BMW Introduces Z4 M-Roadster and Updates Rest of Z4 Range Next Year
After denying its existence, or any plans to create it since the birth of the Z4, BMW has finally announced that it will in fact be
producing an M-Motorsport version of the two-seater roadster. Officially, the model will be christened the M-Roadster (not M4), and acts as the halo to an update of the Z4 lineup, come 2006.
The one question that must be asked - if BMW was so persistent about the vehicle not existing, why bother to release it now? Fierce competition and stagnant sales is the answer, and in short, it's what Munich's blue and white propeller is facing in the hotly contested, albeit somewhat slow roadster market segment. Let's face it, when reputations are on the line, particularly among one that
creates some of the world's finest driving machines, you cannot afford to fall behind, particularly against arch-rivals.
Given four years have elapsed since its launch, 2006 is just about right for a mid-life Z4 update. While there's no denying that BMW's roadster was a brilliant step forward from the slapdash Z3, which featured '80s E30 3-Series suspension components and lackluster powerplants (M-Roadster aside), the Z4, possibly due to its radical and therefore controversial styling, never managed to match up to the hype of its predecessor. An observant eye would have seen this update coming from a mile away, given the exhibition of the near production-ready Z4 Coupe Concept at Frankfurt, and now the M-Roadster variant.
After denying its existence, or any plans to create it since the birth of the Z4, BMW has finally announced that it will in fact be
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| After denying its existence, or any plans to create it since the birth of the Z4, BMW has finally announced that it will in fact be producing the Z4 M-Roadster. (Photo: BMW Canada) |
The one question that must be asked - if BMW was so persistent about the vehicle not existing, why bother to release it now? Fierce competition and stagnant sales is the answer, and in short, it's what Munich's blue and white propeller is facing in the hotly contested, albeit somewhat slow roadster market segment. Let's face it, when reputations are on the line, particularly among one that
 |
| The standard Z4 is updated for 2006 too. (Photo: BMW Canada) |
Given four years have elapsed since its launch, 2006 is just about right for a mid-life Z4 update. While there's no denying that BMW's roadster was a brilliant step forward from the slapdash Z3, which featured '80s E30 3-Series suspension components and lackluster powerplants (M-Roadster aside), the Z4, possibly due to its radical and therefore controversial styling, never managed to match up to the hype of its predecessor. An observant eye would have seen this update coming from a mile away, given the exhibition of the near production-ready Z4 Coupe Concept at Frankfurt, and now the M-Roadster variant.