The end is near for Toyota and BMW’s sports car experiment – report

The Toyota GR Supra and BMW Z4 twins under the skin will reportedly go out of production in 2026, as the factory which builds the sports cars slashes its workforce.

Automobilwoche – the German sister publication to Automotive News – reports the current A90-generation Toyota GR Supra and G29-generation BMW Z4 will cease being produced by Magna Steyr in Austria before 2027.

Both the current Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 arrived in Australia during 2019, and updates to the models have been largely limited to minor equipment tweaks over the past five years.

This end of production date is backed up by BMW insider ‘ynguldyn’, who claims to compile leaks from within the company and posts them on the Bimmerpost online forum.

According to the online user, Z4 production will end in March 2026, seven years after the sports car went on sale globally.

Though it appears the decision to end production of the sports cars in 2026 was made months or even years prior to now, the report of their impending departure comes as Magna looks to cut 500 jobs from its workforce at the Graz factory in Austria.

Before the sports cars go out of production, Magna will reportedly stop manufacturing the Jaguar E-Pace and I-Pace SUVs this year, as well as the embattled Fisker Ocean – though the new-generation Mercedes-Benz G-Class will continue to be built at the plant.

While the two sports cars are underpinned by a platform developed in tandem by Toyota and BMW, many key parts are from the latter’s lineup including the turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines.

The GR Supra may be departing but it appears it will go out with a bang, with a prototype of the sports car – reported to be a flagship GRMN variant – recently seen testing at the Nürburgring.

The most powerful engine in the existing Supra lineup is BMW’s ‘B58’ single turbo, 3.0-litre inline-six cylinder, shared with the Z4 M40i and producing up to 285kW and 500Nm. 

Toyota’s upcoming Supra GRMN will reportedly adopt the twin-turbo ‘S58’ from the BMW M2, which develops up to 338kW and 550Nm in the sports coupe.

The Toyota Supra GRMN has also been seen wearing a new bonnet with extra venting, a more downforce-focused front bumper, larger brakes and rear wing.

BMW hasn’t teased any hotter versions of the Z4, nor have any been spied.

It did recently add a six-speed manual to the flagship M40i, though not in Australia.

MORE: Everything Toyota GR Supra
MORE: Everything BMW Z4