The last BMW Z4 has rolled off the production line, marking the end of a two-generation, 14-year run for the Bavarian two-seater sports vehicle. The news of the Z4’s death comes not from BMW but rather the fan site Bimmer Today. That vehicle is expected to arrive as a 2018 model, so those looking for a BMW roadster will have to wait until at least late 2017.
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Over 115,000 units of the current generation vehicle have been built between 2009 and 2016, following from the previous generation Z4 built between 2002 and 2008, which itself took over from the Z3 line introduced in 1995. Zero to 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) flies by in just 4.5 seconds.
The Z4 never quite caught on like the Mercedes SLK or Porsche Boxster, and with both of those models receiving updates recently, the all-new Z4 successor will be necessary to stay competitive. The E89 is the second-generation of the Z4 and traces its lineage to the Z3 roadster that launched in 1995. BMW introduced the “N20” 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant in two different tunes as part of a 2011 refresh.
What engines the BMW Z5 will use is unconfirmed, but the new Supra is reportedly getting a twin-turbo V6 producing 400bhp or more and a similar unit could be offered for the BMW.
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The BMW is expected to be called the ‘Z5’ and should make its debut sometime late next year ahead of the Toyota version’s arrival in 2018 – which is widely tipped to revive the Supra nameplate. Sales in the USA were poor for the vehicle with only 1,829 sold in 2015 in the US.
