[thumper]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--bzR7fsqc--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/nqdixvuto62up6pqugve.jpg
http://jalopnik.com/the-gorgeous-bmw-z4-concept-proves-the-sports-car-isn-t-1797931643

BMW broke all our hearts a little bit in 2014 when it said that the sports car market was dying. But with the whole Toyota-Supra partnership and now a sparkling new Z4 concept at Monterey Car Week, we feel some retribution coming for those hurtful words spoken in the past.

A full set of images of the new Z4 concept appeared online today, courtesy of BMW forum Bimmerfile, according to Autocar (at the time of this writing, Bimmerfile appears to have taken down the page). They show a tremendously sleek and sharp BMW roadster and I can hardly contain myself.

See, after BMW said that really horrible thing in 2014, it made me wonder how it could still possibly push the whole “the ultimate driving machine” motto with a straight face. Yes, this Z4 is still just a concept, but I find hope in its low stance, snarling front spoiler and high-mounted tail lights.

We need this. We need more two-seater roadsters in the world.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--9Tkzg4nq--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/jmwpnk6uu3dx40jx4ubv.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--EPzdhzJy--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/tlzc178yebge8hdhzonx.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tid6q7Tu--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/ftmbyulwhbm2jabzwfkm.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mKqIWykx--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/ubaux0lfsdavqf4vuvcz.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--uEZl9qZS--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/guewoi5bvxhmoifrb6sj.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--_zj4I-NX--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/tcren6avzd2nkcibttps.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--b6c-aBKy--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/ksxoadvjmotk8npiqydm.jpg

[320icar]

Gorgeous

http://images.memes.com/character/meme/dr-evil


Edit: jokes aside it has a lot of cool styling cues and would be cool to see in person

[The Producer]

cars without third pedals are literally proof that sports cars are dead :ilied:

[thumper]

cars without third pedals are literally proof that sports cars are dead :ilied:

do not despair? it is said that bmw will have a manual transmission optional for all the engine choices.

can't say the same for the supra variant however... :cry:

[donjalapeno]

Mismatching seats and a knock off front end of a F type = Gorgeous? and doesn't it have the underpinnings of a Toyota?

[thumper]

drivetrains are all bmw afaik. a bunch of 4 cylinders and a twin turbo inline six.

[underscore]

The front bumper and the mismatched passenger seat look a bit odd, but the rest of it looks pretty spectacular. The two-tone look of the dash and console is amazing.

[SpeedStars]

Is this going to be the BMW variant of the new supra or is that gonna be under a diff model?:considered:

[thumper]

from all the spy news the supra shares the same platform as the bmw (aka: Silk Road Project).

but the supra is a coupe whereas this is a convertible.

https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a7695be1e1ee42da53b6acf8b4bf36822359c96c2c6078d05f 8a61d8adb01a3d.png?w=600&h=360

all the powertrains are from bmw. the bmw is supposed to be released first on the market.

i'm not sure who is going to build it and where? anyone?

what sucks the most is that toyota will only come with an automatic :fulloffuck:

in other possibly related news, they said that toyota has applied for a patent for an electric supercharger... hm.

[yray]

LOL

I thought LOLVO came up with a electric supercharger already

[thumper]

LOL

I thought LOLVO came up with a electric supercharger already

this is what little i could find online:

The Toyota Supra or Lexus LC Could Get an Electric Supercharger » AutoGuide.com News (http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2017/03/the-toyota-supra-or-lexus-lc-could-get-an-electric-supercharger.html)

according to the above, the patent specifically is for specific bearing-related components for an electric supercharger... the other article did not mention this. my bad.

i wonder if this could all tie into some sort of hybrid-assist technology that was claimed for the supra long ago?

[underscore]

all the powertrains are from bmw. the bmw is supposed to be released first on the market.

:heckno: Why are all the new Toyota sports cars coming with the drivetrains made by other people? Part of why I would want a Toyota is their reliability, so why purchase one of their cars if I'm not getting that?

[AzNightmare]

Mismatching seats and a knock off front end of a F type = Gorgeous? and doesn't it have the underpinnings of a Toyota?

Maybe it's just for the concept. Pretty bold move if the mismatching styling make it through to production.

What's next? Wheels are black on one side, Gunmetal on the other side?

[thumper]

:heckno: Why are all the new Toyota sports cars coming with the drivetrains made by other people? Part of why I would want a Toyota is their reliability, so why purchase one of their cars if I'm not getting that?

my assumption was that toyota has no performance engines on the shelf, short of taking something from the lexus lineup, which they won't.

Maybe it's just for the concept. Pretty bold move if the mismatching styling make it through to production.

What's next? Wheels are black on one side, Gunmetal on the other side?

my first thought was that they might be trying to emulate how people put a single race seat for the driver and a stock seat for the passenger... but the designers will probably come up with a more exotic response :rolleyes:

[Funnel]

:heckno: Why are all the new Toyota sports cars coming with the drivetrains made by other people? Part of why I would want a Toyota is their reliability, so why purchase one of their cars if I'm not getting that?

I would guess it's hard to put performance, reliability, and low R&D cost all together. Look at LFA's MSRP and they claimed they are still losing money.

[thumper]

but the LFA was more of a halo car for lexus, and halo cars are always money losers (eg. Porsche 959)?

depending on how this turns out, maybe our only last hope is the new MR2 that is supposedly next.

[AzNightmare]

my first thought was that they might be trying to emulate how people put a single race seat for the driver and a stock seat for the passenger... but the designers will probably come up with a more exotic response :rolleyes:

I can imagine people wanting to do seat swaps with one another, so someone that likes tan can get both seats tan and the other guy can get both seats black. :lol

[thumper]

https://youtu.be/aV7MYycIy6o

[twitchyzero]

if they can make the kidney grille smaller and less nostril-like for production, this will be a very good-looking roadster....i hope they keep the 2-toned seats/dashboard...it's very well-done, at least in this colour

now let's see the Z4M and Toyota variant!

[RE-Jo]

If only this was a BMW/Honda collaboration! I can totally see a new S2000 in the side profile

[twitchyzero]

nice interior & tech...always a fan of frozen grey too

US/CDM gets 40 more horses...automatics for all!

I believe it's Austria-built like the new Supra it shares the platform with

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXYqKKhHTNE