BMW gives Z4 a tin lid

Its exact arrival date in Australia has yet to be confirmed but expect to see it at next year's Sydney motor show in October with an on sale date shortly after.

The car was first previewed at the Frankfurt motor show in September as a thinly veiled "concept" and subsequently shown at November's Tokyo motor show.

Unlike the previous hardtop Z3 Roadster-based M Coupe that was sold here between 1998 and 2001, this model will be offered in both standard 3.0-litre and the M sport guises.

The Z3-based coupe failed to attract any significant customer numbers with its challenging styling - that some unkindly dubbed the bread van - and a starting price of $137,000.

However, with an entry-level version of the new Z4 Coupe, expected to be priced from around $86,000, and a sleeker and more integrated rear hatch, the new model should provide BMW with a bit more buyer interest.

The entry model hardtop will be powered by the same 3.0-litre straight six found in the 3 series sedan and from next April, in the Z4 roadster, which develops maximum outputs of 195kW and 315Nm driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

The top of the range Z4 M Coupe - tweaked and tuned by the Bavarian maker's in-house M operation - will use the same 252kW/365Nm 3.2-litre straight six from the M3 Coupe and Convertible.

This same engine will also be fitted to the new Z4 M Roadster when it goes on sale here about April next year.

Both the soft and hardtop two-door Z4 M cars will also feature bespoke chassis set-ups, bigger brakes and a variable diff lock to help improve traction.

The arrival of the Z4 M Roadster in April is part of an overall upgrade for the soft-top range that also includes new generation 2.5 and 3.0-litre engines, feature improvements and minor cosmetic changes.