It is no longer a question that the luxury German automaker that is based in Bavaria, Germany, BMW, is working on the successor to the company’s Z4 roadster. Well, the next generation convertible German sports car will allegedly make its world debut in the oncoming 2017. However, before 2017 actually approaches, a rendering of the vehicle has emerged onto the World Wide Web.
Rumored to bear the Z5 moniker, the next BMW open top roadster is reportedly developed by BMW in collaboration with the Japanese automaker, Toyota. The Japanese company actually claimed to Bloomberg sometime last year that both companies had actually completed the technical feasibility study of the model. Of course, this could only mean that a physical example of the car has actually come to life, most likely in a concept version. Rumor has it, the car is going to benefit from a carbon fiber tub which actually originates from the German automaker’s i3 and i8 vehicle lineups.
However, there is one quite unfortunate thing to anticipate. It is said that the BMW Z4 successor is not going to feature a metal retractable roof. Unlike before, the car is going to sport a retractable soft top instead, it is reported. One thing about a soft top is that it can easily be torn. In fact, this has happened to a number of people who own a roadster with a soft top. Thankfully, if the soft top proves to be a deal breaker, customers can opt for a coupe version, which will allegedly be available as well.
The BMW Z5 is believed to offer a 2.0L 4-cylinder petrol engine with turbocharger. The power output of the car is believed to range somewhere from 190 to 425 bhp in total. Of course, since the car is a result of the collaboration between BMW and Toyota, there is also going to be a Toyota version of it. For the Toyota version, customers will reportedly have to pay more money than they would the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette. The latter is available for $54,995.
