Details on the joint-venture between both BMW and Toyota, for their upcoming sports cars, have been tight so far. Neither brand is willing to give out much, if any, information and both remain tight-lipped. However, details are starting to trickle out and we’re getting a better understanding of what this joint-venture sports car will be like.
Here’s what we know so far. We know that the BMW Z4 successor will still be called the Z4 and will be built with a chassis designation of G29. Toyota’s Supra will be built on the chassis code G29. We also know that the Z4 will lost its folding metal roof in favor of a lighter, more traditional soft-top. Both cars will be rear-wheel drive only and the Z4 will be powered by either a B48 2.0 liter engine or a B58 3.0 liter engine, depending on the model. The former engine will be in the Z4 sDrive30i and the latter in the Z4 M40i.
While we can’t be certain, we’ve recently heard rumors of the Toyota Supra using both a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, in base models, and a twin-turbo V6 engine in the higher end models. Neither will be a BMW engine, however.
We’re also hearing of a possible plug-in hybrid variant for both cars, which means both will likely share transmissions. This also likely rules out the manual transmission option for both cars. Hopefully, that’s not the case as BMW roadsters have a long tradition of being manual. But so does the M5 and look how that turned out.
Both the BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra will be built in Graz, Austria, by Magna-Steyr. This is the same plant that built the recently-deceased MINI Paceman and Coupe. The Countryman was also built there but has moved shop to the Netherlands.
We’re very excited about the upcoming Z4 roadster, as it seems to have great promise. Built using new-found chassis know-how from BMW and Toyota, the Z4 will be lighter, tighter and more dynamic. It will also have great engines and should get back to that old-school BMW roadster style. The current BMW Z4 is getting very old and in dire need of a replacement. This new model, despite being built alongside Toyota, should be an excellent replacement.
We’ll keep you posed with more updates as we get them.
[Source: Car and Driver]
