Toyota Supra Interior Spied, Looks a Lot Like the BMW Z4

TopSpeed

By Ciprian Florea

Published Jul 13, 2018

A bit disappointing...

The Toyota Supra made its dynamic debut at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed this week, but the fact that the company drove a camouflaged prototype on the Hillclimb course came as a disappointment. However, we at least got confirmation that there will be a six-cylinder engine under the hood. What's more, we got a glimpse inside the cabin, and despite the camouflage, we did see some of the car's design and features.

Not surprisingly, the layout is quite sporty. The seating position is low, the center console is wide, while the relatively compact dashboard allows good visibility up front. There aren't many features out in the open, but almost everything we can see is based on what we saw in spy shots of the BMW Z4. Even the steering wheel is similar, with touch controls on the side spokes and a similar glossy insert on the lower spoke.

The air vents seem inspired by the FT-1 Concept, but both the infotainment display and the controls in the center stack are similar to the Z4. Even the "free-standing" screen is a trademark BMW features. The automatic shifter lever is also sourced from BMW. Sure, it doesn't look identical, but it's definitely taken from the BMW parts bin.

As we discussed earlier this week, the Supra will share many other features with the BMW Z4. The cars ride on the same chassis, similar suspension components, and will share at least one engine, BMW's 3.0-liter inline-six. They could also share the 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but this has yet to be confirmed. They could also be assembled at the same factory in Germany in order to reduce costs. Of course, the Supra will benefit from its very own setup, so it won't ride and feel like a BMW.

While sharing underpinnings and the assembly line is perfectly fine, it's a bit disappointing that the Supra will also get BMW parts inside the cabin. We've seen similar elements in previous spy shots, but the consensus was that Toyota will come up with a unique design. With the Supra almost ready to go into production, it's pretty clear that the cabin will get quite a few BMW features. This isn't necessarily bad, but I think that such an iconic car deserves a unique interior.

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