A few days ago, we showed you how the Toyota Supra was testing near and on the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife track. Now, it's the BMW Z5's turn to do the same.
The fully camouflaged test prototype we've grown accustomed to takes to the track with apprehension. Around the banked carousel, it's going exceptionally slowly, which is a standard procedure at the beginning of testing.
It's got a bit of body rotation, but the sideways shenanigans BMWs are known for are nowhere to be seen. Still, it sounds a heck of a lot better than the Supra prototype.
Even though the design is pretty straightforward, there are few details that entice us. For example, a couple of aero winglets can be seen on the side of the front bumper, suggesting BMW might develop a track-focused version. And at the back, a retractable wing can be seen on top of the trunk opening.
Although the BMW Z5 and Toyota Supra successor will be based on the same platform and are being developed in parallel, they will try to appeal to completely different people. For starters, the Japanese model will only be available as a coupe, while the Bimmer is, as you can see, a roadster with a folding fabric roof.
Even though the Z5 is a successor to the Z4, offering a canvas top instead of a metal one suggests the formula is changing. In place of the Z4's sDrive35is twin-turbo engine, the Z5 will offer only one turbocharger.
All signs point towards the same 340 hp engine as in the M240i, not the powerful one provided by the M2. However, there will also be a 2.0-liter version of the Z5, packing upwards of 250 hp. Meanwhile, the Supra could be a hybrid that combines BMW's 3.0-liter with a small electric motor.
There's almost no official information regarding these two. However, an Austrian newspaper has stated both will be made at the Magna Steyr factory near Graz, on the refurbished line that used to house the MINI Coupe and Roadster. Kleine Zeitung also believes that total production will reach 60,000 units a year by 2018, likely to be the second year of production.
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. Full profile
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