Randy Pobst Gets the Race of His Life in a Supra vs BMW M4 Quarter-Mile Drag

Confusing as it may seem, it all gets pretty clear on the track. We have three Toyotas and three bimmers. However, the apparent logic stops here. Four German engines and just two from the Land of the Rising Sun complete the picture.

Straight to business: the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance is a Toyota sedan with a Japanese V8 samurai heart. A 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 puts 472 HP and 395 lb-ft (535 Nm) on the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic.

Unfortunately, as the video quickly points out, the V8 is getting old, and it's (hammer) time to surrender the sword. All hail the six-cylinder turbo-performance mania, the new darling of motoring, just like three decades ago. Still confused? Keep on reading.

The 2022 Toyota GR Supra is quick to shame the Lexus-badged V8 Toyota. The Supra crushes the IS F Sport Performance with a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six, 382 hp, 368 lb-ft (500 Nm). Also, the latter's extra 600 lb (272 kg) burry it under the finish line, far behind the opponent.

Which has more than weight on its side and carries the (dirty) secret weapon of German provenance. An engine shared with BMW's M range of cars: the M240, the M340, and the M4. Have a look at the specs. Identical twins under the hood, the 2023 M240i xDrive and 2023 M340i differ only in weight – the xDrive has 50 extra pounds.

Somehow, though, the new Supra doesn't seem to put up a fight against the Germans. So it calls its 30-year-old steroid-fed self to save the honor of Japan. Not eager to throw in the towel, the BMW twins also call on their M4 big brother.

Finally, there's some life in this showdown, with the 2JZ of 1993 spitting 1250 hp from the 3.2-liter turbocharged inline-six. Couple this with its slim 3,480 lb (1.6 tons), and you're looking at a safe bet. But the 2023 BMW M4 Competition xDrive is no walk in the park.

The 3.0-liter straight-six breathes fire through two turbos and makes 503 hp and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm). With the massive 3,900 lb (1.8 tons) of weight, the M4 relies on the four-wheel-drive to level the odds.

And, up to a certain point, the fight is on. The BMW darts off the line as if there's no tomorrow. And you might say there isn't, because the BMW isn't fighting the future but a distant past. A JDM with an attitude (and a turbo lag, I admit, but that doesn't last.)

Once the turbocharged shyness is gone, the Supra crushes the quarter mile in 10.9 seconds. Just a tenth of a second faster than the bimmer, but the Toyota cuts the finish line at 150 mph (240 kph). The M4 "only" hit 125 mph (200 kph).

In conclusion, although Toyota threw its best V8 Lexus sedan weapon in the fight, it lost. Not a particularly cheering performance for the brand's inaugural F Sport Performance line. Try as they might, Lexus doesn't exactly live up to its words. The self-acclaimed "pure performance sport sedan, unlike anything you've heard. Or felt." is something we've seen more than once.

Of course, the guys at Hagerty threw the heavily modified Supra in for the adrenaline and pure racing excitement. But they also point out what's unavoidable. Sooner or later, no matter the cylinder count, ICEs will only live on the track. V8 engines just happen to be the first to take the hit.