Monterey

BMW Concept Z4 convertible | Bavarian beauty debuts at Pebble Beach

Photos from the reveal during Monterey Car Week preview the next-generation Z4 currently being tested.

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For more than a year, we've seen teasers and spy shots of the next-generation BMW Z4 convertible. Beyond sharing a platform with the new Toyota Supra, details have remained scarce. At this week's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, BMW will debut the new Concept Z4, a design study that previews the next generation of compact BMW convertibles.

Simply put, the Concept Z4 is long, low and wide and contains just about every modern BMW styling characteristic and flourish. The aggressive forward-canted grille packs kidney beans large enough to mince any wandering roadside animal. The requisite quad headlights are stacked rather than side-by-side. The angular lower air dam is reminiscent of every M or M-Sport BMW model currently available. The slim LED taillights flow up at the edges, just like on BMW's current range of cars.

The long wheelbase and short overhangs give the Concept Z4 a sharp profile. The silver humps from the roll bar descending from the headrests down into the bodywork are particularly striking, recalling open-top racecars of the past. The slim mirrors accent those bars in the same shade of silver. The fenders feature large air outlets, with the top edge following past the hood over the door and up over the car. The whole thing creates a deep, muscular shadow along the flank.

Inside, the Concept Z4 is a futuristic take on the traditional driver-oriented BMW cockpit. Everything is canted toward the driver, with a slim air vent the only real piece of trim on the passenger side. The iDrive controller is still there, but most of the buttons and knobs have been changed. The shifter and steering wheel are also unique to the concept. The biggest change may be to the instrument cluster. For decades, BMWs have traditionally featured two large round gauges flanked by smaller readouts. This squares off those gauges, though the tach and speedo are still front and center.

Most of this will, of course, be toned down for the production version. As we've seen in photos, the interior will be straight from the current BMW parts bin. The styling, too, will be far less aggressive, though we're still hoping for some classic BMW 507 styling queues. Look for the production Z4 to make a full debut sometime in the next year.

The BMW 8 Series concept, which was fully revealed back in May, will also be on display at Pebble in its North American debut.

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