German Car Forum

with the new BMW Z4 Roadster (launching in December) forgoing a classic roadster soft top and instead using a folding hard top configuaration.

Much of the discussion is focused on how much the weight of the car will increase with the now folding hardtop.
Although the use of lightweight materials on key areas of the car do not satisfy the curiosity of many.

Although brought in to prop up Z4 sales and originally a project put on hiatus when the E85 was in development. BMW brought forward the Z4 Coupe as a more performance focused model than the roadster.
Because of the introduction of the Coupe , Z4 sales increased and with the Z4 Coupe proved as a successful product for BMW, that BMW have green-lighted a Coupe version for production.

With the new Z4 Coupe BMW will focus more on the performance and the handling of the car and the new Z4 Coupe will seperate from it's Roadster brother by being stiffer and lower with certain design features to differentate the Coupe from the Roadster with a ower roof line and glasshouse, different shaped and larger air intakes , rear diffuser and ducktail spoiler , The overall look is more a traditional coupe with out looking like a two door hatch.

Like the current Z4 Coupe (or the previous) The car will only be offered with top end six cylinder highly efficient powerplants that ensure it's looks live up to it's potential.
With the new Z4 offering the new sDrive technology even a Roadster like the new E89 offers a new radical driving experience for a BMW Roadster and with engineers testing a fixed roof Z4 (Black tape and tubing made sure it looked like a hardtop) ensured that the fixed roof model with a much more stiffer structure benefitted the Coupe prototype greatly.
There is still much to do for the Coupe to completely seperate it from it's Roadster brother to offer a seperate identity and ensure the new Z4 Coupe stands out in terms of design , dynamics and performance.

A feasibility programme into the investigation of an M model for the Coupe only has also begun with the project now being treated with priority now the CS programme has been cancelled .
If approved and M model of the Z4 Coupe will possibly inherit the V8 from the M3 and usual M features such as Carbon Fibre roof.

With the economy in freefall and the lapse of vanity projects BMW are aiming the Z4 to be a return to back to basics small sporty cars instead of overcostly vanity projects. With the new Z4 being based off the 3er platform the economies of scale are greatly in BMW's favour to develop many key models off both the 1er and 3er Platform.
Also dubbed to appear is the introduction of the BMW Intro roadster badged as Z2.

With Z2 BMW are aiming at the compact Roadster class and possibly a Z2 Coupe could feature aswell. BMW's big push for a Compact Roadster is simple under Efficient Dynamics BMW aim for the Z2 Roadster to be the first hybrid BMW Roadster in production utilising BMW eDrive with BMW wanting to continue with what has started with the MINI-E and continue towards the BMW brand and eventually over to Rolls Royce.

With the MINI-E testing programme about to begin , MINI-E will be a good testing ground as BMW furthers and progresses the technology to suit upcoming ideas that is the innovativeness of Project-i .
Project-i is not one solution but many all destined to feature on the BMW's of tomorrow.

What that has to do with "future of mobility"?

I though there's new ground breaking safety and efficient systems by BMW to go against MB's newly announced ones

good news there
z2 is not dead

Yeah, but who is to say what's true and what's not?

Everything said is extremely vague, OR completely logical: A Z4 M coupé that will possibly get the M3 V8......well DUH!!!! What else would they give it? An 1.6 Mini engine?

Z4 coupé is no news either. Every BMW fan could have thought of that. In particular now that the roadster is getting a fat heavy hardtop.

And the economy going down? BMW focussing more on 1er and 3er like models???? WHOA!!! Who would have thought! Brilliant!

^You are being so harsh on BMW klier

Why??? I don't think I am actually

I was j/k hence ""

I totally agree with what u said

Great engine, it would surely compliment the Z4

Well, I think what Scotty is saying makes a lot of sense. The tubby Z4 with it's "to heavy to be sporty" roof will prove to be a perfect starting point for BMW:s reasonalbe sportscar venture.

From what we have been told there are a couple of sports oriented models on their way and this seems to be an indication on where we are going. The Z4 coupe (together with the 1-series and 3-series) seems like an ideal product for the Tii badge...

Hehehe...Dr It's a great engine indeed, but I much prefer the M V8 in the Z4, lol

Why not the TT V8 engine from X6 M?

Oh for heaven's sake! Leave the man alone.

Take your genius and your insight and post it on Autolies.

Predicting is completely different from knowing. Scott is giving information - some of it may not actually come to fruition! - but that doesn't make it any less valuable if it's an indication of the thinking going on at BMW.

If any of you know better than this man then say so and have the wherewithal to back yourself up. Otherwise, read, interpret and have the brains to choose what you're going to take out of the information provided.

You wanna get all bitchy about a car not making the release date or not pitching up at the Timbuktu auto show? Try working in IT. That industry is patently famous for delaying the launch of Version 2007 Release Echo Delta until November 2008.

I'm sick of it. Every time we get a post from this person, it's like a license for all and sundry to call out, contest and dismiss instead of getting involved in meaningful discussion around the content and plausibility of the information.

Was the inclusion of the S65 V8 in the E89 that much of a foregone conclusion? Who here knew for a fact that BMW would see fit to do the V8 instead of taking an Efficient Dynamics approach using the N54?

People have forgotten their manners and common courtesy in this place. That's the fundamental issue at hand here...

Once again - we've gone and cocked up a perfectly good thread here by contesting the value of the information at hand. This person gives us an opportunity to engage in discussion using the information provided; the quality and contribution of subsequent sharing and debate enhances the outright quality of the thread.

Good quality threads = good quality forum = more credibility as a site / community.

The better our reputation the better the chances of getting the info first hand from the various manufacturers and the more we'll grow in knowledge as individuals.

Thanks Martinbo! That had to be said.

Now, I'm no fan of cleaning threads but if someone could do a "S-class thread style" wipe, that would be great.

Good suggestion Dr Dunkel...

I would however like my post to remain in some form of thread for people to see. But yes, in the interests of re-stimulating this important thread, I believe a quick little clean up of the negativity is needed.

Yeah, it is amazing how people I never see usually post crawl out of the wood work every time Scott makes a post. I wonder how many of those are usual people making alternative accounts for lack of balls.

Martin: The link to that post goes in my signature if you don't mind.

mofomat, your posts from this thread are deleted.

You and me already had this kind of conversation and i won't repeat myself, only this: if you don't like what Scott is saying, ignore it and do not post because we've discussed about Scott thousand times so far and hearing from you and some other members like everything Scott says is BS, crap, lie, nonsense and so on is something that i'm personally sick of and obviously many other members too.

End of the story.

This thread isnt about Scott and if we can believe in him or not. Another post about Scotts credibility and it will be deleted. Hate me if you want but this is what going to happen. No mercy will be shown, it ends now.

Scott, what is the typical duration for such a feasibility programme?