Speculation: BMW Z4 debut next month - Z2 hybrid on the way

 Speculation: BMW Z4 debut next month - Z2 hybrid on the way
BMW Z2 artist illustration / AUTOMEDIA

New Z series features Z4 Roadster with retractable hardtop, Z4 Coupe tuned for performance, and a Z2 hybrid

Reliable sources state that BMW will debut the new Z4 next month in both a roadster and coupe configuration.

The new Z4 Roadster will feature a folding hardtop this time instead of the previous soft one. BMW claims that the use of lightweight materials will help keep the weight off of the Z4.

The Z4 Coupe will come with a stiffer and lowered suspension to continue to give the Coupe version the serious performance credibility that BMW aims for with the model. The Coupe will also have distinguishing design cues to differentiate it from the roadster.

Engines will max out with top performing inline 6 cylinders, as is usual for the Z series, but BMW is also studying a possible M version that may adopt a V8 powerplant from the M3.

Also coming down the pike is the Z2 hybrid. The Z2 will be a compact roadster that will feature the new BMW eDrive technology in development right now with the MINI-E (a full electric vehicle with a 150 kW/204 hp electric motor that churns out 220 Nm of torque).

It seems BMW is serious about continuing to create roadsters and coupes in this segment.

 

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 loomx loomx
BMW with a V6... I dont think so.
November 25, 2008 12:56 pm
 Michael-Heinrich Michael-Heinrich
Quote from the article above: “Engines will max out with top performing inline 6 cylinders, as is usual for the Z series, but BMW is also studying a possible M version that may adopt a V8 powerplant from the M3.” Note the author does not mention anything about a V6 engine, instead a (possibly improved version of) the 6-cylinder inline powerplant already used in the current Z4. And the studying of the possible installation of the V8 from the M3 is surely not unreasonable if you remember the V8 in the SLK55 AMG.
November 26, 2008 2:42 am
 Motor_Yakuza Motor_Yakuza
Looks strange :|
November 25, 2008 1:05 pm
 aj1575 aj1575
Cool the first BMW with V6 in decades... you can do better WCF ;-(
November 25, 2008 1:08 pm
 H34DL1N3R H34DL1N3R
if they start building a Z2, they can also start building toys^^
November 25, 2008 1:13 pm
What kind of a reliable source is this claiming that BMW is producing V6's!!!
November 25, 2008 1:18 pm
 politz politz
nice try, but the 'illustration' still looks too plain and obvious for a bmw. though the 7 series and the x1 already look more mainstream when compared to the likes of the 6 series - which design i like better, actually. and... V6? really?
November 25, 2008 1:19 pm
 IpsesNipse IpsesNipse
you'd think that the one writing the artikle would know better than the one reading it, but no. Doesnt the artikles go trough any editing?
November 25, 2008 1:26 pm
 Beefmeister Beefmeister
Come on now, you should know that BMW don't use Vee engines....
November 25, 2008 2:39 pm
 greenacre greenacre
yeh that inline 12 is sweet.........
November 26, 2008 8:58 am
 daviepops daviepops
and then there's that famous in line 8 in the M3 ???
November 26, 2008 9:07 am
 dbehmoaras dbehmoaras
lol you're funny... especially because the m3 brags about having a V8 and the m5 and m6 a V10 and the 760 a V12
November 26, 2008 2:19 pm
 benz_man benz_man
A v6? Really? Come on guys, you can do better...
November 25, 2008 3:09 pm
 BrianWCF BrianWCF
Its been corrected. Tough crowd in here.
November 25, 2008 3:24 pm
 mps mps
Yeah took you long enough BRIAN! How could you ever make such a mistake!? Pfft with a capital P!
November 25, 2008 3:32 pm
 BrianWCF BrianWCF
lol, yes it actually is my fault. I was the one who proofed the story by Alex. I missed that V instead of I. Cheers.
November 25, 2008 4:47 pm
 Airbag Airbag
Coming down the pike?
November 25, 2008 3:55 pm
 BrianWCF BrianWCF
Indeed a tough crowd today. :D "...down the pike" is an American expression: http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/down+the+pike
November 25, 2008 4:49 pm
 unknown unknown
a tough crowd? the comments have more grammar error than the article itself!
November 25, 2008 5:56 pm
 pzigly pzigly
who cars as long as u can understand it. Its free!!
November 25, 2008 6:37 pm
 pzigly pzigly
they are doing us a favor.
November 25, 2008 6:37 pm
 Bristol411S3 Bristol411S3
Since when did the Z-series only have straight sixes? No-one remember the Z8? I have low expectations of the new Z4. BMW can do greta sports saloons but there attempts at sports roadsters have all been a little lame over the past 20 years.
November 25, 2008 6:42 pm
 politz politz
watch out, bristol... the bmw police is coming after you.
November 25, 2008 7:05 pm
 v6s_stink v6s_stink
I'll bet the artist rendition looks better than the real ba(u)ngled job.
November 25, 2008 9:18 pm
 plasma_cluster plasma_cluster
Beefmeister the M3 has a V engine
November 26, 2008 12:18 am
 wisp wisp
It's either people are from selective reading or are escaped patients from ...you know where. This article is as clear as crystal so where the V6 comes from is shocking coz the alleged 'V6' reads 'V8' on my computer. The car looks sporty anyway and not like some over stretched bettle wanna be - yah know which one.
November 26, 2008 4:31 am
 wisp wisp
It's either people are sufferring from selective reading or are escaped patients from ...you know where. This article is as clear as crystal so where the V6 comes from is shocking coz the alleged 'V6' reads 'V8' on my computer. The car looks sporty anyway and not like some over stretched bettle wanna be - yah know which one.
November 26, 2008 4:32 am
 The_woo_factor The_woo_factor
Wow...looks weird!
November 26, 2008 6:45 am
 kevoluetion kevoluetion
Ahh yes, another attempt from BMW trying to enter the sports car segment. Will this join the CS, M1, Z3, Z8, Z9, 8 series?? BMW has a tradition of shocking us (in a bad way) with their models.
November 26, 2008 7:09 am
 dbehmoaras dbehmoaras
its all because of chris bangle and his notorious BANGLEBUTT, they need a new head designer, and someone with the balls to design a ferrari, lambo, porsche turbo fighter especially because of there engines in the m-line and the v12 in the 760, and the new 4.4 turbocharged in the upcoming 7
November 26, 2008 2:23 pm
 wisp wisp
Yeah Audi pipo just like the 4 rings R0, R1,R2,R3,R4,R5,R6,R7...R L.O.D.S.
November 26, 2008 8:23 am
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