Photo: SB Medien
The Geneva Motor Show was filled with world premieres and all sorts of innovative creations but the talk on the sidelines is what revealed even more details regarding the future of most car makers. BMW, for example, just confirmed that it’s working on a successor for the Z4, something we’ve been telling you all about for quite some time now.
Automotive News Europe had a little chat with the BMW chief of development, Mr. Klaus Frohlich, that took up the position after Herbert Diess left the company and moved to Volkswagen. During this talk, the representative wasn’t all too shy to confirm not only that a replacement for the roadster is coming but also that it is being developed in collaboration with Toyota.
This joint-venture with the Japanese company took a lot of people by surprise, especially since talk is that the Germans will offer their know-how and expertise in sport cars in return for more... unexpected bits and pieces.
To be more precise, BMW will provide the chassis and conventional engines for Toyota’s upcoming Supra while Toyota will be offering hybrid technology including batteries and electric motors. Each company will be bringing its best to create iconic models but will they both profit from this setup?
Well, BMW can’t afford to invest a lot of money in a small niche like the one represented by roadsters. After the big effort they put in developing the i sub-brand and the lightweight materials needed for it as well as the front-wheel drive platform UKL and the new B family of modular engines, there’s little headroom to make due with.
Toyota, on the other hand, is the world’s best selling volume car maker, keeping Volkswagen at bay for now. With a considerably larger cash flow and a more in-depth knowledge of hybrid powertrains (they began researching well ahead of the rest of the industry) they seem like the perfect partner in this venture.
It is over there BMW also focused in recent years and managed to gain impressive numbers, even building a plant that is getting more and more attention. To cater to their Chinese customers’ needs, special versions of traditional cars have been introduced, like the 3 Series and 5 Series long wheelbase alternatives.
Therefore, if China doesn’t want roadsters, they have to look elsewhere and make sure they don’t spend a lot of money bringing the car to production.
The problem is, the Z4 is not selling all that well at the moment in other regions either. Only 5,300 of them were sold in all of 2014 across Europe and the US sits at just over 2,000 of them. So all hope seems lost but BMW might have a winning strategy here.
Our sources claim that there will be more than one model coming out, both in roadster and coupe guises. There will definitely be a front-wheel drive version and a rear-wheel drive one, possibly even reviving the M badge on a Z car. That approach might turn successful not only because there are more models on the table but also because it will allow BMW to figure out exactly what the customers wants, evetually possibly dropping the version that doesn't sell all that much.
To top it all off, the chief of development is behind it one hundred percent, saying that “[he] would like to see a Z4 successor in this decade.”
Well, we would like that too sir, please do it and please make it a hybrid that would have at least 500 HP to send to the rear wheels, so that we can have some fun with it... Leave all that FWD stuff behind already!
This joint-venture with the Japanese company took a lot of people by surprise, especially since talk is that the Germans will offer their know-how and expertise in sport cars in return for more... unexpected bits and pieces.
To be more precise, BMW will provide the chassis and conventional engines for Toyota’s upcoming Supra while Toyota will be offering hybrid technology including batteries and electric motors. Each company will be bringing its best to create iconic models but will they both profit from this setup?
Well, BMW can’t afford to invest a lot of money in a small niche like the one represented by roadsters. After the big effort they put in developing the i sub-brand and the lightweight materials needed for it as well as the front-wheel drive platform UKL and the new B family of modular engines, there’s little headroom to make due with.
Toyota, on the other hand, is the world’s best selling volume car maker, keeping Volkswagen at bay for now. With a considerably larger cash flow and a more in-depth knowledge of hybrid powertrains (they began researching well ahead of the rest of the industry) they seem like the perfect partner in this venture.
China doesn’t like roadsters all that much
'So what,' you may say but we’re not in 2005 anymore. China has become the world’s largest single market and most manufacturers are still trying hard to expand their business there, even though things are starting to slow down.It is over there BMW also focused in recent years and managed to gain impressive numbers, even building a plant that is getting more and more attention. To cater to their Chinese customers’ needs, special versions of traditional cars have been introduced, like the 3 Series and 5 Series long wheelbase alternatives.
Therefore, if China doesn’t want roadsters, they have to look elsewhere and make sure they don’t spend a lot of money bringing the car to production.
The problem is, the Z4 is not selling all that well at the moment in other regions either. Only 5,300 of them were sold in all of 2014 across Europe and the US sits at just over 2,000 of them. So all hope seems lost but BMW might have a winning strategy here.
Our sources claim that there will be more than one model coming out, both in roadster and coupe guises. There will definitely be a front-wheel drive version and a rear-wheel drive one, possibly even reviving the M badge on a Z car. That approach might turn successful not only because there are more models on the table but also because it will allow BMW to figure out exactly what the customers wants, evetually possibly dropping the version that doesn't sell all that much.
To top it all off, the chief of development is behind it one hundred percent, saying that “[he] would like to see a Z4 successor in this decade.”
Well, we would like that too sir, please do it and please make it a hybrid that would have at least 500 HP to send to the rear wheels, so that we can have some fun with it... Leave all that FWD stuff behind already!
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