The upcoming BMW roadster that’s being developed in co-operation with Toyota will not be called the Z5, according to a BMW executive.
It was widely expected that the new roadster, which shares a platform with the new Toyota Supra, would wear the Z5 badge in the same fashion as its predecessors were called Z3 and Z4.
However, BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch told Autoguide that the car could instead simply inherit the same Z4 name as the last-generation BMW roadster.
He said: “There will be a sports car, yes, but it’s not going to be a Z5. That’s something that someone else has made up. It will be called Z… probably 4. I would call it a Z4.”
Other than that it’s being built using the same platform as the upcoming Supra, there’s precious little know about the exact details of BMW’s Z-probably-4.
Willisch’s statements implied that the roadster could be powered by a straight-six engine and that it will be available with an automatic gearbox, but that’s all the exec was giving away.
Whatever it is and whatever it’s called, the car is expected to be unveiled later this year and go on sale early in 2018, with prices estimated to start from around £70,000.
