New spy shots have been released of the upcoming 2018 BMW Z5 Roadster as it undergoes continuing development work.
The Z5 is rumored to be the first car to come out of BMW’s sportscar collaboration with Toyota and will be the successor to the current generation of Z4. According to sources, the BMW version of the Toyota-BMW sportscar will come exclusively with a soft top while the Toyota version will come exclusively with a hard top.
The jointly developed chassis architecture centers around a highly scalable structure with everything being built around one central point – the front firewall.
Toyota will supply the electronics and optional hybrid powertrain system while BMW will provide engine and materials expertise. While no official word regarding powertrains has been released by BMW, it is assumed that the Z5 will feature a range of engine options.
At the low end, expect a 190 horsepower unit. At the high end, expect something like a Z5 M to have an engine producing somewhere north of 420 horsepower.
The BMW Z5 will be unveiled sometime in 2017 with sales of the new roadster beginning sometime later the same year.
