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

AUTOMEDIA / BMW Z2 artist illustration

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

By Alex Ricciuti
November 25, 2008 4:45 PM
Filed Under: Artist Renderings, German, Leaks, Rumours

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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Comments

loomx
November 25, 2008 4:56 PM
BMW with a V6... I dont think so.

Michael-Heinrich
November 26, 2008 6:42 AM
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.

Motor_Yakuza
November 25, 2008 5:05 PM
Looks strange :|

aj1575
November 25, 2008 5:08 PM
Cool the first BMW with V6 in decades...

you can do better WCF ;-(

H34DL1N3R
November 25, 2008 5:13 PM
if they start building a Z2, they can also start building toys^^

politz
November 25, 2008 5:19 PM
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?

IpsesNipse
November 25, 2008 5:26 PM
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?

Beefmeister
November 25, 2008 6:39 PM
Come on now, you should know that BMW don't use Vee engines....

greenacre
November 26, 2008 12:58 PM
yeh that inline 12 is sweet.........

daviepops
November 26, 2008 1:07 PM
and then there's that famous in line 8 in the M3 ???

dbehmoaras
November 26, 2008 6:19 PM
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

benz_man
November 25, 2008 7:09 PM
A v6? Really? Come on guys, you can do better...

BrianWCF
November 25, 2008 7:24 PM
Its been corrected. Tough crowd in here.

mps
November 25, 2008 7:32 PM
Yeah took you long enough BRIAN! How could you ever make such a mistake!? Pfft with a capital P!

BrianWCF
November 25, 2008 8:47 PM
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.

Airbag
November 25, 2008 7:55 PM
Coming down the pike?

BrianWCF
November 25, 2008 8:49 PM
Indeed a tough crowd today. :D "...down the pike" is an American expression: http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/down+the+pike

unknown
November 25, 2008 9:56 PM
a tough crowd? the comments have more grammar error than the article itself!

pzigly
November 25, 2008 10:37 PM
who cars as long as u can understand it. Its free!!

pzigly
November 25, 2008 10:37 PM
they are doing us a favor.

Bristol411S3
November 25, 2008 10:42 PM
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.

politz
November 25, 2008 11:05 PM
watch out, bristol... the bmw police is coming after you.

v6s_stink
November 26, 2008 1:18 AM
I'll bet the artist rendition looks better than the real ba(u)ngled job.

plasma_cluster
November 26, 2008 4:18 AM
Beefmeister the M3 has a V engine

wisp
November 26, 2008 8:31 AM
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.

wisp
November 26, 2008 8:32 AM
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.

The_woo_factor
November 26, 2008 10:45 AM
Wow...looks weird!

kevoluetion
November 26, 2008 11:09 AM
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.

dbehmoaras
November 26, 2008 6:23 PM
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

wisp
November 26, 2008 12:23 PM
Yeah Audi pipo just like the 4 rings R0, R1,R2,R3,R4,R5,R6,R7...R L.O.D.S.

jpm
November 26, 2008 6:39 PM
BMW will not use a V6, for the simple reason they don't make, and won't make on, straight 6 engines have been proven to be the most smooth configuration apart from anything else. if it was an american that made that comment please go back to buying the crap from detroit because you heathens do not appreciate proper engineering.

mn07
November 26, 2008 6:51 PM
Whats wrong with the inline 6 . I sure its going to be the same on with twinturbo fromm 335 or the X6

Uptohere
November 26, 2008 9:53 PM
Is there really a need for the Z2 in the line-up?

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