict, you will have nothing. It's a reality that the Supra could have disappeared forever. Now I want to support this car for next 20 to 30 years."

Tada revealed that the collaboration didn't begin smoothly. It apparently took two years for the two car brands to figure out how they'd go about building a car, with the two not wanting to step on each other's toes (tires?). At first, BMW was not pleased with the idea of the Supra coming out around the same time as the BMW Z4. It was finally decided that the Supra would be a direct competitor to the Porsche 718 Cayman, giving both Toyota and BMW different directions. Still, many consider these two cars "siblings." 

While the cars share a lot of the same inner components, they are very different. According to Tada, Toyota and BMW split off to work on their cars separately, leaving Toyota to work on the "engine, transmission, steering, and body rigidity" without BMW's influence. This seemed to set the cars apart. In a comparison by Car and Driver, the Supra and Z4 had different performances (the Supra felt more playful and responsive). Our review of the 2020 Supra said it "had a charm and personality of its own." So, while the Supra may share BMW parts, it continues to stand out on its own.