BMW Unlikely To Make M Version Of Upcoming Z4

If you're hoping for BMW to make a Z4 M, as they have in the past, the guys over at Car and Driver would advise you against holding your breath. While we have great hopes for this upcoming Toyota-BMW collaboration being driver-focused and tight as a drum on twisty tarmac, we also understand that the green light for any car comes down to the bottom line.

With rare exceptions of models like the Lexus LFA, such is the nature of the automotive business. In an interview with Car and Driver, BMW said that the business case for another Z4 M is too small to make it worth the effort. That doesn't mean that the Z4 will be slow as we know it; currently at the top of the known range of variants is the M40i model, which should pack a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-6 engine.

While not an outright denial, it does mean that the Z4 M is unlikely to be developed. That being said, Tetsuya Tada (the Chief Engineer for both the Toyota 86 and upcoming Supra) has nodded to old engines like the 2JZ being suitable powertrain replacements. A little pricey to buy a new car only to throw the engine out, but we know there are likely to be the odd enthusiasts out there who want to relive the golden age of Japanese performance cars.