BMW Z4 coupe concept unveiled, no plans for production

BMW has unveiled a one-off coupe version of the current Z4 roadster, inspired by the unconventionally-styled Z3 Coupe of the late 1990s.

German car-maker BMW has resurrected the spirit of the Z3 Coupe of the 1990s with a striking new concept vehicle called the Touring Coupé.

Unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, the two-seat concept aims to show how a modern-day coupe version of the current Z4 roadster may have appeared had it been granted production approval by BMW.

There are no plans to put the Touring Coupé concept into production, particularly as the Z4 convertible on which it is based is in the second half of its model cycle, with no successor on the way.

The Touring Coupé draws on design ideas first explored on the Z3 Coupe launched in 1998 – nicknamed the ‘clownshoe’ or ‘bread van’ for its hatchback-like rear-end design – and followed up by the sleeker Z4 Coupe introduced in 2006.

It retains the familiar styling of the latest Z4 roadster at the front, but adopts a “shooting brake” – a term often used to describe wagon-like versions of two-door coupes – silhouette at the rear for a unique look and improved practicality.

The new concept was developed by a team at BMW’s Munich-based design studio.

Among the Touring Coupé’s key exterior elements are new brushed aluminum-look ‘kidney’ front grilles with vertical louvres in place of the black plastic honeycomb mesh insert of the production Z4 roadster.

Further back, there’s a new windscreen surround and a hardtop roof with a deep central channel. It blend seamlessly with new rear three-quarter panels, forming wide rear pillars and substantial rear haunches.

Along the sides, there’s a new shape to the windows, while the waistline rises heavily and tapers inwards towards the rear.

The rear is distinguished by a shallow liftback-style tailgate. It sports a large spoiler intended to visually extend the roof, while the tailgate opens at bumper height to reveal a flat storage area.

The new concept also rides on unique 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels.

Inside, BMW has provided the Touring Coupé with a more luxurious cabin than the standard Z4 roadster.

Highlights include newly-upholstered tan leather seats with baseball mitt-style stitching. The same leather is used on the lower section of the dashboard, the centre console, and the luggage compartment at the rear.

BMW design team worked with the Schedoni leather workshop in Modena, Italy to create a custom-made luggage set consisting of two larger and one small weekend bags as well as a garment bag for the Touring Coupé.

BMW says it chose the Touring Coupe name for its new concept as a nod to the 328 Touring Coupé that won the 1600-kilometre Mille Miglia road race in Italy in 1940.

It also says the ‘shooting brake’ design recalls the 2002 Touring – the first modern-day BMW to receive the Touring name as a means of differentiating it from the 2002 sedan.

While the 2002 Touring was a three-door wagon, all modern BMW Touring models are traditional five-door wagons.

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