Spy photos of the next BMW Z4 Roadster have shown up fairly frequently in the last few months, but we haven't seen any shots of the car with the top down—until now. The roofless roadster was spotted recently not far from BMW headquarters in Munich, with the soft top stowed.
BMW has tantalized us with a silhouette of a concept roadster they will bring to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 17th. Almost everyone is assuming the concept will reveal styling similar to but not exactly like the upcoming G29 Z4. We will have to wait and see about that.
Meanwhile, the roadster in the spy photo still has fake body panels designed to conceal the production body. It also sports the same strange aerodynamic features seen in earlier spy photos of a Z4 on the Nürburgring's Nordschleife. Actually, it's the same Z4 unless BMW is using the same license plate for different test cars.
The weird aero includes double dive planes on the front fender, an odd strip on the rear wheel arch, and a strange chin spoiler.
We're betting the soft top folds into the trunk electrically. It's hard to see if the mechanism that locks the roof to the front windshield is automatic or manual.
BMW has been working with Toyota on the joint project that will result in a new Z4 for BMW and a new Supra for Toyota. Each will wear different bodies but may share drivetrain components, including a possible plug-in hybrid version.
If BMW's roadster tease announced for Pebble Beach will include a reveal of what the new Z4 will look like, fine. We're not sure that will happen. The concept roadster BMW will bring may only give us a taste, but not a full picture of the production Z4.
For the G29 Z4, a full reveal may come at next month's Frankfurt International Motor Show, or later in the year at the Los Angeles Show, or even not until next year.
Patience may be a virtue, but for BMW nuts waiting for a new model, patience is painful.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of AUTO GESPOT.]
