The wait is finally over. The first leaked photos of the next-generation BMW Z4 have arrived courtesy of Bimmerpost Unless a complete swerve happens in the coming days, these leaked photos of the new Z4 appear to be the real deal. We’ve waited a long time to see the roadster in the flesh, and in true auto industry fashion, we get an unauthorized sneak peek at the Z4 ahead of its official unveiling on August 23 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Update: 8-15-2018: Official-looking press images of the new, 2019 BMW Z4 have been leaked online ahead of its debut. Check out the latest images in our special section below!

2019 BMW Z4 Leaked Images

Leaked BMW Z4 vs Concept

Well, here it is, ladies and gentlemen. The images aren’t the best quality, and they probably don’t show the Z4 in its best angles, but we’ve waited too long for us to complain about what we’re looking at. Besides, these images have zero traces of camouflage on the car so we’ll take our victories any way we can get them.

If this is the actual BMW Z4, what we’re looking at here is the M40i trim, which appears to be the range-topping version of the model. The profile of the roadster is a far departure from the Z4 Concept that BMW unveiled at Pebble Beach last year. The latter had a far more aggressive front bumper with massive and well-defined air intakes. The production version, on the other hand, has a few curious details to it, none more intriguing than what looks to be black panels located below the roadster’s kidney grilles. Speaking of the grilles, maybe it’s the angle of the image, but they look to be bigger in proportion to everything else in the front fascia of the Z4 Roadster. The headlights are also rounder compared to the sleek ones on the concept. It’s almost as if BMW borrowed the design of the Fiat 124 Spyder and slapped on its signature kidney grilles to make the Z4 look different. Again, it may just be because of the angle, but the design of the front section isn’t what we expected it to be.

Move to the side and the roadster’s definition starts to take shape. The Z4 looks much better from this angle, but it also looks as if it’s a little too refined for a car that’s supposed to be the embodiment of a BMW sports car. The sharp edges that stick out prominently on the concept appear to have been massaged a little bit to make it look more sophisticated at the expense of losing the concept’s edginess. It’s one way to go about giving the Z4 its own identity, but again as good as it looks from this side, it still feels like Bimmer’s designers left something on the table.

The good news is that the Z4’s rear section makes up for a lot of the perceived stylistic shortcomings in the other sections of the roadster. At first glance, you can tell that BMW’s designers had more creative leeway in designing the back of the Z4. There are a lot of aggressive cuts in the body that help create a sporty and layered look. The indentations and the lines play well with each other in a manner that gives this section a little more ferocity to it. Extra props go to the design of the rear diffuser. It’s aggressive without being obnoxious. That’s how you get the attention of people.

We can’t see other details of the Z4 Roadster, but it does look like the model received a good amount of glossy black accents throughout its body. We some of it on the kidney grilles and around the vents of the bumper. We’re willing to bet that there’s more where that came from.

On the performance end, the Z4 M40i is rumored to get the same 3.0-liter engine that other M40i models have. Should that be the case, expect the US-spec Z4 to have 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque while the Euro-facing model gets around 335 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque. Word has it that the new roadster will also get a standard eight-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing for the new Z4 Roadster is tipped to start a little over $50,000. Move up to the range-topping M40i and you could be looking at a price tag approaching $70,000. It’s a steep price to pay, but we’ve waited a long time for this car to show up. Now’s not the time to start questioning its monetary worth.

Further Reading

Read our full speculative review of the 2020 BMW Z4

Read our review on the BMW Z4 Concept.

Read our driven review on the current BMW Z4.

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Toyota Supra.