BMW confirms Z4 coupe designs

BMW has developed design sketches for a coupe version of its new Z4 roadster.

But it says it’s no more likely to happen than Toyota building a drop-top version of the new Supra.

BMW and Toyota shared the basic mechanicals including architecture and inline six-cylinder and four-cylinder drivetrains for the two new sports cars, but went their own way when it came to tuning and styling.

Both the new BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra have been confirmed for Australian arrival in 2019. The BMW is due in the first half, the Supra in the third quarter.

The Z4, designed by Australian Calvin Luk, made its in-the-metal debut at last week’s Paris motor show but has yet to be subject to media testing, while motoring.com.au has sampled the Supra, which remains in disguise until the Detroit show in January.

Significantly, the new Z4 swaps back from a folding metal roof to a soft-top, opening the way for a coupe version.

Speaking at the Paris show, BMW development chief Klaus Frohlich insisted there was nothing to stop BMW doing a Z4 coupe or Toyota a convertible, but questioned whether either was likely.

“We did a roadster concept because the segments are small anyway, but the roadster segment is six times bigger than the coupe segment in that class,” he said.

“And the coupe segment has much steeper lifecycles.

“So, you can always put a top-hat on a roadster but not that easily the other way around. That’s the reason we decided on a roadster.

“To make a coupe out of a roadster is easy because it is stiff, but if you cut off the roof from a coupe you have to do something [else, like chassis reinforcement].”

Frohlich debunked a statement made to motoring.com.au by Z4 engineers during an earlier interview that BMW was prohibited from doing a coupe and Toyota a convertible.

“On the coupe, it is simply a business case and opposite to our Toyota colleagues we have an M4 and we have an M2, so we have already coupes who drive quite well already,” he said.

“So, it would be substitution, which wouldn’t make a lot of sense.”

Frohlich revealed BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk had sketched some Z4 coupe designs, but they had not changed his attitude.

“Adrian has shown me a coupe roof outline and roof lines but we already have two coupes in this price segment.

“But never say never. This [coupe] segment is shrinking and a lot of people have failures,” he added.

“But we have sexy cars and perhaps we can conquer and then the segment is bigger and then we can investigate.”

BMW has so far confirmed a three-model Z4 line-up: the 250kW 3.0-itre twin-turbo straight-six M40i and the 190kW sDrive30i and 145kW sDrive20i 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinders.

Putting aside the doubts over a Z4 coupe, BMW will add further variety to its hardtop two-door line-up with a rear-wheel drive version of the new 8 Series coupe.

So far BMW has announced two xDrive all-wheel drive versions of the handsome coupe -- the 390kW turbo-petrol M850i V8 and the 235kW 840d turbo-diesel six-cylinder.

But Carsten Groeber, VP Product Management BMW Luxury Class, told motoring.com.au a rear-wheel drive variant was on the way: “We will have something in the near future which is also rear-wheel drive.

“There will be an sDrive version and third engine option within the next year.”

He indicated the rear-drive powertrain will be fitted to a more affordable variant – although it will hardly be cheap – suggesting the M40i inline turbo six could be the course of action.

“BMW has always been famous for its inline engines,” he said.