BMW Lifts The Lid On Cool New Z4 Roadster

-Convertible makes debut at Pebble Beach with straight-six.

- John McIlroy

THIS is the all-new BMW Z4, and the sixth iteration of BMW Z car, which has been unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours event in the United States ahead of sales starting in spring 2019.

Codenamed G29, the new roadster has been developed in a joint project with Toyota. However, the two models to emerge from the shared process – the Z4 and the Japanese firm’s Supra – will be substantially different. BMW’s offering will be a convertible only; the Toyota will be sold as a coupé. Both will be built in the same factory in Austria; it was BMW that initially proposed the idea to Toyota to co-develop the two cars.

The Z4’s looks and proportions stick pretty closely to those previewed on a concept that was revealed at the same American event last year, although they have been slightly toned down. There’s a particularly short overhang at the front end, and a visible decrease in wheelbase compared with the outgoing Z4.