BMW Z4 Revealed Ahead Of Pebble Beach, Kind Of

Published June 12, 2018
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Leaked patent images suggest that the roadster will look a lot like the Z4 concept unveiled last year

Earlier this year, BMW had us giddy with excitement when it announced that it will unveil the third-generation Z4 roadster at Pebble Beach in August this year. While we can’t wait to see the car in the flesh, we’ve now got a fair idea of the roadster design thanks to a series of patent images that has surfaced on Dutch site Auto Week. These images show the car’s swept-back headlamps, flat rear lights and wide kidney grilles. In fact, it looks a lot like the Z4 concept that was unveiled last year.

Developed in conjunction with Toyota, the Z4’s platform will also underpin the upcoming Supra. However, the new Z4 gets a fabric roof while the Supra gets a hard top. Expect BMW to release a hard top version just like it did with the first-gen version (E85/E86) as well. The upcoming Z4 has been caught testing for more than a year and the latest set of images show the car wearing a light camouflage. However, the car seen below could be a lower-spec model, as it sits on smaller wheels.

And although we’ll have to wait until the Paris Motor Show for the full spec sheet, various reports suggest that it will be powered by BMW’s latest turbocharged petrol engines. So, expect a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine as well as a more powerful variant equipped with the 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six engine borrowed from the M240i. Both engines are expected to come with a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox that will help send power to the rear axle.

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Meanwhile, Toyota has confirmed that the Supra could be offered with a hybrid powertrain as well. So, it’s quite natural to expect that powertrain to find a place under the bonnet of the Z4 too. Expect this variant to be equipped with an all-wheel drive system. Apart from that, there could also be a more powerful M variant down the line. This version is said to feature the bespoke body panels as well as the same rear axle as the M3 and M4. So it is likely to feature the 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six engine that produces 425PS or a similar powerplant that produces 350PS on the M2 as well.

As for the Supra, Toyota unveiled the sports car as a concept at the Geneva Motor Show 2018. This car takes design inspiration from the brilliant FT-1 concept, first seen at the Detroit Motor Show in 2014. Read more about it here.