BMW wants Z4 replacement before 2020

BMW Z5 / BMW Toyota sports car rendering / Automedia

Co-developed with Toyota

BMW has announced intentions to introduce a Z4 successor
before the end of the decade.

Speaking with

Automotive
News Europe

at the Geneva Motor Show, BMW head of development Klaus Fr hlich
expressed his desire to launch a replacement for the Z4 within the next five
years, acknowledging the company could share development costs with Toyota as
part of the ongoing collaboration between the two.

Fr hlich went on to specify the segment for
two-seater roadsters is shrinking and that the world's largest car market,
China, is "not interested in roadsters." As a consequence, a Z4 successor is
not high on BMW's list of priorities since such as model would only bring
modest sales especially if we take into account that last year the Bavarian
marque sold only 5,300 units (down by 11 percent) of the Z4 in Europe and 2,150 cars (down
by 13 percent) in United States.

According to the latest

gossip

,
the co-developed sportscar will use the Z5 moniker for BMW's version and has
reached conceptual phase. It will allegedly use a carbon fiber tub just like
the i3 & i8 duo and will adopt a conventional soft top but could possibly
spawn a fixed roof coupe version later during its lifespan. If all goes according to plan, the BMW Z5 and
Toyota's version will be out around 2017.

Note: Unofficial BMW Z5 render pictured.