German Car Zone

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?