BMW Concept Z4 finally previewed
BMW sure knows how to build up the hype around their upcoming cars! Their latest project has been known to break the internet every time it’s seen being tested, and the concept preview is no exception.
Behold the BMW Concept Z4, in all its glory. The roadster was revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, giving guests an up-close and personal look into the future of BMW’s signature chic drop-top.
Toyota fans should also be excited for the Concept Z4 since the new Supra coupe will be jointly developed between BMW and Toyota and will share a significant amount of DNA with the concept.
The concept packs larger dimensions than the current model. An extended wheelbase and wider tracks add a sportier feel to the car. “A shorter bonnet and crisp overhangs ensure the driver sits closer to the centre of the car than in previous BMW roadsters,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, design boss at BMW.
The dimensional improvements on the new model are expected to shift it further upmarket. BMW even considered renaming the Z4 to the Z5, the only problem being that odd numbers represent four-doors, and even numbers represent coupes.
A BMW source said: “We would have had to call it the Z6. And while there has been a move upmarket, it’s not quite big enough to warrant that name. In the end, we settled on retaining the Z4 name.”
The interior features a flowing dashboard, layered in aluminium and carbon fibre. Expect to see the usual BMW goodies inside the Z4, like a heads-up display, digital instrument clusters and a central touchscreen infotainment unit.
The Z4 Concept will be offered with two engine options when it’s released. The first being a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit developing around 135kW in the Z4 sDrive20i and 185kW in the Z4 sDrive30i, and the second engine powering the spicy Z4 M40i, BMW’s 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder, rumoured to develop 265kW.
If the M40i doesn’t get you excited then you’ll be glad to know that a full-blown Z4 M may be on the cards. We’re expecting to find a 317kW twin-turbo 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder under the bonnet.
All models will send power to the rear wheels through either a 6-speed manual box or an 8-speed auto box.
Production of the new Z4 and Supra will start in Austria in early 2018. BMW plans to unveil the production-ready Z4 at the Geneva Motor Show next year, with order books opening at the end of the second quarter next year.
