Snow-packed roads and frozen lakes are not what you would call a "natural habitat" for convertible sports cars, but that doesn't mean BMW doesn't test the heck out of them under winter conditions. Spy photographers recently snapped shots of two soon-to-be-released two-seaters undergoing winter testing: the replacement for the BMW Z4 and the mysterious i8 plug-in hybrid roadster.
The BMW Z-whatever-they-end-up-calling it—Z4 or Z5—is seen still with some camouflage and driving in tandem with a close relative. The Z's driving buddy is most likely the sports coupe for which Toyota is rumored to be resurrecting the Supra badge. BMW and Toyota have been partners for more than three years in a joint development project designed to produce two cars—a sports coupe for Toyota and a roadster for BMW. From these pictures, it appears that's exactly what they've done.
The other two-seater caught frolicking in the snow is the BMW i8, which might be called a roadster or it might be called a spyder. We will have to wait until closer to its official launch before we learn what BMW will call it.
Ever since BMW CEO Harald Krüger announced last year that the company's halo car—the i8—would get a roadster sibling, speculation ran rampant as to what kind of roof it would have. From these spy shots, it would appear to be a very small one—possibly manually attached and detached—which is logical given the lack of interior and trunk space in BMW's exotic plug-in hybrid.
It's hard to see the back seat in the i8 in these photos, and we're guessing that's because there isn't one. Perhaps that's where the roof will be stowed since the "trunk" is probably not large enough anyway.
Luggage room aside, the i8 roadster/spyder looks like it will be loads of driving fun on sunny days. With the roof on and with the flat rear window closer to the occupants, the carbon-fiber cocoon might seem much more intimate. All the better to becoming one with the car, especially if the car gets a rumored power bump. With the top off, there will be more room for the driver and passenger to wave back at all their fellow travelers gawking at the i8 and hanging out their windows to take videos. Yes, that will happen with the roadster version of the i8 just like the original. Maybe even more so.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of Autoguide, AutoAuthority, and Motor1.com.]
