Photo: BMW
It’s been a long time since the E89 went out of production. But in almost two years of absence, BMW honed the G29 to be a thriller in the twisties, with the grand reveal scheduled for the summer according to an insider of the German automaker.
Automotive News Europe reports that the third-generation Z4 will also stop by the 2018 Paris Motor Show in the fall, with sales to kick off before year’s end. That translates to the 2019 model year for the U.S.-spec Z4, with BMW edging Toyota in this regard.
Partnering up with the Japanese automaker came to be as a way to share the costs of development. You see, two-seat sports coupes and cabriolets aren’t selling too well these days. Given these circumstances, it’s a win-win situation for both parties, though it is believed the J29 Supra won’t be offered with a six-speed manual like the G29 Z4.
Previewed by a concept at the Monterey Car Week last year, the Z4 rides on a sport-tuned version of the CLAR platform that also underpins the 5 Series, 7 Series, and next-generation 3 Series. With this sort of backbone, it shouldn’t come as a surprise the engine list will consist of 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter turbocharged mills.
BMW doesn’t plan on doing a hot-blooded M, but the M40i Competition Package is just what the doctored ordered. Equipped with the B58 inline-six and believed to develop 385 PS (380 horsepower), the range-topping Z4 should provide plenty of thrills in the twisties, more so if you bear in mind the layout is rear-wheel-drive.
As for the sDrive20i, the 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo bearing the codename B48 will make do with 197 PS (194 horsepower) and 320 Nm (236 pound-feet) of torque. In addition to the stick shift, customers can also opt for the ZF-developed eight-speed automatic transmission we know from just about every other BMW with RWD.
Partnering up with the Japanese automaker came to be as a way to share the costs of development. You see, two-seat sports coupes and cabriolets aren’t selling too well these days. Given these circumstances, it’s a win-win situation for both parties, though it is believed the J29 Supra won’t be offered with a six-speed manual like the G29 Z4.
Previewed by a concept at the Monterey Car Week last year, the Z4 rides on a sport-tuned version of the CLAR platform that also underpins the 5 Series, 7 Series, and next-generation 3 Series. With this sort of backbone, it shouldn’t come as a surprise the engine list will consist of 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter turbocharged mills.
BMW doesn’t plan on doing a hot-blooded M, but the M40i Competition Package is just what the doctored ordered. Equipped with the B58 inline-six and believed to develop 385 PS (380 horsepower), the range-topping Z4 should provide plenty of thrills in the twisties, more so if you bear in mind the layout is rear-wheel-drive.
As for the sDrive20i, the 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo bearing the codename B48 will make do with 197 PS (194 horsepower) and 320 Nm (236 pound-feet) of torque. In addition to the stick shift, customers can also opt for the ZF-developed eight-speed automatic transmission we know from just about every other BMW with RWD.
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