More news on BMW's Z8 successor

[CF-Mike]

It looks like BMW is moving forward, albeit at a leisurely pace, with plans for a successor to its discontinued Z8. According to InsideLine, engineering studies are underway for a more "mass-market" roadster, likely to be tagged the Z6, and targeted at the Mercedes-Benz SL.

Apparently, the Z6 concept has its roots in the California Spyder design study (shown above) unveiled at the Design Los Angeles exhibit at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. Developed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, the California Spyder was conceived as combining BMW driving dynamics with luxury and presence suitable for the L.A. scene. The concept included a folding carbon-fiber roof, and apparently a folding hardtop is still considered an attractive possibility, although we're guessing that a metal version is more likely than carbon-fiber.

The Spyder was envisioned as being powered by the 3-liter V10 used in BMW's last-generation Formula 1 car, but a production version is likely to draw upon BMW's current road-car engine portfolio, with the possibility of an M-series Z6 driven by the M5's 5-liter V10.

[Source: InsideLine & Autoblog]

[Blown_SC]

Cool concept... will be nice to see a finished product to make further judgement...

[TurboREX]

Mystery BMW "Z29" unveiled

BMW has apparently put together a prototype lightweight coupe called the Z29. Based on the Z4, the car is said to weight just over 2,500 pounds. It features the same engine as the Z4 M and M3, and is built of aluminum and carbon fiber. 0-62 mph takes around three seconds. Further details remain very sparse, and it's not clear if the car is a project between BMW and a tuner, or if hints to a forthcoming model.

From leftlanenews.com: http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/08/...-z29-unveiled/

Comment from "BMW Insider":



This prototype was built by BMW Technik - a part of BMW R&D department - for testing lightweight solutions. As seen on the blue-print the front of body structure is made from alu alloy (grey), and the rest from carbon fibre (blue).

The car will never make into production since it is just a working prototype and therfore its design is irrelevant.

Btw, "Zxx" cars have been Technik's prototypes for a long times.

Regarding the alu-CF ody structure: the solution is not ready yet for production since the structure is still unstable and did not pass crash tests, but BMW engineers are working on the problem.

So sometimes in the not so distant future … Maybe even in the new Z8: expect some CF body structure parts.

[lumpunzik]

Nice, but no mirror designs yet?

[blah]

nice, but i'd like to see it in a lighter color. black hides a lot, at least in pictures it does

[turbodreamswrx]

sick, I wish my car came with gull wings

[blah]

i was going to say that those aren't gullwings, but then i looked and saw that people also call lambo doors gullwing doors. doesn't make sense to me since the merc had em first...