BMW fans should have some love for the new Toyota Supra. Not only is it a kick-ass sports car that’s based on a BMW-developed chassis and uses BMW engines but it also looks incredible and technically gives BMW enthusiasts more options for a cool car. The newest version of the Supra packs BMW’s B48 turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which allows it to have a lower price tag than the B58 six-cylinder model. But is it any good as an actual sports car? Car and Driver recently tested it against another four-cylinder, rear-wheel drive sports coupe — the Ford Mustang 2.3 Ecoboost.
Some car enthusiasts might scoff at the Supra packing a turbo-four but they’ll practically spit out their lunch when they see a turbo-four Mustang. Admittedly, the four-pot Mustang has been around for awhile now but it’s still sort of odd to see. Nevertheless, Car and Driver soldiered on and tested the two four-cylinder versions of iconic sports cars to see which was best.
Personally, I’ve yet to drive either of the four-cylinder versions of these cars. I’ve driven the new Mustang but only in Shelby GT350 form and driven the Supra but only in 3.0T form. Just from those experiences, I though the Mustang was going to wipe the floor with the Supra. Turns out, C&D felt otherwise.
Both cars get turbocharged four-cylinder engines, with pretty obvious displacements; the Toyota Supra gets a 2.00 liter turbo-four with 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft while the Mustang gets a 2.3 liter turbo-four with 330 horsepower and 350 lb-ft. The Supra only gets an eight-speed auto and the Mustang is available with either a six-speed manual or an automatic. However, it had the six-speed manual in the test.
So the Mustang had both a power advantage and the more exciting transmission of the two. Yet, the Supra still won the day. How did it manage to beat the more powerful, manually-equipped Mustang? You’ll just have to read C&D for that.
[Source: Car and Driver]
