2019 BMW Z4 M40i Secretly Lapping Nurburgring after Debut, Sounds Aggressive

Well, for one thing, it's not unusual for carmakers to continue testing their vehicles after the official debut. Some of these tests serve to polish the final details, while others are used to set Nurburgring lap times. And we might be dealing with the latter situation here.

Even so, since the Z4 is no top dog regarding performance, the lap time will probably remain secret. So all we can do is sit back and watch the open-top model being thrown at the Green Hell.

We're expecting the configuration of the prototype seen here to be identical to that of the First Edition model that marked the vehicle's debut. As such, we're looking at adaptive dampers, M Sport stopping hardware and an electronically controlled rear diff. As for the wheels, these should be 19-inch units.

The engine compartment is occupied by a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six, which promises to push the roadster from 0 to 60 mph (make that 96 km/h) in 4.4 seconds.

Note that the Bavarians haven't announced the full specs of the machine and they're making us wait for September 18 before fully spilling the beans. Nevertheless, the said motor should deliver at least 340 hp.

While the roadster form and the fact that it's not an all-out M Car means we can forgive BMW for not releasing a Ring number, we can't say the same about the yet unreleased MK V Toyota Supra.

The fixed-roof sibling of the new Z4, which has yet to be revealed, is a more performance-orientated model, so here's to hoping Toyota doesn't conceal its Nordschleife lap time.