With the demise of the BMW Z4 and no successor officially announced, yet another sports car is sadly leaving the scene and leaving BMW without a two-seat performance model in its lineup for the first time in more than 20 years. But this might not mark the final chapter in the story of BMW’s sporty convertible.
At a recent BMW event in Munich, Germany, senior vice president of BMW brand and product management, Bernd Koerber, responded to a question of whether he could see BMW building an EV sports car along the lines of the Z4. An iZ4, anyone?
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“In the evolution of things, yes,” Koerber said. “Not that tomorrow we will announce whatever, but that BMW will always look into sports cars, yes, and that EVs have a space in sports cars, also. So, I would say not unlikely, but not something that will be imminently launched next year.”
Koerber’s comments signaled a willingness to develop an electrified two-door sports car, but said “willingness” has no doubt been complicated by the uncertainty around EVs in general and the limited market for cars like the Z4 more specifically, regardless of powertrain.
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One needs to look no further than the recent saga surrounding Porsche and the future of its 718 lineup. Porsche was initially supposed to phase out its gasoline-powered 718 models in favor of EV-only versions by 2025. Then it went back on those plans and reportedly said that there would be gas-powered next-gen 718 cars. Meanwhile, the present 718 models have been discontinued, but also the Porsche Boxster EV might not be dead after all. It’s all very murky.
Regardless, we don’t see an electric version of the Z4 to be a terribly high priority for BMW. Yes, it’s an automaker with a history of building two-door sports cars, but legacy and sales revenue are two different things. BMW doesn’t report how many Z4s it sells each year, but we imagine the figure is small. Hence its cancellation. And in terms of electrifying its lineup, the SUVs will surely take priority.
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But anything’s possible. Given how adaptable BMW’s next-generation Neue Klasse electrified platform has been developed to be, it could make building an EV roadster less problematic. Would people buy it? That’s the biggest question.
