Ever since the Toyota GR Supra came out, we have been wondering how it stacks up to some of BMW’s higher echelon of performance cars. To answer the question, Sam CarLegion has arranged for a tuned Toyota GR Supra and a BMW M4 Competition G82 to meet at the drag strip. We know the GR Supra is quite capable and has beaten much more powerful cars on the quarter-mile. Can it win this one?

Toyota GR Supra

The GR Supra packs a BMW-derived, B58, 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine in the development of which Toyota had input. Toyota also did the chassis and suspension setup to make it stand out from the BMW Z4 in more than just looks. This particular one also benefits from an ECU tune, which means 440 horsepower and 400 pound-feet (542 Nm) instead of the stock 382 horsepower and 368 pound-feet (499 Nm).

At 3,347 pounds (1,518 kg), the GR Supra is relatively light. Power goes to the rear through a ZF, eight-speed automatic. There’s only so much power a rear-wheel-drive car can put down, so the ECU tune may actually play against the GR Supra at the quarter-mile.

BMW M4 Competition

The M4 Competition also packs a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. However, it has 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet (650 Nm) from the factory. While the M4 Competition can be had with BMW’s xDrive, all-wheel-drive system, this one sends power to the rear wheels only. The gearbox is the same ZF eight-speed automatic as in the GR Supra. At 3,880 pounds (1,760 kg), the M4 Competition is significantly heavier than its Japanese relative.

The races

Performance-wise, both cars are quite similar, on paper. The winner will be the one who puts the power down better. In the first drag race, that’s the GR Supra, which manages to rocket ahead, while the M4 struggles for traction. However, the GR Supra also struggles to put the power down and in the second race, even missed a gear, allowing the bigger M4 to take one back.

The 50 km/h (31 mph) rolling races negated the GR Supra’s weight advantage, allowing the M4 to win both times. However, the GR Supra was not far behind and the M4 was slowly pulling away, instead of leaving it in the dust. While the GR Supra managed to gap the M4 in one out of four races, it still proved that it can keep up with a proper M-car, even with just a tune. It’s also $22,000 less expensive, which is something to think about if practicality isn’t high on your list.