The Z4 M Coupe, in particular, is an unashamed performance car as much at home on the race track as it is on the road," he continued. "This is not a car trying to be all things to all men."


Limited history

Very few roadster-based Coupes have been produced in BMW's history. Each car that has made it to production has been produced in very small numbers. The first, the 1940 BMW 328 Mille Miglia Coupe, is arguably BMWs most exclusive car with only two examples ever built, and both of these were for racing. The open-topped 328 was a limited production, high-performance sports car that was adapted for racing. Clothed in aluminium, each racing Coupe weighed less than 650kgs and developed 135bhp at 5,500rpm from the two-litre engine. This made the cars capable of speeds exceeding 130mph - a speed many modern day two-litre cars struggle to attain.  

Nearly 60 years passed before a car adopting the same principle arrived for a wider audience in the form of the BMW Z3 Coupe. The Z3 Roadster evolved into a coupe in 1998 and was launched in the UK with BMW M's 321hp powerplant. Many European markets offered 2.8i and 3.0i derivatives but, in the UK, M models satisfied purists' requirements. Combining an engine that delivered over 100bhp per litre with a very rigid yet compliant chassis, the Z3 M Coupe was considered an out-and-out driver's car. Its rarity and unusual styling gave it a unique place in the hearts' of sports car aficionados. It was a car many considered to be for those 'in the know'. In total, 17,815 cars were built before it ceased production in 2002.
 

BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia

The BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia connects the success of the 1940 328 Mille Miglia Coupe with the new Z4 Coupe. Unveiled prior to the 2006 Mille Miglia, the concept took pride of place as the entrants were scrutineered before to the event in Brescia, Italy on May 10 2006. 

While the styling unashamedly looks to the past, the modern, multi-award winning BMW six-cylinder engine from the Z4 M Coupe powered the car. Modifications were made to the inlet and exhaust systems of the 343 hp unit to give the concept car more of a 'racing' sound at both idle and full throttle.

The concept car's hinged hardtop roof was a reference to the relaxation of the racing car rules when closed vehicles became eligible to race. Similarly, the new Z4 Coupe is derived from the Z4 Roadster soft-top. The concept also benefits from an extremely lightweight chassis, with the aluminium and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic body 'stretched' over a lattice frame and painted in 'fine silver', a full-gloss paint with extremely fine pigments that recall classic silver race colours.



3. The new BMW Z4 Roadster and Z4 M Roadster

Nothing drives like a BMW 'M' car and no other roadster drives like a Z4. BMW's latest two-seat sportscar offers exhilarating performance and unparalleled point-to-point speed. Backed up by a stimulating aural sound-track, purity of design and a development process led by enthusiasts, the Z4 M Roadster signifies the best of BMW. The arrival of BMW's most powerful production compact roadster with its supreme on-road capability promises to make it one of the most desirable sports cars of 2006.

BMW has also moved the benchmark for two-seat open-top sports on with the addition of a revised non-M Z4, featuring new front and rear design, improved specification and new powerplants. Customers in the market for two-seat open-top motoring can now choose from ten Z4 models priced from Pounds Sterling 22,945 to Pounds Sterling 42,750 and with power outputs ranging from 150hp to 343hp.


Product highlights:
- New Sport models introduced
- World's fastest fully electrically-operated soft-top
- 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre cars powered by the world's lightest six-cylinder petrol engine
- 343hp 3.2-litre M Roadster engine, five-time International Engine of the Year awards category winner
- Dynamic Stability Control+ fitted on Z4 for first time

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