The new BMW Z4 Concept teases a roadster developed as part of a partnership with Toyota.
There were more than a few tears shed when BMW announced that its long-in-the-tooth Z4 Roadster was going away. And what might follow was clouded in some confusion considering all the upcoming changes to the maker’s line-up.
But was got a hint that an all-new version of the Z4 was in the works last month and now, the Bavarian maker says it will give us more details later this week during the unveiling of the new BMW Z4 Concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance over the weekend.
A new teaser image gives us a good look at both the front end and side of the roadster show car, the concept expected to hew closely to what the production model will look like when revealed in the near future. Among the details we’re hoping to confirm is speculation that the new model will share the same platform as the next-generation Toyota Supra.
(Current BMW Z4 one of as many as 20 models going away from 2018. Click Here for more.)
As you may recall, Toyota and BMW agreed to team up a few years ago to work on a new sports car. It was an odd alliance from a variety of standpoints, considering the stark differences in the positioning of the two brands. But considering the relatively low volumes that two-seaters generate these days, it appears to have penciled in for the bean-counters at both companies.
An earlier teaser showing the concept's profile.
And, for Toyota, at least, it certainly offers additional credibility as it brings the Supra back into its line-up as part of a broader push by CEO Akio Toyoda to pump more “passion” into the brand.
For BMW, there’s the benefit of having an immensely deep-pocketed partner. And the Japanese maker can do some impressive engineering when it wants to.
We’ve seen some spy shots of the Supra in recent months but we’ll have to wait to see just how much variation there is between the two ultimate results of this collaboration. We can only hope there’ll be a lot more than what we saw when Toyota teamed up with Subaru to create what was originally known as the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ.
What we see here in concept form features an oversized version of the familiar BMW double-kidney grille which wraps around the curved front facia. There are stacked headlamps with twin LED running lights. Anticipate LED main bulbs, as well, though possibly as an option on lower-priced versions.
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The outgoing BMW Z4.
What we can see of the sideview suggests some sharp sheet metal creasing, with accent lines that flow rearward from the flared front wheel wells, one rising to connect with the back deck, the other kinking mid-door to flow into the even more flared rear wheel well. The new teaser and an earlier, high-contrast silhouette shot suggest a sort of targa-like roof, and most likely a ragtop rather than a folding hardtop.
Word has it we will see a wide variety of engine options, though the U.S. is expected to get four and six-cylinder gasoline offerings paired to a ZF eight-speed automatic. We’ll wait for confirmation on whether BMW has retained a manual option.
The Z4 concept will be one of two vehicles BMW plans to reveal in Pebble Beach, so stay tuned for more.
(Home of the Autobahn, Germany may be ready to ban gas, diesel engines. Click Here for that breaking story.)