Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Specific discussion about the E89 2009 Z4 (sDrive35is, sDrive35i, sDrive30i, sDrive23i)
User avatar
shotbybothsides
Member
Member
Posts: 184
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:43 pm

Re: Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by shotbybothsides » Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:50 am

BackBlade wrote: What caught my attention: BMW apparently only sold about 7500 Z4s last year.
That's interesting, not many more than Ferrari, I like that.

Z4Rick
Member
Member
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2016 4:08 pm

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by Z4Rick » Wed May 04, 2016 3:36 pm

BackBlade wrote:Just saw this article in automotive news: BMW hopes to replace Z4 before 2020

http://www.autonews.com/article/2015030 ... efore-2020

What caught my attention: BMW apparently only sold about 7500 Z4s last year. Also, convertibles are subject to consumer trends, which do not seem to be favorable right now.

Excellent article and worth, (IMO), pasting here:

"March 9, 2015 @ 12:01 am
BMW Z4 sales declined by 11% to about 5,300 in Europe last year. U.S. sales fell 13% to 2,150 Z4s.
GENEVA -- BMW hopes to launch a successor to the Z4 roadster before the end of the decade, the automaker’s chief engineer told Automotive News Europe during the Geneva auto show last week.

Development costs could be shared with Toyota as part of the automakers’ cooperation, which includes a common sports car architecture, collaboration on powertrain electrification and pooling of r&d on lightweight technologies.

BMW is seeking a cost-effective way to update the car as global demand for two-seat roadsters and coupe drops because of dwindling customer demand.

“If you look at the volume … we have to realize that these segments are shrinking,” said Klaus Froehlich, BMW's new head of r&d, adding that the body type is not popular in the world’s largest market.

“[Car buyers in China] are not interested in roadsters,” said Froehlich, who was named development chief at BMW last December after Herbert Diess left the company. Diess will take over as Volkswagen brand CEO in July.

In China, car buyers favor privacy, which would be compromised when driving with an open top. Also, poor air quality is a major problem in many of the country's cities.

In Europe, roadsters are typically a second or third car in a household, but since the region has suffered for year from a weak economy fewer people have had the means to invest in something that is non-essential.

Z4 sales declined by 11 percent to about 5,300 cars in Europe last year, according to data from JATO Dynamics. BMW said it U.S. volumes for the Z4 fell 13 percent to 2,150 cars. Typically the three biggest markets for the segment are the U.S., UK and Germany, in that order, Froehlich added.

As a result, priority to develop a newer version of the current second-generation Z4, which replaced its predecessor in 2009 after nearly seven years on the market, appears not to be high relative to other models in the brand’s pipeline.

“I would like to see a Z4 successor in this decade,” the BMW development chief said when asked about the timing of the Z4’s replacement.

Last year, BMW rival Audi scaled back its sales expectations for its latest TT as a result of shrinking overall demand in the segment.

While Audi sold 250,000 units each of the first- the second-generation TTs, sources at the automaker have said it is not realistic to expect the third-generation model to achieve the same. Instead they are hoping to increase the TT’s share of the segment.

Market researcher IHS Automotive has forecast peak output of about 40,000 to 42,000 units for the new TT coupe and roadster, compared with 56,000 units for the second-generation version.

In addition, Volkswagen said late last month that it will cease production of its Eos folding hardtop convertible by June at the latest."


These numbers help explain the discussion on this thread as well as this one:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=75028&start=150

Much of these trends in sales, (new and used), and falling prices on used vehicles has seen a substantial impact from two clear trends in recent years. They are opposite sides of the same coin. First, a weak global economy has fewer families comfortable enough financially to consider a somewhat frivolous car purchase. My Z is my third car - and the first "Third" car I have ever owned. But I am ten years into retirement from a solid career - NOT the typical 'demographic' a sports car builder would appeal to! Secondly is that demographic story. As the baby-boom has matured and their (numerous) children assume peak earning years, many "Millennials" find themselves behind the pace they hoped for, due in large part to that weak global economy. So, the two largest population segments of the current population - Boomers and their offspring - are under enough financial pressure to shy away from a roadster for more practical choices. The remaining portion of the global population secure enough to consider a roadster in their garage is a smaller pool for builders to fish in; so production and pricing suffers. I admit that 30 years in the financial markets heavily involved in the practice of "price discovery" slants my views to the economic side of life; but I think its impact on us all is more significant that we imagine, particularly when capitalism is the dominant basis of world economies.

Z4Rick
Member
Member
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2016 4:08 pm

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by Z4Rick » Wed May 04, 2016 4:07 pm

I would add that a shrinking pool of buyers, while hurting resale values, is a simple demographic trend - and it WILL reverse itself at some point down the road as demographics evolve. This MAY mean the diminishing number of Z's available will find BETTER pricing as time goes on. As an example, I offer the Jaguar E-Type. Just look at what an E-Type is worth today in most ANY condition!

User avatar
Marlon
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 10899
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:13 am
Location: Lancs.
Contact:

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by Marlon » Wed May 04, 2016 4:14 pm

Z4Rick wrote:I would add that a shrinking pool of buyers, while hurting resale values, is a simple demographic trend - and it WILL reverse itself at some point down the road as demographics evolve. This MAY mean the diminishing number of Z's available will find BETTER pricing as time goes on. As an example, I offer the Jaguar E-Type. Just look at what an E-Type is worth today in most ANY condition!
In another 50 years time when I'm 103 and still driving around in my Z4 roadster, I'm gonna have one hell of a smile on my face if it goes the way of the E-Type :)
Image
Gone: 3.0si 2008 E85
911 997 Carrera S

Z4Rick
Member
Member
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2016 4:08 pm

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by Z4Rick » Wed May 04, 2016 4:25 pm

Marlon wrote:
Z4Rick wrote:I would add that a shrinking pool of buyers, while hurting resale values, is a simple demographic trend - and it WILL reverse itself at some point down the road as demographics evolve. This MAY mean the diminishing number of Z's available will find BETTER pricing as time goes on. As an example, I offer the Jaguar E-Type. Just look at what an E-Type is worth today in most ANY condition!
In another 50 years time when I'm 103 and still driving around in my Z4 roadster, I'm gonna have one hell of a smile on my face if it goes the way of the E-Type :)


BAWAhahahahaha......

I thought the same thing as I hit the "Submit" button!!!
Another reason to resent my children! (Dammed ingrates will never appreciate the investment I left them!)

User avatar
Northotheborder
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 11:47 pm
Location: Scotland

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by Northotheborder » Thu May 05, 2016 7:38 pm

After owning a large jaguar saloon for the last past five years it's great owning my little e89..... Nobody asks me for a lift anymore, the great impracticality of a two seater car! :D I think that the e89 looks fantastic with the roof up or down... It's a nice piece of design, ticks all the boxes for me :thumbsup:

Z4Rick
Member
Member
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2016 4:08 pm

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by Z4Rick » Fri May 06, 2016 2:20 am

Northotheborder wrote:After owning a large jaguar saloon for the last past five years it's great owning my little e89..... Nobody asks me for a lift anymore, the great impracticality of a two seater car! :D I think that the e89 looks fantastic with the roof up or down... It's a nice piece of design, ticks all the boxes for me :thumbsup:

I could not agree more. The lines of the roof add distinction to the body and emphasizes the short rear deck/ long front hood balance - much like the old Austin Healy 3000. A handsome design, and I could watch that roof go up and down until the battery is dead!

extaz
Member
Member
Posts: 77
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 2:48 pm

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by extaz » Wed Jun 15, 2016 3:31 am

All I know about the 2 seat sports car market here in Southern USA is that I see numerous late model Corvettes every day. A little farther up market I see some Caymans and 911s and a smattering of MBs. There are a few E89s around, maybe about 1 in each color that live in the general area.
The market is quite small and in that price bracket is dominated by Corvettes which start at around $55K. For that you get a very good high performance sports car and about 440 HP. They sell about 34,000 a year. A lot of them have 650 HP.
Also in that price bracket are the Caymans and the Boxster. Corvette outsells all the Porsches including the 911, and Z4 COMBINED. Porsche and BMW are now SUV companies. The BMW plant here builds over a thousand SUVs a day. It is one of the largest vehicle plants in the world. It was originally the Z3 and E85 plant.
If you were buying a new sports car for say $60K what would you do? (Most buyers never heard of a Z4.)
The market is small and Corvette owns it.

User avatar
buzyg
Legend
Legend
Posts: 26386
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 6:11 pm
Location: Cornwall

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by buzyg » Tue Jun 13, 2017 6:20 pm

Not come across this thread before. That was interesting. :thumbsup:
Image

Maniac
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 8202
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:52 pm

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by Maniac » Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:41 pm

Should probably remove the 'NEW' from this now ;)

mcbutler
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 2550
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 3:40 pm
Location: Plymouth

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by mcbutler » Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:16 pm

Remember also that from 2020 European countries are cycling in a ban on fossil fuelled new vehicle sales. I think this will affect the future development of all models from all manufacturers, not just BMW and not just the Z4.
I am guessing a performance hybrid, that would be interesting don't you think?
Mark
Plymouth
E89
35i
Carmine Red
Black leather

mcbutler
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 2550
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 3:40 pm
Location: Plymouth

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by mcbutler » Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:21 pm

extaz wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2016 3:31 am All I know about the 2 seat sports car market here in Southern USA is that I see numerous late model Corvettes every day. A little farther up market I see some Caymans and 911s and a smattering of MBs. There are a few E89s around, maybe about 1 in each color that live in the general area.
The market is quite small and in that price bracket is dominated by Corvettes which start at around $55K. For that you get a very good high performance sports car and about 440 HP. They sell about 34,000 a year. A lot of them have 650 HP.
Also in that price bracket are the Caymans and the Boxster. Corvette outsells all the Porsches including the 911, and Z4 COMBINED. Porsche and BMW are now SUV companies. The BMW plant here builds over a thousand SUVs a day. It is one of the largest vehicle plants in the world. It was originally the Z3 and E85 plant.
If you were buying a new sports car for say $60K what would you do? (Most buyers never heard of a Z4.)
The market is small and Corvette owns it.
Well I would not buy a Vett thats for sure. Would always go with a European option, Porsches don't really fall into the same buyer bracket as the zee but all get their performance and handling (not present on a vett at all) from refined technology, not great big oversized neanderthal V8's. I believe Vett's are bought out of misplaced patriotism, if chump (trump) had not left the Paris accord (shame on him) their days, like all gas guzzling dinosaurs (SUV's included) would be numbered.
Mark
Plymouth
E89
35i
Carmine Red
Black leather

User avatar
BeemerGuy
Member
Member
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 10:06 am

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by BeemerGuy » Tue Mar 10, 2020 11:08 pm

Northotheborder wrote: Thu May 05, 2016 7:38 pm After owning a large jaguar saloon for the last past five years it's great owning my little e89..... Nobody asks me for a lift anymore, the great impracticality of a two seater car! :D I think that the e89 looks fantastic with the roof up or down... It's a nice piece of design, ticks all the boxes for me :thumbsup:
I thi k that's a big plus too. My mother in law said to my wife that we were being selfish:) which pleased me no end. Sorry X we have the Zed today, so we cant drop you home :)
S20i Auto Mineral Grey
Racechip GTS + App
330 front brakes, Hel SS hoses
326M Michelin PS4S
Xenon AEs
Smart Top
Black Leather Heated
Comfort Pack, Pro Media

flybobbie
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 3999
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:27 pm
Location: Stourbridge

Official "New Z4" design process pics

Post by flybobbie » Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:33 pm

The new Corvette will give the new G29 a run for it's money.
Attachments
c.jpg
c.jpg (154.38 KiB) Viewed 11563 times

Post Reply