Photo: catalin garmacea
The future looks bleak for enthusiasts looking for a hardtop BMW Convertible model. According to new info coming in from Germany, the Bavarians plan to replace the last two hardtops from their line-up with soft top alternatives.
BimmerToday claims that one of their sources close to the decision-making management board just found out that the brand wants to replace the metal folding roofs of today with textile alternatives.
This comes as no surprise, to be honest, as this sort of move was bound to happen sooner or later due to a multitude of reasons. To be entirely fair, the surprise comes from two specific areas: the fact that the soft top made it until today and that the decision was made so far ahead of the launch of the new models.
To better put things into perspective, we have to specify exactly which cars from BMW still use this kind of folding mechanism. Done counting? Just three models are still hardtops: the 4 Series Convertible, the M4 Convertible, and the Z4.
The Z4 will soon be replaced by a model that was developed in collaboration with Toyota and is supposed to spawn several models in the future. Rumors claim that we could even see an M model with hybrid powertrains, but everything is still to be confirmed at this point.
Therefore, the future successor of the Z4 ( be that the Z5 or any other model) will most likely be the first one to get a soft top and leave metal behind.
Then it will be the 4 Series Coupe’s turn to do the same, somewhere in 2021 when the current version will be replaced. In the meantime, we’re to expect a facelift somewhere in 2018 but usually BMW doesn’t offer such extensive changes on a facelift model.
In this case, it could make an exception, however. That’s because of the reasons that dictate replacing the old mechanisms with textile ones. Care to guess? That’s right, weight and, incidentally, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Replacing the old version with a lighter, more compact one would solve a couple of problems for BMW, especially as 2020 is nearing. That’s when the EU laws start being enforced and that’s also when manufacturers need an average of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer for their fleet.
On top of all of this, replacing the metal roof will also offer customers more space in the boot and on the convertible models that’s a big issue.
This comes as no surprise, to be honest, as this sort of move was bound to happen sooner or later due to a multitude of reasons. To be entirely fair, the surprise comes from two specific areas: the fact that the soft top made it until today and that the decision was made so far ahead of the launch of the new models.
To better put things into perspective, we have to specify exactly which cars from BMW still use this kind of folding mechanism. Done counting? Just three models are still hardtops: the 4 Series Convertible, the M4 Convertible, and the Z4.
The Z4 will soon be replaced by a model that was developed in collaboration with Toyota and is supposed to spawn several models in the future. Rumors claim that we could even see an M model with hybrid powertrains, but everything is still to be confirmed at this point.
Therefore, the future successor of the Z4 ( be that the Z5 or any other model) will most likely be the first one to get a soft top and leave metal behind.
Then it will be the 4 Series Coupe’s turn to do the same, somewhere in 2021 when the current version will be replaced. In the meantime, we’re to expect a facelift somewhere in 2018 but usually BMW doesn’t offer such extensive changes on a facelift model.
In this case, it could make an exception, however. That’s because of the reasons that dictate replacing the old mechanisms with textile ones. Care to guess? That’s right, weight and, incidentally, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Replacing the old version with a lighter, more compact one would solve a couple of problems for BMW, especially as 2020 is nearing. That’s when the EU laws start being enforced and that’s also when manufacturers need an average of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer for their fleet.
On top of all of this, replacing the metal roof will also offer customers more space in the boot and on the convertible models that’s a big issue.
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