BMW launched the new Z4, twinned with the Toyota Supra, in 2018 as a 2019 model, and since then its sales haven’t been spectacular – especially in the United States. After three years on the market, the Z4 has been good for sales figures that total 7,717 examples in the U.S., or an average of 2,572 examples sold per year. The best year was, of course, 2019 when sales hit 2,941. In Europe, on the other hand, the Z4 has been much more successful with sales of 9,681 examples in 2019 and 8,314 in 2020. Are these sales figures good enough to keep the Z4 on the market through the decade and, perhaps, enough for a new generation? Apparently not, as a new report claims that BMW is set to kill off the Z4 roadster in 2025.

For a niche market that’s occupied by very few cars, sales of 12,000-13,000 examples per year across Europe and America doesn’t sound bad, but when you consider that BMW was selling 10,000-12,000 examples of the Z4’s predecessor on the U.S. market alone in the mid-2000s, it’s safe to say that the Z4 probably isn’t living up to sales expectations. And, that’s exactly what the Spanish website Motor.es is reporting as the reason for BMW canceling the Z4 in mid-2025.

Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 Sales

 

2019

2020

2021

Total

Toyota Supra U.S.

2,884

5,887

6,830

15,601

Toyota Supra EU

893

947

TBA

1,840

BMW Z4 U.S.

2,941

2,364

2,412

7,717

BMW Z4 EU

9,681

8,314

TBA

17,995


Either way, the good news is that BMW isn’t just going to let the Z4 die a slow miserable death. According to the report – which has yet to be confirmed, by the way – the Z4 will be updated in 2023 with a new look. It should be a basic mid-cycle update, though, so don’t expect anything too extreme. It should also be pointed out that with the Z4 launching for the 2019 model year, mid-2025 would make it seven years old, which would be about right for the end of its lifecycle. So, it’s not as if BMW is pulling the plug too soon. It is also understandable that sales aren’t good enough to warrant a replacement, but if sales suddenly spike post facelift, this report could become nothing more than a debunked rumor as BMW would have justifiable cause to usher in a new generation.

Will Toyota Also Kill Off the Supra?

There’s a catch, though, as the Toyota Supra has been way more successful than the Z4 since launch – at least in America, anyway. In fact, from 2019 through 2021, Toyota has sold a total of 15,601 examples of the Supra in America or about double that of the Z4 (7,884 more, to be precise). It’s a totally different and pretty embarrassing situation in Europe, though, where Toyota managed to sell just 893 examples of the Supra in 2019 and 947 examples in 2020. So, even if the BMW Z4 does live on beyond the middle of this decade, it’s possible that BMW could withdraw the Z4 from the U.S. market altogether while Toyota could withdraw the Supra from the EU market altogether.

But, if BMW isn’t getting enough global sales for the Z4 to keep it alive beyond 2025, will Toyota be forced to make the same decision? With both models being built in the same factory, it’s quite possible that this is a two-for-one deal and killing off one could mean killing off the other.

BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra Specifications

BMW Z4 sDrive 30i

BMW Z4 sDrive M40i

Toyota GR Supra 2.0

Toyota GR Supra 3.0

Engine

2.0-liter Inline-Four

3.0-Liter Inline-Six

2.0-Liter Inline-Four

3.0-Liter Inline-Six

Transmission

8-Speed Automatic

8-Speed Automatic

8-Speed Automatic

8-Speed Automatic

Driveline

RWD

RWD

RWD

RWD

Horsepower

255 HP @ 5,000 RPM

382 HP @ 5,000 RPM

255 HP @ 5,000 RPM

382 HP @ 5,000 RPM

Torque

295 LB-FT @ 1,550 RPM

369 LB-FT @ 1,600 RPM

295 LB-FT @ 1,550 RPM

369 LB-FT @ 1,600 RPM

0-60 MPH

5.1 Seconds

3.8 Seconds

4.7 Seconds

3.7 Seconds

Top Speed

155 MPH

155 MPH

155 MPH

155 MPH


With the Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 being built in the same factory on the same platform, it shouldn’t be any surprise that they aren’t all that different from one another outside of appearance. They both ride on the same platform, feature similar interiors, and have the same engines. The Z4 sDrive30i and GR Supra 2.0 share a 2.0-liter inline-four that is good for 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The Z4 sDrive M40i and Supra 3.0 share a 3.0-liter inline-six that’s good for 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Where they differ, however, is their on-road performance. The Supra and Z4 have an identical top speed of 155 mph but the Supra will win the sprint to 60 mph every time. The Supra 2.0 makes it to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds (0.4-seconds faster than the Z4 30i) while the Supra 3.0 makes the same sprint in 3.7 seconds, just 0.1-second faster than the Z4 M40i.

Regardless of what happens, we’ll find out soon enough what the fate of the Z4 will be. The aforementioned update will happen in 2023 as scheduled and 2025 isn’t that far away. Now, we just have to wonder what will happen with the Toyota Supra.