Official: BMW Z4 Concept Car Teasers Revealed

supra93

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BMW Concept Z4 shows bold design direction of upcoming roadster

Rear-wheel-drive two-seater boasts fresh styling, revised engines and a new soft-top; it previews a production Z4 due next year

BMW has revealed the Concept Z4, a preview of the German firm’s third-generation roadster, at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California.

Boasting a fresh look, new underpinnings and a revised range of engines, the two-seat soft-top has been developed in a joint engineering programme with the new Toyota Supra, which will be offered exclusively in coupé guise.

The appearance of the Concept Z4 comes more than six months before BMW plans to unveil the production version at the Geneva motor show in 2018. UK sales will be under way by the middle of next year.

While some of the more flamboyant design features will be toned down, the overall styling and detailing of the concept is claimed to be 
very close to the production car. Design boss Adrian van Hooydonk said the car “expresses the new BMW design language from all perspectives and in all details”.

The Concept Z4 is bigger than the current model, with a longer wheelbase and wider tracks. BMW rethought the proportions in a bid to provide it with a more focused look. “A shorter bonnet and crisp overhangs ensure the driver sits closer to the centre of the car than in previous BMW roadsters,” said van Hooydonk. The approach signals BMW’s determination to shift the Z4 further upmarket. During the car’s development, BMW board members considered renaming it. However, the German car maker’s naming system groups even numbers among its coupés and cabriolets, so the long-mooted Z5 badge was never seriously considered.

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 Concept Z4 features another interpretation of BMW’s signature kidney grille, seen recently on the Concept X2 and Concept 8 Series.

In place of the customary vertical bars, the insides of the kidney grille feature a new mesh that van Hooydonk said was inspired by the functional treatment used on early BMW roadsters, including the iconic 328 Mille Miglia.

The long bonnet, meanwhile, retains the clamshell design of previous Z4 models. On the concept, it features two vents. However, these are unlikely to make production, according to Autocar’s sources.

Certain licence has also been taken with the concept’s windscreen, which does not have the sturdy surround of the production version, and the two metallic domes conceived to act as rollover protection will be replaced by more conventional rollover hoops on the production roadster.

Although BMW has yet to officially confirm it, the new Z4 eschews the folding hard-top of today’s model for a traditional fabric hood. Already sighted on prototype versions of the two-seater, the hood folds and stows underneath a dedicated tonneau cover at the rear of the cabin.

BMW has provided a clear glimpse of the look and layout of the new Z4’s interior. The production car will have a flowing dashboard and relatively wide centre console resembling those of the concept. Features such as the digital instrument panel and head-up display included in the show car will also make their way on to the new roadster. However, the brushed aluminium and carbonfibre trims will be replaced by more cost-effective composite plastic materials.

Accommodation is said to have improved thanks to the car’s increased overall dimensions. Boot capacity is also claimed to top the 310 litres of the outgoing Z4.

The new Z4 is underpinned by BMW’s CLAR (cluster architecture) platform. It is already used by the 2, 5 and 7 Series and is also set to be adopted by the upcoming 8 Series and the successor to today’s 3 Series. The CLAR platform is allied to a multi-material body structure, featuring a combination of high-strength steel, aluminium and magnesium. Insiders suggest the new roadster will tip the scales at under 1400kg in its most basic form, despite the increase in dimensions.

An internal BMW document seen by Autocar revealed that the new Z4 will be offered with a choice of two petrol engines from the start of sales. The first is a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit expected to develop around 181bhp in the Z4 sDrive20i and 248bhp in the Z4 sDrive30i. The second engine powers the Z4 M40i and is the latest incarnation of BMW’s B58 turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine. It is rumoured to develop the same 355bhp as it does in the X4 M40i.

A full-blown M version of the roadster, running the BMW performance car division’s 425bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder, has also been mooted, but it has yet to be officially confirmed by BMW.

True to tradition, the three initial Z4 models retain the rear-wheel-drive layout that has been part of the two-seat roadster’s appeal since its introduction in 2002. Buyers are set to be offered the choice of a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic in combination with all engines.

Production of the new Z4 and Supra will start at the plant of Austrian manufacturing specialist Magna in early 2018.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...shows-bold-design-direction-upcoming-roadster
 

CIF

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Woah woah woah, stop the presses! Magna Austria is going to be building the Supra!? Is this confirmed?
 

supra93

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Z4 coupe rendering

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mmcartalk

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Definitely better-looking than the last-generation roadsters. The shift-lever also looks like an improvement from recent BMW Confuse-O-Matics.
 

supra93

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http://www.carscoops.com/2017/09/2019-bmw-z4-with-production-lights.html

2019 BMW Z4 With Production Lights Stays Close To The Concept

BMW is putting the final touches to the new Z4, including its production lights which give us a much clear look on what the new Bavarian roadster will look like.
close to the concept’s design, something that sadly isn’t always the case.

Codenamed the G29, the new generation of the Z4 rides on a new platform that’s also shared with the much anticipated Toyota Supra. The platform has been engineered to support electrified powertrains as well as all-wheel drive systems but the Z4 will also come in more classic flavors.

Entry-level Z4 sDrive20i models will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit paired to a manual six-speed gearbox, reportedly delivering a solid 194hp and 236lb-ft of torque (320Nm). A more powerful version of the same engine will also be offered in the sDrive30i models. A six-cylinder B58 engine will find its way in the M40i version, which will be the range-topper until BMW decides to give us a proper Z4 M once again.

BMW is set to put the new Z4 into production in November 2018, with the more powerful iterations to show up on a later date.

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supra93

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BMW working on two different versions of G29 BMW Z4 M40i

The top model of the upcoming BMW Z4 lineup might be offered in two configurations. The 2018 BMW Z4 M40i – codename G29 – is currently being tested with two engine configurations. The B58M1 3.0 liter six-cylinder engine is under the hood of one Z4 M40i making 335 horsepower. A second engine – B5801 – with the same displacement is being used in a second M40i with a total output of 385 horsepower.

At first glance, the different in power output seems to depend on the emissions standards – the higher power version is being built for the countries without EU emissions regulations, including the US. The move will be quite unusual for BMW which historically has tried to be consistent across different markets, with a few changes, especially related to diesel engines.

Furthermore, it is not also the first time that BMW is testing different engine configurations before settling on the production unit, so at this time, we can’t state with certitude that the Z4 M40i will be offered with two different power options.

We’ve also learned a while back that there won’t be a new Z4 M, so that rules out the possibility of a higher power output being used in the M model.

But if we were to bet on something it would be a Competition Package being offered for the Z4 M40i which will explain the additional horsepower and likely more torque.

What we do know for sure is that the Z4 will be powered by four and six-cylinder engines. The base model is the Z4 sDrive20i, powered by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder unit rated at 194 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque. The sDrive30i features the same engine with 248 hp and 258 lb-ft.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2017/10/07/bmw-working-two-different-versions-g29-bmw-z4-m40i/
 

supra93

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http://www.supramkv.com/threads/albon-and-supramkv-com-in-japan-tms-photo-and-video-thread.676/

http://www.supramkv.com/threads/albon-and-supramkv-com-in-japan-tms-photo-and-video-thread.676/

Update 1: So we may not have gotten a Supra, but all was not lost! We were lucky enough to get up close and personal with the BMW Z4 concept, and while it is just a concept, it did allow us to get a feel for the platform and it's general proportions.

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So the show was an absolute madhouse, with the world's press swarming every car, and the constant click and clack of a thousand DSLR shutters going off constantly. This isn't my first press event, but it was certainly the biggest. Luckily we got to the Z4 without too much trouble and were able to get relatively close up to it.

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Here you can see how long the hood is. Certainly no SLS AMG, but definitely long for the size of the car. The concept itself appears to be maybe 10-20% bigger than what I believe the actual dimensions to be, so imagine this but just at a smaller scale.

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The rear is certainly striking to look at. The lights are definitely impressive and really are the focal point of the rear end.

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he wheels are pretty standard-fare BMW. 20s with Michelin Cup 2s, but who knows what we'll get in a production car. Take note of the BMW Hubs in their typical lug-bolt-style, 5x120 pattern. Let's just say that you guys you should get familiar with these... :p

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I can appreciate a good buttress.

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The interior on this concept is just that, a concept. While definitely cool to look at, you're not gonna see this in any production cars.

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The front end is aite, I suppose. I'm not a huge fan, so I'll be really happy to see the Toyota version whenever we are lucky enough to see it.

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So that's the Z4! It's no Supra, but definitely still a sight for sore eyes after the (lame) Toyota Briefing this morning. I'll continue to update this thread as I get pictures edited of the various cars of the show. The Mazda Kai Concept was definitely a show favorite!

http://www.supramkv.com/threads/albon-and-supramkv-com-in-japan-tms-photo-and-video-thread.676/
 

mmcartalk

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That ^ pictured Z4 is one of my favorite looking BMWs they've ever made.

In general, yes, I agree, but a number of people didn't care for the Z4's front end. At least it looks better than the Z3 Coupe, which, I thought, was especially awkward.:no_mouth:

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supra93

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BMW Z4: new pictures of 2019 model show Z4 Concept influence

BMW is continuing to rack up the miles during development of its next-generation Z4 in order to ready the car for its 2019 launch date - and these new pictures show the car in greater detail than before.

The future Z4 model, which is expected to go on sale in March 2019, can be seen wearing production-spec bodywork covered by light camouflage. It sits on smaller diameter wheels than earlier spotted cars, suggesting it's a lower specification model.

The latest sightings follow an earlier video (see below), where the car looks composed when cornering at pace and can be seen wearing winglets on its nose - suggesting BMW was assessing the car's performance when under load.

Powering the new Z4 will be a choice of BMW's latest turbocharged petrol engines. The Z4 sDrive30i will get a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that produces about 248bhp, while more powerful variants will likely get a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder, shared with the M240i, producing about 335bhp.

Both engines will come with standard rear-wheel drive and a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The Z4 shares parts with the upcoming Toyota Supra, and is similarly expected to be offered with a hybrid drivetrain. Such a drivetrain would likely come with four-wheel drive.
BMW's decision to equip the Z4 with the same rear axle as the M3 and M4 rear suggests its hardware will be compatible with the 425bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight six-engine of those models, or the 365bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder powerplant from the M2, along with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

This car would be badged as an M model and therefore get its own bespoke bodywork and a more focused chassis set-up.

BMW has been testing development versions of its next Z4 for almost a year. It announced the future car's arrival back in 2015 and revealed a concept version to preview its design last year. The soft-top, two-door model is expected to be revealed later this year before sales kick-off in 2019.

The car's relation to the Toyota Supra comes as part of Toyota and BMW's decision to co-develop a new sports car platform.

While the BMW will be a convertible, the Toyota will be a spiritual successor to the Supra and as such will wear a hard top, as shown by spotted development cars.

Inspiration for the Toyota's design has been taken from the striking FT-1 concept, first seen at the Detroit motor show in 2014.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/2019-bmw-z4-prices-specs-details

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