Oddly enough, BMW sort of has two small sporty coupes in the segment, the BMW M240i and Toyota Supra. OK, so the Supra isn’t technically a BMW but its underpinnings are almost entirely from BMW and it drives almost identically to the BMW Z4. So when Car and Driver put the M240i and Supra in a four-way comparison test, against the Ford Mustang and Nissan Z, the Bavarians have a 50-percent chance of winning it.
In this new comparison test, those four cars took each other on to see which was the best sports car for under $60,000. We know the BMW M240i ($59,270 as-tested) well, it’s the B58 3.0-liter turbocharged I6-powered 2 Series, with 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, an eight-speed auto, and all-wheel drive. We also know the Supra ($57,260 as-tested) well, with its two-seat chassis, the same B58 engine and eight-speed auto as the M240i, and rear-wheel drive. It’s the other two many BMW fans will be unfamiliar with.
The Nissan Z is the newcomer and brings a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6, making 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft, a six-speed manual (a nine-speed auto is available), and rear-wheel drive. It’s also the cheapest car in the test, with an as-tested price of $53,610. While the Mustang Mach 1 brought an as-tested price of $64,570, thanks to its stonking 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8, making 480 horsepower and 410 lb-ft, its six-speed manual, and Track Handling package.
But which was the best to drive? Well, I don’t wanna spoil it because the results did actually surprise me, but the BMW M240i most certainly did not win. It ranked third among the four, which isn’t great, but I’m not entirely surprised. Like I said in my own review, the BMW M240i is a very good car in isolation. Once you start driving other sports cars in the segment, you soon realize its shortcomings. If you can get over brand snobbery, there are plenty of sports cars that are more enjoyable to drive for the same, or even far less money.
[Source: Car and Driver]
Keyword: BMW M240i vs Toyota Supra vs Mustang vs Nissan Z: Car and Driver