While the world murmurs in united disagreement that the newly-announced 2025 BMW M5 G90 is too heavy, too slow, too expensive, too "not like the old M5 F90," and whatnot, other BMWs are eclipsed behind its spotlight. That's why a 1/4-mile drag race between the 2023 BMW M2 Coupe and 2024 Toyota GR Supra is just the thing to calm things down until the more or less deserved 2025 M5 criticism blows over.
Now, let's meet our contestants. In the German corner, we have the M2 coated in Zandvoort BlueNon-Metallic at no extra cost. It comes equipped and ready to rumble with a 3.0-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo straight-six engine that produces 453 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of twist.
Its 6-speed manual transmission system sends all that power to the rear wheels and propels it from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The M2 is also not too shabby when it comes to stopping power, rocking the sweet M Compound brakes. These days, that kind of performance costs $63,200, just to begin with.
As a quick comparison, the $51,700 3.0L M240i xDrive Coupe produces 382 horsepower and can reach 60 mph from a standstill in 4.1 seconds, while the $49,700 M240i Coupe makes the same amount as the xDrive but hits 60 in 4.5 seconds.
Photo: Edmunds Cars
In the opposite corner lies another BMW, the RWD Toyota GR Supra 45th Anniversary Edition. The GR Supra comes in four trims. The cheapest one costs $46,440 and has a 2.0-liter inline-four turbo engine that produces 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Under the right conditions, it should hit 60 in 5 seconds flat. Keep pushing forward, and you'll reach an electronically limited 155 miles per hour.
Then comes the $55,400 3.0-liter version, which provides 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of twist to the rear wheels. It shares the same limited top speed but is quicker from 0 to 60 mph, scoring 3.9 seconds.
There's also the $58,550 3.0 Premium version, which is identical to the previous one in terms of performance. The one from this race, the $65,275 45th Anniversary Edition, has a manual stick, which impacts the 0 to 60 time from 3.9 to 4.2 seconds.
Both tarmac warriors sound beautiful, but sound alone isn't getting them across the finish line. And because this is an Edmunds Cars U-drag race, the standard rules change slightly. Instead of stopping after sprinting for the 1/4-mile finish line, they pull a 180 and rush back to the line. Also, to keep things fair, they swap drivers half-way.
During the first race, the M2 and GR Supra were neck and neck for quite a while, but then, the extra 71 ponies from the BMW started to kick in and left the Toyota way behind in its rear-view mirror. As you would expect, no matter how well the Supra launches off the line, it will ultimately meet its underpowered fate.
Photo: Edmunds Cars
After all was said and done, the 2023 BMW M2's fastest 0 to 60 mph time was 4.3 seconds, while the 2024 Toyota GR Supra scored 4.5 clicks. For the 1/4-mile, the M2 did 12.4 seconds at 116.2 mph or 187 kilometers per hour, and the GR Supra 12.7 clicks at 110.5 mph or 178 kph. As for the entire race, the BMW finished in 35.8 seconds, going at 127.3 mph or 205 kph, while the Supra did it in 35.1 seconds at 132.1 mph or 212.5 kph.
In other words, the M2 was 0.2 seconds faster from 0 to 60, 0.3 seconds faster over the quarter-mile, and 0.7 seconds quicker for the entire race.Aside from the times, the price is also an essential differentiating factor. Here, it comes with a slight twist. The $63,200 BMW M2 was indeed faster than the $65,275 Toyota GR Supra 45th Anniversary Edition.
However, given that this special version isn't much different than the more humble but same-powered $55,400 3.0 trim, we could make a case that while it lost, it's also $7,800 cheaper. Are the time differences really big enough to warrant the extra money for the BMW? That's a question for the ages.
Let's not forget that the $66,075 2025 BMW M2 produces 473 hp and 443 pound-feet (600 Nm) of twist, which will certainly make a difference over the quarter mile compared to this 2023 version with 453 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of twist.
Now, the real question is how the 2025 BMW M5 will perform in a drag race against its most fierce competitors, with its 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbo engine and electric motor that produce717 hp (727 ps) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of maximum torque.
