All-New BMW Z4

BMW expects to launch a follow-up to the Z4 roadster before the end of the decade, as part of a collaboration with Toyota.

BMW’s chief engineer says development costs could be shared with the Japanese automaker as part of the companies’ cooperation, which besides the common sports car architecture includes collaboration on powertrain electrification and sharing lightweight technologies.

“I would like to see a Z4 successor in this decade,” Klaus Froehlich, BMW’s new head of R&D, told AutoNews Europe when asked about the launch date of the all-new Z4. But the priority for BMW is to find a cost-effective way to update the car, as demand for two-seat roadsters and coupes has dropped worldwide. “If you look at the volume … we have to realize that these segments are shrinking,” the executive explained.

BMW Z4 sales fell 11 percent to about 5,300 units in Europe last year, while US deliveries declined by 13 percent to 2,150 cars. The biggest single markets for the Z4’s segment are the US, UK and Germany.

On top of that, two-seat roadsters are not popular in the world’s largest market. “Car buyers in China are not interested in roadsters,” said Froehlich. That’s because customers there favor privacy, something an open top car doesn’t provide. Additionally, poor air quality in many major Chinese cities makes roadsters an unlikely choice.

As a consequence, BMW is more preoccupied with other upcoming launches than with the Z4’s successor.