Compare the2023 BMW 8 SeriesVS 2023 Toyota Supra

To maximize occupant safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the BMW 8 Series have pretensioners to eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Supra doesn’t offer pretensioners.

The 8 Series’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Supra doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The 8 Series has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Supra doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The 8 Series offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Supra doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the 8 Series and the Supra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The BMW 8 Series weighs 502 to 1510 pounds more than the Toyota Supra. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The 8 Series comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Supra’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The 8 Series’ corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Supra’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 8 Series for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Supra (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

The 840i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder produces 80 more horsepower (335 vs. 255) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (368 vs. 295) than the Supra’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The M850i’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 produces 141 more horsepower (523 vs. 382) and 185 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 368) than the Supra’s optional 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the M850i 4.4 turbo V8 is faster than the Toyota Supra turbo 6 cyl. (automatics tested):

The 8 Series has 4.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Supra (18 vs. 13.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

All wheel drive, available in the 8 Series, provides the best traction for acceleration in wet, dry, and icy conditions. In corners, all wheel drive allows both outside wheels to provide power, balancing the car. This allows for better handling. The Toyota Supra is not available with all wheel drive.

For better stopping power the 8 Series’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Supra:

The 8 Series’ standard 275/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Supra 2.0’s standard 40 series tires. The 8 Series’ optional 275/30R20 rear tires have a lower 30 series profile than the Supra 3.0’s 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 8 Series has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Supra 2.0. The 8 Series’ optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Supra 3.0.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 8 Series can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Supra doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The 8 Series M850i has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Supra doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The M850i offers an available active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Toyota doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Supra.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 8 Series’ wheelbase is 13.9 inches longer than on the Supra (111.1 inches vs. 97.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the 8 Series is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the Supra.

The front grille of the 8 Series uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Supra doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The 8 Series has standard seating for 4 passengers; the Supra can only carry 2.

The 8 Series has 30.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Supra (81 vs. 50.9).

The 8 Series Coupe has .6 inches more front headroom and 2.8 inches more front shoulder room than the Supra.

The 8 Series Coupe has a much larger trunk than the Supra (14.8 vs. 10.2 cubic feet).

With its coupe body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the 8 Series offers cargo security. The Supra’s hatchback body style and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 8 Series’ power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Supra doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Supra 3.0, the 8 Series has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The 8 Series’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Supra doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The 8 Series’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Supra’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

Comfort Access standard on the 8 Series allows you to unlock the driver’s door, trunk and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Toyota Supra’s Smart Key System doesn’t unlock the trunk.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the 8 Series has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Supra doesn’t offer cornering lights. The 8 Series also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The 8 Series’ sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Supra’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the 8 Series keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Supra doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the 8 Series’ standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Supra doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The 8 Series’ optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Supra doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The BMW 8 Series comes in coupe, convertible and sedan bodystyles; the Toyota Supra isn’t available as a convertible or sedan.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2019 issue and they ranked the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe two places higher than the Toyota Supra.

The BMW 8 Series outsold the Toyota Supra by 31% during 2020.