A successor of the BMW Z4 is finally coming. After years of speculations, first BMW Z5 prototypes were spotted last week during winter testing and judging by the camouflage on the test mules, the final product is about two years away.
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Today, we have a new information regarding the Z5 and what to expect when they land in dealerships in 2018.
This will be the first model co-developed with Toyota which will make the production of this Z5 more profitable. BMW aims to reinvent the sports roadsters segment with a range of cars designed with a unique and avant-garde design combined with typical roadster proportions – long bonnet , short rear overhang and a very low driving position situated practically on the rear axle.
Its design will see some cues from the BMW 328 Hommage and Vision ConnectedDrive, so expect a classic, yet futuristic design that will steal the show.
Originally devised as a hardtop roadster as the previous Z4, the Bavarians have decided that the BMW Z5 should be offered in two body styles – a roadster with a canvas roof and a coupe, like the old Z3 coupe.
The first to arrive will be the Z5 Roadster, which is expected to be presented in the second half of 2017. A year later, the Z5 Coupe will be introduced as well.
Larger than the current Z4, the new Z4 is designed to compete with the rivals like Mercedes AMG GT. Obviously to compete with the power of AMG GT, BMW is preparing a version that will keep up with the V8 power from Mercedes.
The BMW Z5 is built upon the new rear-wheel drive architecture introduce by the new 7 Series and will follow the BMW philosophy of lightweight construction by using aluminum, ultra high strength steel, magnesium, carbon fiber and thermoplastic. For example, the structural pillars and roof structure are made of CFRP.
Both Z5 models – Coupe and Roadster – will be equipped with BMW drivetrains, except for the hybrid version which has Japanese origins.
Rear-wheel drive is standard, but an optional four-wheel xDrive system paired with four and six cylinder engines. The top model will carry the M Performance badge which could be a hybrid with a four-cylinder engine with water injection outputting close to 600 horsepower.
[Source: Motor.es]
The Z4 start at 38K, the AMG start at 3 times that price, around 120K, if it will go this route the Z5 will be more like a Z8 successor than a Z4 successor…
I’d hope that the new Z5 is a real AMG GT or SL competitor, or atleast competes with the Jaguar F-Type. And then make the Z3 the smaller, Z4-like car.
Not really a Z8 successor though. When the Z8 came out, it had the exact same power as the 360 Modena (way more torque though), and base price was pretty much the same as 360 Spider. Performance wise the 360 was a bit on top but the Z8 was more meant to be a GT anyway.
Here, the Z5 will probably go in that 500hp-ish area, so over 100 less than the 488, and cost half anyway. Yeah not really what the Z8 was especially its most direct competitor was the DB7 Volante while here i think the DB11 will have quite a bit more and then again, cost twice.
I think it’s closer to be a Z4 than a Z8. The Z4 in top version could go in that 70-80k area. We’re closer to that than a quarter million.
hmmm the v8 version might be priced more?
no v8
If it’s close to 600hp, then it’s meant to go against 570S, Turbo S, 570S and the always forgotten California. Then it’ll be priced between 180k and 200k. But still the original Z4 was a sport car, meant to go against Carrera S and SLK 55 AMG.
The Z8 was much more of a GT really, even if performance-wise it was very close to the 360 (BMW style :p). I do think, especially considering this is co-developped with Toyota (Supra much ?) that it’s more of a Z4 successor than anything else. Besides the M version, it’ll be very close to that actually.
what engine would they use on the 500-600bhp version?
S55 with water injection, maybe exactly like the F8x in competition package form, plus some electric engines. If it has the sam electrical engines as the i8, it’ll make it a 581hp beast. Assuming it will come more than 5 years after this, we could hope them having their hands on better engines, so the car can make over 600hp. This way it will be a borderline supercar.
Or they could use the N55 in M2 configuration, 360hp, and add electric power to be just over 500hp and compete directly against Turbo and AMG GT S but then it will be a super sport car.
They could even use the M4 GTS’ power unit and then have the 500 ponies but i think it will be an hybrid.
coool and im guessing bmw can do all this without even trying. imagine they went all out with the M boys. OMG id jizz
It’s really not realistic to make a Z5 where the bottom end competes with SLK / TT and top end competes with GT-S / 911. That is just too wide of a pricing and performance spectrum for one model to handle. The Z5 will almost certainly use an existing engine (since it is too costly to develop a new engine just for the Z5). Most likely candidates are the B48 (same as the upcoming 330i) and B58 (same as in the 340i). Even if you were to drop the M3 engine in the Z5 you’re looking at 425-450ish HP which would be great in a Z4 chassis but since the Z5 is larger not sure if performance will match that of GT-S / 911. Regarding a possible hybrid drivetrain with 600HP problem is that its most likely going to look something like what is in the i8 which by the looks of unsold inventory on dealer lots isn’t selling well. A quick search at local dealers here in Atlanta show numerous i8 models selling at discounts of over $10K.
Disappointed with the cloth top decision….really don’t think the market has the appetite for both a roadster and coupe version at a price point higher than the current Z4. As for AMG GT competition, maybe the top of the line version but the volume numbers needed to support this model would preclude such exclusive offering.
I think its the perfect decision because, first they will bring the roadster which is more orientated to the convertible fans and weekend drivers, mums etc and then they will bring a coupe version which is much more performance orientated and a much better base for an M model and a real competitor to the other cars in that segment (if its going to be a AMG GT, 911 etc. competitor). If they would do just one version and then trying to do both out of that it will be a big compromise and it wouldn’t be great in this way and that way. I think this is the perfect choice and with the Toyota cooperation its a very positive business case as well!
The Hard top is heavy af. When manufacturers use a soft top on their performance cars it’s often a really small one, like Ferrari and even a carbon one, like McLaren. The Huracan has a soft top btw;
The weight advantage of the soft top is way overblown. There are other ways to lose weight such as using a carbon fiber top. After all, if weight was BMW’s top priority, they wouldn’t have increased the size of the car. Looking back at the E83 Z4 coupe / convertible, the sales mix is approximately 22% / 78% at a volume of 18k units worldwide. Since the roadster market is smaller now than in 2008 (last year of E83) at 10,800 units in 2014 I find it very hard to believe they can justify top models splitting a very small sales volume and still make it work economically. I currently drive a E89 Z4 and like many Z4 drivers, this is my only car and I drive most of the time with the top up. Simply up a cloth top just doesn’t look as good as a hard top and looks matter ALOT in this segment.
A carbon fiber retractable roof is expensive af and does not really make sense in this segment. They increased the size because it’s not in the same segment anymore: you won’t make a 911 competitor the size of a Miata, that’s non sense.
The roadster market is smaller, and convertibles don’t seem to have that much of an appeal right now. If you drive most of the time with the top up, just buy the coupe. If you really want to put the roof down, you’ll not always keep it up. That’s how they went for the cloth roof option.
I think that’s the right way to go.
Z5 will never be a 911 competitor. The 911 base price starts at close to $90K which is too high of a price point for BMW. Z5 will be more competitor to Mercedes SL which since 2002 has always been hardtop. The comparison to a Miata is nonsense b/c even the E83 Z4 has larger than the Miata, when BMW went from Z3 to Z4 the comparison to Miata ended. Again, given how small the sales volume is for the Z4 (and volume will be even lower for higher priced Z5) not sure how they can justify making 2 Z5 models. As much as I would like to think people care about the incremental tenth of a second acceleration times looks trump performance (just look at the SLK as an example where the entry level performance is terrible but they are sill able to sell) and cloth top is UGLY.
Well a 2 seater coupe with almost 600hp i wonder what that is… Don’t expect this thing to cost under 150k in M form. If it’s less then we’d have an absolute bargain then, because its performance competitors will be over 50k more expensive. And at this price we’re looking at Carrera GTS money while performance-wise it’d be on Turbo S territory.
The “comparison” with the Miata was obviously meant to be absurd to show how ridiculous your statement was… All cars increasing in size, to reach the consumer’s criteria. Plus don’t forget it’s co-developped with Toyota and will more likely be the Supra. I don’t mind it being bigger though, because the SLK is pretty much crap right now…
The Z5, again, will more likely not market-wise be like the Z4 because it didn’t sell. Look: the F-Type, AMG GT, 911 seem to be doing great. I think it’s a great move for them because to be fair it’s a bit more interesting for te brand. The SLK is almost not a sport car anymore. It’s a Mercedes-badged… Thing.
We’ll see if it looks that bad. The F13, F-Type convertible, 911 Convertible and Huracan Spyder all look great to me.
there soft top cloth will be announced first, after the coupe will be announced.