Beer Or Sake?

BMW Z4 vs. TOYOTA GR SUPRA

Built at the same factory, this German and Japanese share much in common, but they're quite different in character. What unites them, in the end, is the sheer pleasure of driving!

- Lorenzo Facchinetti

This story begins with a Japanese, a German and an Austrian. The Japanese asks the German to loan him something so that he can build an item that’s very dear to him. The German sees it as an opportunity to share the cost of building something that he, perhaps, would have built anyway. Pleased, the Austrian rubbed his hands and helped them both realise their dreams.

Now, the aforementioned narrative isn’t a joke. In fact, it’s a remarkable, contemporary tale of synergy between modern manufacturers – Toyota exhumes the Supra after decades, BMW shares its famous in-line six engine and platform, amongst other bits, and Magna Steyr assumes the assembly operations and brings both together.

It’s remarkable to see a manufacturer, or two in this case, committed to offering true pleasure of driving in an industry that’s otherwise investing largely in electric cars, autonomous driving and a reduction in emissions. If that doesn’t put a smile on the faces of those of us who have a passion for proper driver’s cars, I don’t know what will.

So, those (purists) who frown upon the exchange of components between manufacturers, must examine their conscience. For, without this collaboration with Munich, the Supra wouldn’t have been born.