BMW Zagato Roadster Concept

The BMW Zagato Roadster, which was constructed in just six weeks, certainly looks a lot like its fixed-roof sibling.

But that's not a bad thing as the aggressive, “three dimensional” (in Zagato talk) front end with the large air intakes, contoured hood with integral air scoops, the black A-pillars, the sculpted sides and the overall solid stance and minimal overhangs of the concept make for a muscular look.

"Our success in finishing the car in such a short space of time shows what is possible when two successful companies pool their resources," says Andrea Zagato.

"BMW is a high-achieving carmaker boasting a vast well of knowledge and technical capability in this area. When you combine that with our expertise in the creation of micro-series, everything is in place to produce a beautiful model like the BMW Zagato Roadster in double-quick time," he added.

Compared to the Coupe, the Roadster features a lower-slung rear end and an additional line which, BMW says, “forges a visual connection” between the sill and the rear apron and sets of the car’s rear-end nicely.

Of course, there is the issue of the roof – or more accurately, its absence. Instead of a folding hard top, like the standard Z4, BMW and Zagato have opted for a soft top. Mind you, despite being a roadster, it doesn't fail to incorporate the “doppia gobba” or twin roof domes that are a Zagato signature mark in the roof cover panel.

This being an open-top car, Zagato has designed a pair of roll bars for additional protection. “The low, dynamic roll-bars, inspired by an airplane wing, are an eye-catcher that makes the BMW Zagato Roadster recognizable from a distance”, says Zagato’s head of design, Norihiko Harada.

According to BMW, the grey paintwork makes the Roadster’s body look like it is wrapped in a cloak of liquid metal, as it changes from dark grey to light silver, depending on how it is lighted.

Unsurprisingly, the cabin is identical to the Coupe’s. The main difference is that instead of the fixed-roof version’s all-black interior, in the Roadster there’s a lot of brown leather starting from the door sills and extending to the top of the dashboard and behind the seats, including the roll-over bars.

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2013 SRT Viper GTS Launch Edition

The car is named the SRT Viper GTS Launch Edition and it pays homages to past Viper Coupe reveals in 1996 and 2006. It is finished in the Viper's distinctive GTS Blue paint with dual Bright White stripes running the entire length of the sports car and it rides on five-spoke polished forged-aluminum design wheels.

The interior of the special edition model will feature a serialized dash plaque, while Black Laguna leather with contrast stitching will cover the seats, door trim, instrument panel, steering wheel, grab handle, shift knob and center console. In addition, the headliner is done in Alcantara while the white bezels are finished in Satin Silver.

Power comes from the same all-aluminum, 8.4-liter V10 delivering 640 ponies and 600 lb.-ft. of torque as the regular models

"Designed with Viper loyalists in mind, the 2013 SRT Viper GTS Launch Edition model brings back the classic paint schemes that have adorned all previous Viper coupe launches to help us celebrate the return of our brand’s flagship performance machine to the supercar market," commented Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of the SRT brand.

Chrysler didn't say how many Viper GTS Launch Edition it plans to build.

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2013 BMW Alpina B7 540HP

In addition to being enhanced with all the styling and technological updates to the 2013 7-Series sedan, the Alpina B7 also benefits from improvements to its powertrain.

The sports limo will continue to be offered in both regular and long wheelbase versions as well as with a choice of rear or all-wheel drive.

The revised 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbocharged engine with direct-injection features 40 additional horsepower and 22 lb-ft more torque for a total of 540-horses and 538 lb-ft respectively. Furthermore, Alpina has swapped the outgoing model's six-speed sport automatic transmission for a new 8-speed automatic unit.

The car's top speed increases from 175mph (282km/h) to 194 mph (312km/h) with RWD and 193mph with xDrive, while acceleration drops into the low-mid-4-second range for all variants (4.3-4.4 seconds) compared to 4.5 seconds for the previous RWD model.

BMW says that all variants of the Alpina B7 come with more than 30 new parts that enhance the design and frontal aerodynamics, while new standard features include updated Xenon Adaptive headlights, LED front fog lights, ceramic secondary controls, Automatic Start-Stop, and the Active protection system.

The new car rides on 20-inch Alpina multi-spoke wheels and is finished in the classic Alpina Blue Metallic paint.

Among other options available are full LED Headlights and a new Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound System.

As before, the B7’s body is manufactured in the BMW 7 Series factory in Dingolfing and hand-finished with the remaining components at the Alpina facility in Buchloe, Germany.

Pricing for the B7 in the U.S. will be $127,600 for standard wheelbase model (SWB), $130,600 for the SWB with xDrive, $131,500 for the long wheelbase (LWB) version, and $134,500 for the LWB with xDrive.

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BMW Z4 Zagato Coupe

From the late 1990s, BMW has been producing coupe versions of its Z series roadsters, namely the Z3 Coupe and the first generation of the Z4, both of which adopted a "love or loathe it but you cannot ignore it" kind of styling.

By replacing the soft-top with a retractable hardtop on the second-generation Z4 roadster, many assumed that the move would mean the end of the coupe model.

The Italian firm's vision of a Z4 Coupe embodies traditional Zagato styling traits such as the double bubble roof and the classic Kamm Tail. But there is more to the Zagato Coupe as virtually every panel of the Z4 roadster has been redesigned.


Among other highlights that stand out are the countless small matt Zagato “z” letters that make up the double kidney grille, an elongated bonnet with air scoops and more muscular rear fenders.
“For me, the BMW Zagato Coupé holds a very special magic. It exudes a certain spontaneity which, when combined with the type of unconventional solutions typical of Zagato, lend the car a very individual elegance,” says Zagato chief designer Norihiko Harada.


The interior was more or less left in stock form aside from model-specific trim and colors.
So is the Zagato Coupe a pure concept or does BMW have a production model in mind? Well, hard to say because BMW avoided using either term in its official press statement.


For starters, BMW does not use the word 'concept' simply referring to the car as the Zagato Coupé. Furthermore, BMW and Zagato state that this is not a static study but a fully functional model that is registered for road use and meets all the legal requirements worldwide. The car has even been driven at high speeds during testing on the BMW test track.


"Zagato has always provided its customers with ready-to-drive cars which can be sent into action on the road or race track without further ado – and the BMW Zagato Coupé fits the same template," says Dr Andrea Zagato.


He continues: "It is relatively easy to build a design study which is not intended for use on the road. Not having to meet any stipulations governing crash safety or pedestrian protection opens up a host of new avenues in terms of design. The challenge lies in injecting the emotional appeal of a concept car into a road-legal machine. And we think we have succeeded in doing just that with the BMW Zagato Coupé."


Taking everything in consideration, and until BMW clarifies its intentions, we could say that the Bavarian company could be looking for feedback before it makes any decision on the production of the Zagato Coupe. That said, what do you think: should BMW build the Zagato Coupe? Tell what you think in the comments section below.

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