It’s Mostly Good News
When Toyota first let it be known that the new 2020 Supra would be developed in partnership with BMW, many hardcore Supra fans were not happy. It makes sense. The Toyota Supra is such an iconic car. It’s one that has a legendary following. To let the Germans design the engine, transmission, steering rack, and dampers is a sacrilege.
However, the more people see of the car, the more it becomes clear that the Supra does have some major differences than the BMW Z4 with which it shares so much. Toyota, of course, wants to point out as many differences as possible. The Supra should still feel like a Supra and not like a BMW. From what we’re hearing in the press, it does, to a certain extent.
The interior seems to be some people’s biggest issue with the car. It looks like a BMW, but that’s not the end of the world, necessarily. BMW makes high-quality interiors. Still, if you’re a Toyota purist, that’s unacceptable. One good thing is that it looks a lot different than the BMW Z4, which is nice.
Image from ToyotaWhat the Reviews Say
There’s a lot of views and opinions of the 2020 Supra. Toyota recently had several journalists out to drive the new car. Here’s a look at what was said.
“While fans might roll their eyes at the partnership with BMW, it helped to spawn a stylish sports car with an upscale interior, plenty of power and great handling characteristics,” wrote Michael Gauthier of Carscoops.
“That the Supra lacks the genetic purity its disciples might prefer is clear, but genealogy is far less important than creating a driving tool capable of fully immersing its pilot in the experience. And that’s what Toyota has done with the Supra,” wrote Josh Jacquot of Car and Driver.
“And yes, this car can feel a little too soft and maybe even too refined at times, but Supra historically has been a road-focused sports car and this new one fits quite nicely in that mold, offering far more power, poise, and polish than previous generations,” wrote Tim Stevens of Roadshow by CNET.
“This is a genuinely transcendent product, pushing the limits of what’s possible in a competitive class, albeit with a platform, engine, and interior borrowed from BMW ... But get behind the wheel and the end result is a product that far exceeds any preconceived notions. Haters be damned,” wrote Jeff Perez of Motor1.
“Although the Supra’s BMW roots and joint efforts pay off in spades from behind the wheel, I was hoping for a Toyota thoroughbred,” wrote Chris Chin of The Drive.
It’s clear then that if you can get past the fact that the new Supra is indeed a BMW car with some serious Toyota flavored spice thrown in, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this car. We think we can get excited about a car like this, but understand why some people never will.
