AC Schnitzer Gives BMW Z4 with 424HP Diesel

The BMW Z4 roadster is exclusively offered with gasoline engines, which is probably why tuner AC Schnitzer decided to experiment and fit it with a massive diesel unit.

The AC Schnitzer ACZ4 5.0d is a one-off vehicle based on the BMW Z4 sDrive 23i, but with a major change: instead of the standard gasoline engine, it features an M50d diesel unit – the same triple-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six that is used on the BMW M550d. 

The engine has been upgraded and fitted into the ACZ4 5.0d, with output and maximum torque figures increasing from 381PS (375hp) and 740Nm (546lb-ft) to 430PS (424hp) and 840Nm (619Nm). 

Besides the new engine, the ACZ4 5.0d also features the rear axle gear and limited slip differential from the BMW M3 (E92), while the standard manual gearbox has been replaced with an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

Needless to say, these modifications have a strong impact on the car’s performance, with the AC Schnitzer ACZ4 5.0d sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds and reaching 300 km/h (186 mph). It is also capable of lapping the Sachsenring circuit in 1:37.22, making it the fastest diesel-powered car on the respective track.

Besides mechanical upgrades, the ACZ4 5.0d also features lightweight construction, including the folding roof and the boot lid made of CFC. These modifications alone account for a 90kg (198lbs) weight reduction. Furthermore, the standard silencer has been replaced by a lightweight silencer, saving 19kg (41.8lbs). 

A further 25kg (55.1lbs) are saved by the AC Schnitzer forged alloys Type VIII. In total, with a few further measures, 131kg (288.8lbs) have been saved, with the car tipping the scales at 1,469kg (3,238lbs), despite the significantly heavier M50d power plant.

According to AC Schnitzer, the "ACZ4 5.0d is a concept vehicle not for sale, which was produced to customer specifications and at the same time acted as a technology platform for AC Schnitzer product development. In its current form, the vehicle would cost € 113,965."

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2014 BMW M4 / M3 Coupe

For those of you that just can't wait to get a peek at the next M3 Coupe or perhaps as we may come to know it, the M4, graphic designer Jacek Kolodziejczyk has put his skills to work developing a pretty realistic rendering of the coupe model.

The 30-year old artist used several styling elements found on the new F30 3-Series sedan while also borrowing some cues from the M3 Seadn prototype scooped over the past few months.

While BMW is keeping its cards tight against its chest for the time being, it is believed that both the next M3 Coupe and Sedan models will replace the current M3's naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 with a smaller displacement six-cylinder engine employing two or maybe even three turbochargers for 450-horsepower or more.

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BMW M3 GTS Sedan Concept

The M3 GTS Sedan is, of course, derived from the M3 GTS Coupe but this model is still a concept and is not sporting the full GTS assortment yet.

According to Car Magazine, power is unspecified but said to be below the 450 PS (331 kW / 444 bhp) mark of the M3 GTS Coupe and somewhere above the 420 PS (309 kW / 414 bhp) of the standard M3. Whether it's packing the 4.4 liter V8 of the GTS or is simply sporting an up-tuned 4.0 liter from the series M3, we don't know.

This M3 GTS Sedan Concept does get some parts from the production GTS, including the 19-inch alloy wheels, larger brakes, rear boot lid spoiler and the black kidney grills. The front splitter is less wide than on the GTS and the car is said to be sporting a lighter exhaust and a tuned suspension too - perhaps identical to the M3 GTS Coupe.

The M3 GTS Sedan will go to production - in limited numbers - and may ultimately come to be closer to the GTS Coupe than this concept is hinting at.

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BMW M3 Pick Up Truck 420 HP

The sport ute packs the same 420-horsepower 4.0-liter V8 engine under the bonnet as the rest of the M3 range, which includes the Coupe, Convertible and Sedan models, adding a rear-axle load capacity of up to 450 kilos or 992 pounds.

The load bed itself is clad in high-grade structured aluminium sheeting and provides the biggest cargo capacity ever offered on a M vehicle – up to 20 standard 46-inch golf bags, according to BMW. It’s also the first M3 to be equipped with a trailer tow hitch.

BMW said the kerb weight of the pickup undercuts that of the M3 Convertible by around 50 kilograms or 110 pounds. Interestingly, BMW’s designers also fitted the M3 Pickup Truck with a Targa top, which shaves another 20kg or 44 pounds and at the same time, lowers the car’s centre of gravity when removed.

Despite the removal of the rear passenger compartment, the company says measurements in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s Aerodynamic Test Centre showed a Cd factor on a par with that of the BMW M3 Coupé.
Official lap times have not yet been released, but BMW pointed out that the needle in the dial vouched for a top speed of 300 km/h or 186mph.
Of course, the M3 Pickup Truck won’t be heading for production, but BMW said the one-off model is earmarked for use as a workshop transport vehicle for BMW M GmbH.

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