BMW has released a shadowy teaser image of a new open-top sports car concept set to debut on August 17 in Monterey, California.
The car is set to be the automaker’s star attraction at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance taking place on August 20.
The concept is thought to preview the new Z4 that BMW is developing alongside a new Toyota Supra. Other possibilities could be a preview of the upcoming i8 Roadster or more distant 8-Series Convertible, though the size and profile of the car in the teaser more closely resembles prototypes for the new Z4.
It was originally thought that the Z4 would be adopting a Z5 moniker as a mark of higher positioning, but Ludwig Willisch, the soon-to-be-retired Head of BMW Group Region Americas, told Autoguide in May that that wasn’t the case.
Teaser for BMW concept debuting at 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
“There will be a sports car, yes, but it’s not going to be a Z5,” Willisch is reported to have said. “It will be called Z… probably 4.”
Though yet to be confirmed, it’s thought the jointly developed BMW and Toyota sports cars will be built at a Magna-Steyr assembly plant in Austria. Sharing a production facility makes sense considering the low volumes of pricey sports cars.
2018 BMW Z4 spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
While there’s been talk of hybrid technology being used, BMW will likely forgo this to differentiate the Z4 from Toyota’s Supra successor which has also been spied and is expected to go the gasoline-electric route. Sadly, we’ve heard there’s no plan for a BMW M-tuned version.
While you await the concept’s debut, hit this link for more Pebble Beach Concours and Monterey Car Week coverage.
