Spy Video: 2018 BMW Z5 Makes Strange Noises During Testing

This is one of the fist spy videos we've been able to find on the internet. It was sent to us by the guys at Car Spy News and shows the Z5 undergoing winter testing. We've also got the photos to match from a few weeks ago, but aren't interested in the look of the car as much as we are in the sound.

These are some of the strangest sounds we've ever heard a car make during testing. It might be the sound of a defective drive shaft, roller or a misaligned wheel. Another possibility is that the wheel is rubbing on the ice formed in the wheel well overnight. But if that's the case, where is the sound made by the engine.

There are two possibilities, but this stuff is purely speculative. Firstly, there might not be any engine sound because it's running in electric mode. Secondly, that could actually be the sound being made by a 3-cylinder engine. But why would BMW put a couple of large exhaust pipes on a 3-cylinder when it didn't on the i8? No, we think it's got a big engine, which you may be able to hear towards the end of the video.

Considering the Z5 is being developed with Toyota, who will get a new Supra out of the deal, it's highly likely that the car is a hybrid. Despite BMW's best efforts, the Big T remains a global leader of green technology.

The Z5 prototype was also filmed on a frozen lake in Sweden. The handling seems to suggest the stability control systems are still on, but allow the car to play a little. If we were betting men, we'd say that, on a few occasions, the front wheels are putting down a little power, judging from the snow being kicked up by the front tires. So what do you guys think, is this a hybrid AWD roadster?