Will BMW Z4 Convertible Reach The Parts That Its Predecessor Did Not!

The new BMW Z4 convertible seeks to reach the parts that its predecessor did not.

- Pablo Chaterji

What if I told you that the new BMW Z4 is also a…Toyota? A German company famed for building the ultimate driving machines and a Japanese firm renowned for their ultra-reliable, value-for-money offerings have something in common? Surely not, you would think — but you would be wrong. You see, Toyota used to make a legendary sportscar called the Supra, and it wanted to resurrect that badge. BMW discontinued its own Z4 a few years ago, and it too was thinking about bringing that model back. Toyota was on the lookout for a partner, in order to reduce costs; BMW had an excellent 6-cylinder engine available and also wanted to save some money. The upshot was that the companies met, BMW offered the engine (plus the gearbox, chassis and electronics), and the two shook hands and then went their separate ways to interpret these components in the way each saw it fit.