The fifth-generation Toyota Supra is pretty powerful at 335 horsepower, but there's definitely room for improvement. Will Toyota release a beefed-up version soon? We don't know that yet, but we do know for a fact that it could. According to BMW, the Japanese firm could borrow a more powerful version of its 3.0-liter inline-six for the Supra.

"Never say never"

This wild scenario comes from BMW M division boss Markus Flasch, who said that a Toyota Supra powered by the beefed-up S58 engine, now available in the X3 M and X4 M Competition SUVs, would be possible. Talking to Autocar, Flasch stressed that Toyota has yet to make such a request, but he wasn't in a hurry to deny the possibility.

“We’ve certainly made no offer to supply the engine to Toyota – and no request has been made, as far as I know. But it’s an interesting idea, if unlikely for now. It would be a lot for us to give away, you might say. But I’d never say never," said Flausch.

But what if Toyota would actually request to use the S58? Well, Flausch goes on to say that BMW would have a hard time to greenlight such a deal now that the engine is brand-new.

“As a rule, we don’t offer BMW M engines to third parties because we consider them such a strength of our cars,” Flasch added. “I think it would be a hard decision for a lot of the team to accept – particularly with the S58 being so new. Why would we sell it before we had a chance to use it ourselves in all the places we plan to?"

I'm shooting in the dark here, but this could also mean that the S58 might make it in the Supra in a couple of years after it's being introduced in the upcoming M3 and M4 models.

The S58 is BMW's new engine for compact M vehicles

The S58 engine is a brand-new unit that the M division developed from the familiar B58, a turbocharger, 3.0-liter inline-six introduced in 2015. The B58 is already available in BMW's all models from the 1 Series to the 8 Series, as well as SUVs like the X3, X4, X5, and X7. The B58 also powers the BMW Z4, the Toyota Sura, and the Morgan Plus Six.

The S58 is the high-performance version of this popular engine and features upgraded internals and new turbochargers, among other improvements. The mill made its debut in the X3 M and X4 M for the 2019 model year. It's available in two flavors, with the more powerful variant powering vehicles branded with the "Competition" badge.

Specifically, the 3.0-liter inline-six generates 473 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque in standard guise, as fitted in the X3 M and X4 M SUVs. When upgraded to Competition specs, it delivers an extra 30 horsepower at 503 horses and 442 pound-feet of twist.

These engines make the X3 M and X4 M two impressively quick SUVs in a straight line. While the base models hit the 60-mph benchmark in 4.1 seconds, the Competition versions achieve the same speed in four seconds flat. They're among the quickest in the class, and both hit top speeds of 155 mph.

BMW X4 M - drivetrain specifications

The use of this engine won't stop here, though. BMW already confirmed that it will find its way into the next-generation M3 (G80) and it will most likely power the M4 as well. Both compact cars will be offered in base and Competition spec, so expect the same two-flavor layout. Output figures are likely to remain the same, although small changes may occur.

In 2020, the S58 will find its way into the fifth BMW, the next-generation M2. While the M2 will also come in base and Competition versions, the engine will probably be detuned to around 450 and 480 horsepower.

The S58-powered Supra; A dream come true?

As of July 2019, we know for a fact that the S58 engine isn't scheduled for a transition into the Supra. BMW made it clear that Toyota didn't make such a request and that it might not be willing to sell the engine for a third-party car that competes with the Z4. But this doesn't necessarily mean that the S58-powered Supra won't happen. BMW might want to keep the S58 for itself for a few years in order to benefit from maximum sales from the M3 and M4, but it could offer this engine to Toyota further down the road.

Actually, if BMW decided to offer a Z4 M with this engine, the transition to the Supra will be easier, and it could happen sooner. It might sound a bit optimistic, but I think that a Toyota Supra with the S58 could arrive for the 2021 model yea

But will it be as powerful as the M Competition models? It's difficult to tell at this point. If Toyota gets approval for the lower power version, which seems likely, it would be more than enough to push the high-performance Supra well above the existing six-cylinder model. At 473 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, the high-performance Supra would deliver an extra 138 horses and 77 pound-feet over the existing model. The extra oomph will also shave at least two tenths off the current 0-to-60 mph time, reducing it from 4.1 to 3.9 seconds. Now that's a goal we can all root for!

The first BMW M engine fitted in a third-party car in 30 years

A Toyota with a BMW engine might have seemed exotic a few decades ago, but it's no longer a reason to stare and wonder. Not only because the current Supra already features a BMW engine, but because many automakers have been using the German company's engines since the 1990s.

Iconic names include the Morgan Plus 8, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, Rover 75, Wiesmann GT, Bentley Arnage, and Land Rover Defender. But automakers like Bristol, Bertone, Ascari, and Vauxhall also borrowed engines from BMW at some point. However, BMW doesn't usually sell its high-performance M engines to other companies. Giving the S58 to Toyota would a rare exception, one that only happened once, all the way back in 1992. That's when McLaren launched its first road-legal supercar, the F1. This iconic three-seat vehicle, known for its tremendous top speed, innovations, and state-of-the-art construction, featured a 6.1-liter V-12 that was built by BMW based on the S70B56 engine architecture. The latter was used in the 850CSi, a beefed-up version of the first-generation 8 Series.

Actually, since the F1's engine was more of a bespoke build rather than just a stock BMW engine, a Supra with the S58 will be a premiere as far as third-party cars with BMW M engines go.

Performance And Drivetrain Specs

Further Reading

Driving the 2020 Toyota Supra On the Track and the Street

Read our full driven review on the 2020 Toyota Supra.

Read our review of the 2020 Toyota Supra

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW Z4.