Taking under consideration the current economical situation and all the regulations regarding CO2 emission you should expect to see car makers heading to small cars. For example BMW plans to modify the current 1-Series so that it will include a city compact, a F.A.S.T. Family Activity Sports Tourer and a Gran Turismo, while a new 2-Series model will be offered in both coupe and cabrio. Next to them the Bavarian company will also develop a Z2 and a M2 model, all of them small, but very cool sports cars.
For the next generation 1-Series BMW plans to increase the wheelbase, but also to include a significant number of features that will allow luxury options normally found in high end Premium luxury cars available in the compact class. The model will also include the next generation "Efficient Dynamics" technologies that will make it the most fuel efficient car in it’s segment.
The coupe and the cabrio version will no longer be sold as a 1-Series. Instead BMW will launch a new 2-Series model. It will feature a further progressive sporting interpretation with clean design lines. You should expect the new 2-Series to be launched in 2013.
The decision to bring a M2 model was helped by the exceptional response to the new 1er M Coupe. According to BMW, the new model will "push the envelope" for small performance cars. But the most impressive model will of course be the Z2 which it is expected to be revealed in late 2013.
Rumors about a BMW Z2 Roadster started a very long time ago, but as the time passed, nothing concrete ever materialized on this particular model, leaving us with little to work with in terms of providing good information. Thankfully, that time is over as we have received actual information on the future model.
The BMW Z2 Roadster will be a roadster version of the 1-Series model and will be placed under the Z4, in both performance and price. This new model will target models like the Mazda MX-5 Miata.
The BMW Z2 will be built on the same platform as the next generation 1-Series and will weigh less than 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs). It will be offered with a range of four-cylinders, with the top version going up to 250 HP. There are rumors about a hybrid version, but an electric version is also being taken under consideration.
The first prototypes have already been caught testing on public roads in California, so expect an official debut in late 2013. However, a concept version has already been rumored for a debut in 2012, most likely at the Paris Auto Show. Prices will start at around $30,000.
UPDATE 06/17/2011: The British magazine CAR has revealed new details on the upcoming Z2 roadster. According to them, the Z2 will be exclusively an soft-top roadster and it won’t definitely be a fwd model, so previous rumors were true. Possibilities includes a modified rear-wheel drive matrix BMW or a new 4wd platform. Under the hood there will be a turbocharged engine, with power ranging from 170 to 272bhp depending on the model.
Hit the jump to read more about the BMW Z2 Roadster.
Full story
Rumors about a baby BMW model started a very long time. But now we got the official confirmation: the company will bring a first concept version in March at the Geneva Motor Show. This new model will take on the production version Volkswagen Bluesport. The announcement has been made by a BMW spokesman at the 650i Convertible launch, but he refused offering more details on the model. He also said that the concept won’t make it to production, but it will inspire a future BMW roadster model.
Rumors say the new concept will feature some wild styling themes, including overlapping exterior panels, a large scoop on one side of the bonnet, rear power bulges and exterior lighting highlights that can change color. Also, in the memory of the BMW Z1, the concept will come with retractable doors. The concept will feature lots of design elements from the Vision Efficient Dynamics hybrid concept and will include car-to-car communication, real-time navigation and the latest sensor technology for accident avoidance.
Under the hood BMW will most likely place a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but for the production model a 1,6 liter version is also a possibility. It is rumored that a production version will be revealed in late 2012 and that it will be followed by a coupe version.
Rumored for a very long time now, the BMW Z2 has finally been confirmed by the first prototype caught testing in Laguna Beach, California, over 100 miles away from the BMW testing facility in Oxnard.
The BMW Z2 will be built on the same platform as the next generation 1-Series and will weigh less than 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs). The new model will offer engines with no more than 2,000 cc, but will compensate by using turbochargers with an output in the 250 HP area. BMW is also expected to offer a diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and an all-electric version. Rumors have been spreading that the BMW Z2 will be competition for the Mazda MX-5 Miata, but we certainly do not see the possibility of the Mazda overtaking this roadster. The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a heavier model with a lot less power under its bloated hood.
Surprisingly, the BMW Z2 seems to have a soft top that is going to be manually operated which is certainly unexpected in the world of technological know-how, but we have heard that a motorized top may be in the works as an option.
The first concept version will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show with a production version to follow in 2013.
A new rumor suggests the BMW Z2 is ‘game on’ for Frankfurt. Was BMW just trying to throw all of us off the scent by denying the Z2’s existence? Or are rumors getting jumbled that overlap with the Z10 ED? We don’t have all the answers yet, so we’ll just keep scratching out heads until September.
