The BMW Z4 will remain as the brand's only open-top sports car, at least for a while.
Change was inevitable when Harald Krüger took over in May as chairman of the BMW AG Board of Management—and if reports are true, one of the first changes he made canceled the Z2 program.
Designed as an entry-level sports car to compete with the best-selling Mazda MX-5, the Z2 would have been slotted beneath the BMW Z4, which is now well into its second generation. Unfortunately, these are not good times for roadsters, especially in the premium sector. Sales are down and the industry is trending more toward larger sport utility vehicles and crossovers.
Notwithstanding competition for sports car sales outside of the company, there was also competition from within. BMW Group reportedly greenlighted the Mini Superleggera, which would be about the same size and probably built on the same platform using the same range of engines. Undoubtedly, having both in the catalog would affect sales.
While Mini fans are used to front-wheel drive, BMW enthusiasts are not. A Z2 roadster built on the UKL platform would be front-wheel drive. This might turn off true believers and probably tick off the segment of BMW fans who believe there are already too many BMW models available.
The BMW Z4 is well into its production lifespan, having been introduced in 2009. Normally, a BMW serves for seven model years, which would have us expecting a Z4 replacement by 2017. But earlier this year, BMW gave us the impression it might not field a Z4 replacement before the end of the decade.
Then there is the BMW-Toyota partnership, which has been underway for some years. One of the rumored products of the cooperation would be a replacement for the Z4. Well, we haven’t seen one yet, and we also haven’t seen whatever Toyota model would be born out of this alliance.
BMW has “refreshed” the E89 Z4 over the years, with new engine choices and subtle styling changes. Its lines are now considered classic and it still looks great. To spice things up a bit, BMW announced that Estoril Blue Metallic—a BMW Individual color—would be available on Z4’s ordered with the M Sport package starting in July.
There was a 36-year gap between the last BMW 507 roadster in 1959 and the first BMW Z3 in 1995. Let’s hope for the sake of roadster fans that there is a successor to the Z4 without a gap of any size, let alone 36 years. Meanwhile, doesn’t that Estoril Blue Metallic look great?—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
