BMW Z4 Coupe
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World Debut at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show
A genuine pacemaker for the sports car aficionado in every respect: At the 61st International Motor Show in Frankfurt BMW is proudly presenting the Concept Version of a closed sports car which gives dreams a name: the BMW Z4 Coupé.
Glistening silken-matt like a powerful sculpture made of solid aluminium, the Z4 Coupé fascinates the beholder, emanating a flair of true power and agility. Indeed, this car, one of the most exciting world debuts at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, clearly bears out the motto this year’s event, the largest of its kind in the world: the Thrill of Motoring.
The Z4 Coupé Concept Car makes the heart of the sports car enthusiast quite literally skip a beat, right from the start whetting your appetite to go out there on the road: extremely driver-oriented in every respect and designed without the slightest compromise for agility and dynamic performance, the Z4 Coupé appeals to all your emotions. This is the kind of car only BMW engineers and designers could create, a two-seater to which they have given all their passion. So creating this unique car, BMW is once again setting new trends in design, motoring concepts and technology – trends which later will be found again in series production.
The World’s Most Advanced Six-Cylinder is Waiting for the Signal To Go.
The long and sleek engine compartment lid, the passenger cell moved far to the rear, as well as short overhangs front and rear, through their specific proportions, clearly visualise those outstanding attributes typical of BMW: A longitudinally mounted straight-six power unit developing its superior muscle beneath the bonnet and conveying its power for supreme driving dynamics to the rear axle. In conjunction with the long wheelbase and, as a result, the emphasis on the rear end of the car with its centre of gravity visibly moved to the rear, this muscular Coupé looks as if it is about to pounce and take off even when regarded at a standstill.
The Concept Car is powered by BMW’s 3.0-litre straight-six already lauded by a number of the most renowned international awards – an engine which has become a genuine icon marking BMW’s leadership in innovation in engine technology. In its latest generation with a composite magnesium/aluminium crankcase, VALVETRONIC valve control, and numerous other technical innovations, this six-cylinder is definitely one of the most advanced power units in the world in general and in its segment in particular. At the same time it marks the pinnacle in output and performance: Developing 65 kW or 88 hp per litre, BMW’s three-litre offers the highest level of specific output in its class. And as the world’s lightest six-cylinder with a power-to-weight ratio of 1.18 kW or 1.60 hp/kilogram, it also offers the highest standard of relative performance.
Maximum output is 195 kW/265 hp at 6,650 rpm, peak torque of 315 Nm or 232 lb-ft comes consistently between 2,500 and 4,000 rpm.
Boasting rear-wheel drive unparalleled in its qualities on a sports car and, as a result, smooth and precise steering unmarred by drive forces, perfectly balanced axle load distribution, short body overhangs, and a long wheelbase, the BMW Z4 Coupé has all the attributes required for sheer driving pleasure of the highest calibre.
BMW’s Answer to a Growing Market Segment.
Like all of BMW’s concept cars, the Z4 Coupé is a unique, one-off creation. But its outstanding performance and the fact that demand for high-profile premium sports cars is consistently increasing, provides a lot of food for thought and the input for a very tempting story: to give the successful BMW Z4 Roadster a fixed roof “brother” as a further member of the “Team”.
All the Performance of a Thoroughbred Sports Car.
The BMW Z4 Coupé Concept Car is a one-off creation and is not intended for everyday use. But in a subsequent production series, this outstanding sports car might well become one of the fastest and most dynamic driving machines on the road, its final drive ratio again shorter than in the Z4 Roadster allowing even better acceleration.
Benefiting from BMW Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), enhanced Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Electrical Power Steering (EPS) and a high-performance brake system, the driver is able at all times to use all the power and performance of his – or her – Z4 Coupé for optimum driving dynamics, enjoying equally outstanding safety in the process.
The foundation for this superiority is provided by body stiffness of the highest calibre compared with similar sports cars, not only ensuring supreme driving dynamics, but also contributing significantly to a standard of crash safety quite unusual for a sports car.
Familiar but New – Traditional and Visionary Design Features.
In a style typical of BMW, the Z4 Coupé Concept Car combines traditional and visionary design features characteristic of the BMW brand. Indeed, it is this synthesis of tradition and the future – one of the principles of BMW’s design philosophy, which makes the design of the car so authentic, trendsetting and characteristic of the brand.
The fascinating aesthetic looks of the Z4 Coupé take up the modern, expressive design language of the BMW Z4 Roadster with its dynamic interaction of convex and concave surfaces. Combined with the proportions of a classic Coupé, the sporting but elegant Concept Car is a truly outstanding, extravagant and – visually and technically – challenging sports car in every respect.
A Unique Coupé Based on the Successful BMW Z4 Roadster.
The Coupé is based on the body and overall layout of the BMW Z4 Roadster and is characterised by the Roadster’s purebred proportions and expressive design language. But at the same time BMW’s designers have done much more than just put a roof on the car: They have created a Coupé with perfect dimensions and all-round balance, a car which, with its typically flowing roofline, is sleek and dynamic in its looks while at the same time exuding the unique flair of sporting elegance.
Without interruption, the A-pillar extends through the roof in a soft curve all the way to the rear end, where it merges with the surrounding areas. In the middle of the roof the Coupé boasts the characteristic recess so typical of many classic sports cars, giving the car an extremely flat and low-slung appearance.
The frameless side windows also emphasising the overall look of this dynamic sports car are also typical of a Coupé. The seam coming from the rear lid extends discreetly along the rear windows and then merges into the car’s sill line, thus maintaining the sporting window graphics of the rear side windows with that typical Hofmeister “kick” even with the rear lid open. The luggage compartment, in turn, is large and spacious for a sports car, offering all the room, for example, for two large golf bags beneath the rear lid opening up wide to a high angle.
Glacier Silver paintwork developed exclusively for this Concept Car gives the Coupé the silken-matt gloss of a sculpture made of solid aluminium. Through its cool, metallic look, the paintwork adds a further touch of strength and timeless value to this unique sports car.
Nineteen-inch aluminium wheels in three-dimensional appearance and standing out from the car’s body paint in particular through their dark finish accentuate the overall impression of power and concentration. Clearly, these wheels are made exclusively for this Concept Car in elaborate casting technology.
The close link between the BMW Z4 Coupé and the Z4 Roadster is also reflected by the striking lines in the side walls with their interacting convex and concave surfaces. The muscular-looking shoulder line of the car, in turn, visibly connects the two wheel arches with one another. The door sill line, finally, rises up dynamically towards the rear axle of the car, optical extension of the A-pillar setting a visual counter-point particularly in conjunction with the side air scoop integrating the side direction indicator beneath the BMW logo also on the Coupé.
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2006 BMW Z4 Concept Coupe
