When BMW->ke178 and Zagato->ke3827 teamed up to introduce the BMW Zagato Coupe at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este a few months ago, nobody had any inkling that the two companies had more than just one project up their collective sleeves.

Needless to say, all of us were once again caught by surprise when BMW released a teaser photo of another concept collaboration with Zagato, which made its debut at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance.

We weren't about to assume what this new concept would be, but we easily made out the image of a BMW roadster, which lead us to think it could be a roadster version of the Zagato Coupe we saw a few months ago.

Well, we were right about it being a roadster version of the BMW Zagato, but what we weren't expecting was for the new Roadster to carry many characteristics that were all its own. This isn't just a drop-top version of the Zagato Coupe, this is a whole new level of awesomeness mixed with the superb styling characteristics of BMW and Zagato.

UPDATE 09/10/2012: BMW has unveiled a new video featuring BMW's Head of Design, Karim Habib, as he explains the design concept behind the Zagato Roadster. Enjoy!

Hit the jump for full details on the BMW Zagato Roadster.

2012 BMW Zagato Roadster

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2012 BMW Zagato Roadster
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Stylish 3-Dimensional Nose

Starting at the front end you see how much work went into converting the Z4 into the Zagato Roadster. The dual upper grille boasts a plethora a Zs making up its grating, giving it a sense of detail that not many cars have. The shapely front fascia seems as if it is almost giving you a 3D smirk as you walk up to it, just daring you to try and push it as hard as you can. Below this smirk lays triple chicken-wire-style grilles, which we honestly just don't see fitting a car of this stature quite correctly.

The hood is just one of the few body panels that closely resembles that from its Z4 donor car. It's downward slope gives the Zagato an intimidating stare, and its center valley creates the nose that caps off the whole front end. Two large air intakes near the top, rear of the hood add a little extra style to the car and a little extra air to the engine for cooling.

The precisely sculpted headlights on the BMW->ke178 Zagato Roadster each feature a “Razorlight,” which is a precise LED light strip, just above the headlights on the matte strip. This adds even more character to an already unique front end.

Sculpted Sides and Flowing Lines

Down the side of the vehicle you have one of the most stunning side profiles ever witnessed on a roadster. Just behind each front wheel the Zagato Roadster boasts a heat extractor vent with a chrome “Z” beneath it. As you proceed rearward you'll notice a set of tan airplane-wing-inspired roll bars that stand out, yet look absolutely perfect with this vehicle.

The rear quarter of the car is where the BMW Zagato Roadster makes it s biggest tribute to the Zagato style. With a soft top, it is very hard to place the signature Zagato “doppia gobba,” double roof hump. BMW and Zagato found the convertible top's hard cover a perfect place to position these humps, giving the cat the complete Zagato look.

Unlike the coupe, which had a fairly high rear end, thanks to its swooping roof line, the BMW Zagato Roadster boasts a more low-slung and round rear section, but still retains a sharp line that sweeps over the top of the wheel arch and disappear as it moves rearward. This gives it an elegant look without taking away from the overall combination of beauty and beast.

Tantalizing Tail to Finish it All Off

The Zagato's tail is a thing of beauty, but does so with a bit of a bite too -- much like the rest of the car. Like its hard-topped sibling, the BMW Zagato Roadster's taillights are masked by tinted glass. This gives the back end a mysteriously clean design. Under the center of the rear end is a large plastic diffuser to keep airflow smooth. On each side of this diffuser is an asymmetrical tailpipe coated in a matte finish.

The Zagato Roadster's body is coated in stunning grey that has superior depth and actually changes to between dark grey and light silver, depending on what light hits it. This paint job gives the Zagato's body a life of its own.

On each corner of the BMW Zagato Roadster is a 19-inch light-alloy wheel. The impressive thing about these 5-spoke rims is that they hint at BMW and Zagato aeronautic roots with a their propeller-like design.

An Interior that Flows With the Exterior

BMW and Zagato designed the interior of the Roadster to flow perfectly with the exterior. This includes a tan, leather border that wraps around the top of the doors, over the dash pad and behind the seats, incorporating the roll bars. The tan continues down the sides of the seats on the steering wheel, the center console and small highlights here and there through the rest of the interior. The remainder of the interior is fine black leather, with the exception of small matte silver accents strewn throughout and a matte silver insert in the center of the dashboard.

The black an tan leather seats boast a brown “Z” embroidered on the headrest, so its occupants don't forget this car's Zagato influence.

Conclusion

All we can say about this amazing BMW Zagato Roadster is “Wow!!” We were amazed with the Zagato Coupe and chopping the top was one thing, but giving it a character of its own just proves how much care went into this car. The only thing thing that we don't car for is that BMW and Zagato did not provide us with any engine and drivetrain details. Then again, with a car that looks this sexy, we'll take whatever you want to put under the hood.

Though we don't know what engine drives this puppy, we are sure it makes a noise similar to this: