2014 BMW Z2 Roadster

Exterior and Interior

Expected to sit on the ULK platform underpinning nearly 23 Bimmers and Minis, the design is rumored to be inspired by the Concept Active Tourer with a chopped top and a sleeker lines. An idea of how small the BMW Z2 is rumored to be is well depicted in an image of a Mini Cooper Roadster, sans the retro design.

Engine

Under the hood, BMW plans to offer the same engine lineup that powers the Mini Cooper Roadster, including the 1.6-liter turbo engine that produces 184 horsepower. Unfortunately, the Z2 will carry BMW’s new front-wheel-drive system as standard, so some roadster enthusiasts may be disappointed. On the plus side, there will be a top-of-the-range 2.0-liter 4-pot turbo engine that pumps nearly 300-horsepower to all the four wheels.

Competition

Rumors say that the future Z2 will target models like 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. However, the machine set to power the Z2 is still not 100-percent known so we can’t be sure exactly which vehicle will be set to take on the Z2.

When Can I Get One?

Rumors originally said that we would see the Z2 in the 2013 model year, but that obviously didn’t happen. With the base engine an d chassis already produced, we can safely say that seeing the Z2 in the 2014 or 2015 model year is reasonable. The 300-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine may come later.

Expect the price to be around the $25,000, which is quite competitive in Bimmer terms.