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BMW Ends Z4 E89 Production After 115,000 Units Made

That's it, guys, BMW doesn't have a two-seater roadster anymore. You're going to have to buy a Mercedes-Benz now. And while the Bavarian company has plenty of other convertibles, we'll be sad to see the Z4 go.
BMW Z4 sDrive35si 8 photos
Photo: BMW
2014 BMW E89 Z4 Roadster2014 BMW E89 Z4 Roadster2014 BMW E89 Z4 Roadster2014 BMW E89 Z4 Roadster2014 BMW E89 Z4 Roadster2014 BMW E89 Z4 Roadster2014 BMW E89 Z4 Roadster
The lights were turned off, figuratively speaking, at the Regensburg factory as early as August 22. However, BMW is only now letting us know what's going on.

We used to dream about an entire series of Z cars, from little front-wheel-drive ones based on MINI Roadster to a major flagship. But we should consider ourselves lucky that we're even getting a replacement, as it might not have happened without Toyota.

After the widely unliked Z3, BMW introduced the Z4 nameplate way back in 2002. That was 14 years ago, but who's counting? A replacement model came in 2009. While it had a considerably more upmarket interior, it didn't deliver those kicks old BMW roadsters were known for.

Bimmertoday reports that the last Z4 was an sDrive35is in Valencia Orange Metallic. With 340 horsepower coming from the 3-liter turbo engine, we think it's a good way to kill a car. It's also worth pointing out that the last Z4 is the last production car with the N54 engine, shared with the legendary 1M Coupe. It got replaced by the single-turbo N55, which in turn is being ousted by the B58.

Part of the reason why we're sad to see the Z89 has to do with things that will be lost when the new model comes out. For example, the beautiful folding metal roof will make way for a conventional fabric one. We know it's just as good if not better, but a hardtop convertible is something many people aspire to own.

There might also be less variety in the engine department, as reports suggest the Z5, codenamed G29, will have a 2-liter turbo variant and a 3-liter one. That's it! The chances of an M model happening are pretty much zero.

We can understand why BMW is making all these changes. It comes down to what the consumers want - just look at the i3 vs. the i8. But the Audi TT managed to sell many times more units, people want more of the posing and less of the driving fun.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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