Photo: BMW vis BimmerFile
The second major BMW concept of the year has been revealed in the form of this gorgeous Z4 roadster. We had our doubts about the project, but it looks like the two-seater's blood still flows fast and vigorous.
The Z4 concept was supposed to be revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance but has leaked online earlier than expected thanks to Bimmerfile. These photos are about as good as it's going to get and they paint a vivid picture of a sinful-looking piece of metal.
The front end styling is undeniably linked to the 8 Series Concept. We see a grille that points down, like the nose of a shark, followed by a gigantic air intake that dominates the fascia. Also unusual for BMW, the headlights aren't aligned with the front of the car, instead tapering towards the back in an Aston Martin-like way.
The back end features two silver pods, a trunk lid spoiler that hints at the old Z4 models and narrow taillights that almost touch in the middle. They didn't go too big with the badges either, unlike the Mercedes SLC-Class. The diffuser is made from carbon fiber, as you'd expect on a concept.
The interior is nifty too, but we can't help noticing that the Z4 test prototypes didn't look like this. While the current Z4 has top-to-bottom two-tone finishes, this one has left-to-right, signaling a more driver-focused design. The steering wheel is way cooler than anything BMW is ever going to put into production, while the console borrows just the right amount of buttons from other cars.
Early reports said only two engine versions would be offered, similar to the ones on the 330i and 340i. However, our spyshots showed a base s20i with a 6-speed manual and only 197 PS.
Also confusing is the data on the start of production. While a sticker on the dash of the s20i prototype said SoP is November 2018, newer reports state the Z4 will come alive by March of that year. But that could just be down to the cheaper base model being delayed.
The front end styling is undeniably linked to the 8 Series Concept. We see a grille that points down, like the nose of a shark, followed by a gigantic air intake that dominates the fascia. Also unusual for BMW, the headlights aren't aligned with the front of the car, instead tapering towards the back in an Aston Martin-like way.
The back end features two silver pods, a trunk lid spoiler that hints at the old Z4 models and narrow taillights that almost touch in the middle. They didn't go too big with the badges either, unlike the Mercedes SLC-Class. The diffuser is made from carbon fiber, as you'd expect on a concept.
The interior is nifty too, but we can't help noticing that the Z4 test prototypes didn't look like this. While the current Z4 has top-to-bottom two-tone finishes, this one has left-to-right, signaling a more driver-focused design. The steering wheel is way cooler than anything BMW is ever going to put into production, while the console borrows just the right amount of buttons from other cars.
Early reports said only two engine versions would be offered, similar to the ones on the 330i and 340i. However, our spyshots showed a base s20i with a 6-speed manual and only 197 PS.
Also confusing is the data on the start of production. While a sticker on the dash of the s20i prototype said SoP is November 2018, newer reports state the Z4 will come alive by March of that year. But that could just be down to the cheaper base model being delayed.
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