2010 BMW Z4: Leaked
Motoring Channel Staff - 4/December/2008
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BMW Z4 Leaked
The current BMW Z4 Coupe will be replaced with
something similar to the Z4 Roadster pictured above
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Munich, Germany –
Bayerische Motoren Werke, more commonly known as BMW, has suffered an unfortunate leak courtesy of ZPost.com. A day after Audi launched it's A5 and S5 Cabriolet convertibles, the all-new next generation Z4 roadster has popped up on the data sphere. Though
it's only one photo, and slightly obscured one at that, it does confirm
that the design of the 2-seater sports convertible is finished. It
is likely to be officially unveiled at an upcoming motor show, probably
the NAIAS in Detroit in January '09, or possibly the Geneva Motor Show
in March '09. The front end design is sharper - though not
sleeker - than the current Z4 and appears to borrow design cues from
other models in the range such as the 5 Series, and also has a touch of
the now-defunct 8 Series concept car, the Concept CS. The side gills from the first generation Z3 have returned, sitting behind the front wheels albeit with a modernistic motif. One
of the most interesting design cues visible in the leaked photo is the
engine hood, which features a bold power hump reminiscent of an Aston
Martin. Underneath the engine hood will reside a number of
engines, including the 2.5- and 3.0-litre inline 6-cylinder engines,
which will drive the rear wheels via a new sDrive system, which is
believed to be an electro-mechanical differential. The high performance twin turbo version of the 3.0-litre straight six from the 335i Coupe is also expected to make the Z4 cut, which will rival the Audi TT Roadster. BMW
die-hards will also be hoping for a BMW Z4 'M' version powered by the
4.0-litre V8 of the M3 models. The enlarged engine cover would suggest
there's room for the compact V8, but whether it is in the works is
not yet known.
The new model is expected to be German-built this time, at BMW's Regensburg plant. Past versions of the roadsters were built in America at the Spartanburg plant.
Related Links:
- BMW Concept X1 (2009)
- BMW
Concept CS (Concept)
- BMW 3 Series (2009)
- BMW 335i Coupe (Road Test)
- BMW 7 Series (2008)
- BMW
M3 Coupe (2008)
- BMW X6 (2008)
- BMW
X1 (2010)
- BMW
130i M Sport (Road Test)
- BMW
120i (Road Test)
- BMW
6 Series Update (2007)
- BMW
120i (Road Test)
- BMW
3 Series Convertible (2007)
- BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid (2009)
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