BMW M5 vs Toyota Supra

What's the difference?

Balancing luxury car comfort, hot hatch agility and supercar speed is no easy task, yet that is what made the six previous generations of BMW's M5 so iconic. 

In seventh-generation ‘G90’ guise, the M5 has another skeleton in the cupboard: the toughest emissions regulations that Europe, and now Australia, have ever seen.

A twin-turbo V8 was untenable and going battery electric was not an option. Plug-in hybrid was the only answer. For the new M5, BMW combined a revised 4.4-litre ‘S68’ bent eight with a punchy electric motor for 535kW and 1000Nm. 

Problem is, the G90 is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest BMW M cars of all time, especially in CS trim. And thanks to a circa-600kg weight hike to nearly 2500kg, the new M5's 0-100km/h claim is actually slower than the old 'F90' M5. 

Doesn’t exactly sound like a big leap forward, does it?

A drive through the Central West of NSW and around the iconic Mount Panorama racing circuit gave us answers to two questions. Does the M5 work on Australia roads, and does BMW M's latest super-sedan represent progress?

Thinking of a Toyota GR Supra, eh? Well, come on in, your timing is perfect.

See, up until halfway through last year the Toyota GR Supra only came with an automatic transmission, so I was jumping up and down to drive this version with the six-speed manual.

To me, it’s the way the Supra should be. Not having a manual gearbox in a car like this is like spending the day at an amusement park but not going on any rides.

Not only that but the Supra now has more power than it did when this generation launched in 2019.

See what I mean about your timing?

In a lot of ways the Supra is now complete.

Well that was what I wanted to verify when I tested the entry grade GT, along with what it was like to live with daily, the fuel consumption, warranty and even its practicality; fitting all of me and my stuff.