BMW released a behind the scenes video of the development of the new Z4 Roadster. If you’ve brushed up on your German lately, then you might get more out of this video. For the rest of us, there are a few subtitles and some good insight on how BMW tests its cars.
By the time the BMW Z4 actually makes its debut at the Detroit Auto Show, it will be old news. Well not really, but we keep getting new image galleries on the much-improved roadster.
The new Z4 comes in two models for North America, both using the same 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder engine. The sDrive30i has 255 hp, and the sDrive35i uses twin-turbos (one turbo designated for three cylinders each) to upgrade to 300 hp.
Remember the scanned images that gave us the first glimpse of the new BMW Z4? Well, they came from the Z4’s official catalogue, and now that the veil has officially been lifted, we can now show the full brochure without grainy resolution.
This catalogue includes size specs, all color choices, and some photos we haven’t seen yet. This is the European brochure, so it also has some details about options that aren’t available in the U.S. This includes the lowest-level Z4 model, the 204 hp sDrive23i.
Although we should get all the details and official images on the BMW Z4 on Monday, we can’t resist showing some scanned images from the leaked sales material. The tease we got from the first leaked brochure scan did not show the moneymaker: the evilly cool front.
BMW has exercised many of the original Z4’s Bangle demons. The first Z4 almost tried to look like old money with a face that looked it was trying to turn up its nose at everyone. This one has an intimidating and shark-like look that wants to say, "I have a secret...and that is I could kill you."
The brochure also reveals the official sales date as May 9th, so there won’t be too long of a wait to find out if the menacing looks are backed up in the drivetrain.
The guys over at BMW Blog were able to get a scan of a brochure image of the new Z4. For this we can see just how much of an improvement the car will be over the previous model. Yes, the retractable hardtop may add more weight, and it still carries odd bumps and bulges. But now a lot of the styling is smoothed out to go from awkwardly aggressive to just plain aggressive.
We haven’t yet seen a perfect image of the Z4. The one above is a little distorted from the scan and the spy shot from the movie set had a few people in the way. We may just have to wait all the way until December 15th to get a full image.
Isn’t product placement wonderful? Even though BMW won’t officially show the new Z4 until December 15th, a sharp eye caught the car out in the open as it’s being shot in a new Michael Douglas movie called Solitary Man. In true spy shot form, there is an obstacle (person) in the way of the full car, but all the key element can be seen - including the new retractable hardtop.
If you happen to miss the reveal of the Z4 later this month (fat chance considering how much coverage we’ll give it,) BMW’s new hardtop roadster will be in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show in January.
Part creepy, part cliché. While BMW doesn’t say what will be revealed on December 15th in this teaser video, we put our thinking cap on for this one and decided it is the new Z4. Although the BMW’s new hardtop roadster will be in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show in January, BMW wants to make sure people have the Z4 on their Christmas list. We are going out on a crazy limb with this prediction, but the Z4 missed its debut at the LA Auto Show and instead would be revealed "sometime in December" (sometimes our job is easy).
It seems BMW won’t wait for Detroit to take the wraps off the new Z4. It was rumored that although the car was complete, the German roadster missed its LA debut do to a rights issue. Since the car is fully-baked, BMW is eager to get it out to the public. It’s now rumored that BMW will do its own reveal of the new Z4 before the Detroit Auto Show in January.
Sometime in December official images of the convertible should appear, and sometime later a coupe version will follow. We are expecting some styling differences between the coupe and convertible, which is good considering the convertible will be offered as a folding hardtop. The coupe version is also likely to be more performance-tuned with a stiffer suspension and lower ride height. Base engines should start around the current lineup of six-cylinder engines, and could possibly top out with a future "M" version with a V8 from the M3.
Another rumor that is starting to get some attention is that BMW might also working on a smaller roadster possibly called the Z2. The Z2 is designed to take up some of the slack that was created when the original z4 went upmarket from its Z3 predecessor. The new convertible (and possibly roadster) will be small and light enough that BMW would use it to showcase its hybrid technology called eDrive.
Most of the big premieres for the Los Angeles Auto Show have already happened, and one that has been quietly absent was the new BMW Z4. Now it seems that those who were waiting breathlessly for the new coupe/roadster from BMW will have to hold on until next year.
The BMW Z4 is the latest victim of the delay until the Detroit Show. But unlike the development slowdown that has delayed other cars until January, the Z4 just seems to be stuck in red tape. The guys over at BMW Blog seemed to discover the BMW is having an issue with the sDrive trademark name.
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