BMW vrea sa atace segmentul de piata al mazdei MX5 cu acest roadster. Mai mult ca sigur va aparea in 2010 la un pret sub 30.000$
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According to sources inside BMW, the German automaker plans to launch a roadster priced well below the current Z4, which starts at $36,295. Although the price has not been set, the new two-seat droptop, dubbed the Z2, is expected to occupy the sub-$30,000 roadster segment that is currently dominated by the Pontiac Solstice and Mazda MX-5. The successor to today’s Z4 will remain near $40,000 and will continue to compete against the Audi TT, Porsche Boxster, Nissan 350Z, and Chevrolet Corvette.
The upcoming bargain-basement two-seater will reportedly be based on the chassis and components of the current Z4, but it will measure a mere 151 inches in length, making it about 10 inches shorter than today’s Z4. Styling for the Z2 is in the process of being finalized, but we expect the diminutive roadster to have short overhangs and 19-inch wheels. Our artist’s rendering provides an idea of what BMW might have in store for its Solstice and MX-5 fighter.
Unlike today’s Z4, which is powered exclusively by six-cylinder engines, the Z2 will only get four-cylinder power. However, those engines will range in strength from 150 horsepower in base versions all the way to a turbocharged 300-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the M-tuned version. An expected curb weight of 2800 pounds should allow the Z2 to make the most of that power. Transmission choices will include a traditional manual and — surprise, surprise — a double-clutch gearbox similar to Volkswagen/Audi’s DSG. BMW plans on replacing its rough-shifting sequential manual gearboxes with smoother DSG-like transmissions before the end of the decade.
To keep costs down, a nearly identical chassis to today’s Z4 will underpin the Z2 — struts up front with a multilink setup in back — but there will be the option of adjustable shocks. The electric power-steering rack from the Z4 will also live on in the Z2, with optional variable-ratio active steering.
Set to go on sale in 2010, the made-in-America BMW Z2 should add some German flavor to a segment dominated by the Americans and Japanese.