We've known this was coming for a while, but now it's official: The BMW Z4 has rolled off the production line for the last time at Magna's plant in Graz, Austria. It brings an end to a model run that started in 2002 as the successor to the Z3. With the Z4 gone, BMW is down to just one convertible model line with a retractable soft top: the 4 Series. Convertibles have never been a huge part of the market, but it's still a bit sad to see another one disappear.
Over the years, BMW's Z lineup has had a pretty interesting evolution. It all started with the original Z1, launched in 1991 and remembered mostly for its wild doors that slid down into the bodywork. That clever (and dramatic) feature disappeared with the arrival of the Z3 in 1995, which was bigger, more powerful, and eventually offered with up to 225 horsepower in the hardcore Z3 M. BMW also gave it a quirky coupe variant—basically a tiny two-seat shooting brake that later became something of a cult favorite.
View Price on AmazonThe first-generation BMW Z4 (E85/E86) arrived in 2003, followed by the E89 in 2009 and the current G29 in 2018. Across those three generations, the Z4 was offered not only as a roadster, but at times as a coupe as well, including high-performance M versions with up to 343 horsepower. While the first two generations of the BMW Z4 were closely related in both design and engineering—both heavily based on the BMW 3 Series—the third generation took things in a very different direction. The latest Z4 shares its platform and engines with the Toyota Supra, although the BMW remained exclusively available as a roadster.
The hardcore full-fledged M version disappeared this time around, but performance was never really lacking. The lineup offered three engine options, topped by a 3.0-liter inline-six producing 340 horsepower. Now the big question is whether the Z4 will get a successor. BMW isn’t saying much, and there’s been no official word from Munich so far. Given today’s market conditions, the company may simply decide to put the Z family on hold for a while. What we do know is that Toyota is already working on a new Supra, so another partnership between the two brands definitely isn’t out of the question.
Source: motor1.com
