End of BMW Z4 Production Paves Way for Toyota-BMW Joint Sports Car

After seven years of production, BMW quietly snuffed out the Z4 roadster from its lineup. According to a report from Bimmer Today, on August 22, a Valencia Orange Metallic Z4 sDrive35is left the Regensburg plant as the final example of BMW’s once-popular roadster.

The first generation of Z4 proved popular, but the second-gen model didn’t maintain the same momentum. During its production run, a little more than 113,000 were produced globally, and the U.S. sales were rather dismal. In 2015, BMW only sold 1,829 Z4s while Mercedes moved 4,182 SLKs.

This lack of popularity wasn’t due to a lack of performance, however. The Z4 was the only model to still pack power from the single-turbo N54 inline-six. In range-topping 35is spec, the 3.0-liter pumped out 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque, enough to shuffle the Z4 to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

Fans need not pout for too long, as BMW has consistently made moves toward a successor in the near future. The joint venture between Toyota and BMW has yet to bear fruit, but we expect to see a Z4 successor based on the bones of the upcoming Toyota-BMW Supra joint sports car. Again, no concrete details have surfaced, but we’ve heard reports ranging from classic turbocharged inline-six-cylinder power to a new hybrid drivetrain. The Supra/Z5 will most likely be built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.

Source: Bimmer Today

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