So….before September. Got it.
Once BMW had unveiled the Concept Z4 at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance (part of the Monterey Car Week), it was clear that the Munich automaker was closer than some had previously thought to a full unveil of the production car, possibly set to occur later last year. Alas, some, including us, were flat wrong.
Here we are in 2018 with the Geneva Motor Show in our rear view mirrors with no Z4 in sight, meanwhile Toyota had some conciliatory measure in place with their GR Supra Racing Concept, their end of the co-development branch.
However, according to a report by Automotive New Europe, the next-generation BMW roadster will at least not test our patience into 2019, as the full reveal is apparently scheduled the middle months of this year, in the run up to the Paris Motor Show in September.
Presuming it will be available in showrooms in early 2019, it will mark a two and a half year gap since the final example of the previous-generation Z4 rolled off the production line in Regensburg. What’s more, this timeline sheds some extra light upon a possible rollout strategy from Toyota with their 5th-generation Supra which, again, was co-developed with BMW and vice versa.
The report also details a “dedicated event”, likely quite lavish, that’s to be held close to the automaker’s headquarters prior to its inevitable appearance at the Paris Motor Show. The two-door, two-seat convertible is speculated to have a footprint quite similar to the previous Z4 Roadster, within which a turbocharged inline-6 will be used for thrust via the rear wheels.
What’s different this time will be to see Toyota’s influence on the BMW-badged car itself. If there are any, though, it will likely be out of sight and under its skin. Reports have swirled around the Z4, in at least some of its permutations, to feature a hybrid drive system of BMW tune but built using tech from Aichi.
This will most definitely improve acceleration and fuel economy, but likely will not be used in more driver-focused variants. BMW and Toyota both have spun the narrative that the Z4 and Supra, despite being developed alongside one another, will be cars focused fulfilling the needs of very different buyers.
It’s not clear yet if that assertion holds any weight, or what exactly either company could do to distance these cars so greatly - apart from the fact that one has a fixed roof and the other doesn’t. In addition to the Z4 expected to sell in greater numbers, as it had before, in Europe, BMW are hoping that hybrid versions will help it gain popularity in newer markets such as China, where strict emissions laws preventing certain cars from being sold at accessible prices or banned from metropolitan areas outright.
Going forward, the BMW and Toyota alliance is also expected to sprout innovations in common interest areas such as lightweight construction and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains.
For more on BMW vehicles, check out our Showroom.
