Monterey, California - BMW has created some stunning roadsters over the years, and this one rates right up there with the 328 and 507. These are the first official pictures of the Concept Z4, revealed this week at Pebble Beach.
Smoother, sleeker and undeniably sexier than anything we’ve seen recently wearing a Blue Propeller badge, it has a whole new take on BMW’s signature four-headlight front treatment and the neatest, tightest booty since Maria Sharapova.
The bonnet isn’t quite as long as on previous Z3 and Z4 iterations, placing the cockpit closer to the centre of the car, while making the most of the platform’s long wheelbase and short overhangs.
Take away the coarse mesh grille, the somewhat garish interior trim and - sadly - those extraordinarily elegant tail-lights and, according to BMW insiders, you are pretty well looking at the next production Z4, due for release in the first half of next year; our guess is at the Geneva show.
This is also a preview of the next Toyota Supra, with which it shares a platform. As an interesting way to cut production costs through collaboration while avoiding getting into direct competition, BMW will reportedly produce only a roadster version (don’t look for another M Coupé) with both manual and automatic, paddle-shift, transmissions, while Toyota will release the new Supra only as a auto-transmission coupé.