BMW recently lifted the veil off its all-new 2019 Z4 roadster, the sixth-generation Z model (or third-gen Z4) and the most visually striking one yet. However, unlike with the first-gen Z4, this one will get neither a hardtop coupe version nor a hot Z4 M variant.

Will It Get A Roof?

Note: 2019 BMW Z4 Roadster pictured here.


The previous iteration of the model used a folding metal hardtop which negated the need for a fixed-roof version, but for the latest one, BMW engineers have reverted to using a more traditional soft top. According to Motoring, designers have made sketches of a Z4 coupe, but there is little incentive within the company to actually make such a model.

The Aussie webzine quotes BMW development chief Klaus Frohlich, whom they interviewed on the sidelines of the Paris Motor Show last month, as saying “we did a roadster concept because the segments are small anyway, but the roadster segment is six times bigger than the coupe segment in that class. And the coupe segment has much steeper lifecycles.”

He went on to explain that “to make a coupe out of a roadster is easy because it is stiff, but if you cut off the roof from a coupe you have to do something. So, you can always put a top-hat on a roadster but not that easily the other way around. That’s the reason we decided on a roadster.”

BMW already has the M2 which is roughly in the same segment, so the chances of it turning the Z4 into a coupe are slim.

Note: 2019 BMW Z4 Roadster pictured here.


Well, BMW has neither confirmed nor denied working on such a model, but since it already offers high-performance drop-tops, it’s unlikely to be interested in making one.

Note: 2019 BMW Z4 Roadster pictured here.


If the manufacturer did make a Z4M coupe based on the latest Z4, it would probably look a lot like the digitally manipulated representation I whipped up for the purpose of illustrating this article. I gave the car a wider stance with wider tires, a front bumper with a more aggressive design and a fixed coupe top which I tried to not make look like the double-bubble roof of the upcoming Toyota Supra.

Powering this hypothetical Z4 M would be the same S55 straight-six engine that powers the M3 and M4, with upwards of 450 horsepower and 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) of torque. BMW will replace the unit with a newer S58 engine in 2019, which will probably exceed 500 horsepower and also add extra torque too.

Note: 2019 BMW Z4 M rendering pictured here.0}

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW Z4.

Read our full review of the 2017 BMW Concept Z4.

Read our driven review on the current BMW Z4.

Read more BMW news.