BMW Z2 envisioned – could launch as early as 2016

BMW’s never ending quest to slot a model in every niche category it could find means the Z4 roadster needs a smaller companion. So far, the long rumored Z2 is everything but approved for production. But thanks to the digital age of computer rendering, we can now have a  first glimpse of BMW’s entry roadster.

Courtesy of “automotive manipulator” Theophilus Chin, the BMW Z2 has been envisioned as a compact roadster drawing design hues from the Zagato Roadster concept unveiled in 2012 at Pebble Beach. And if this is what the production Z2 is going to look like, it will have our stamp of approval, without question.

Read our BMW Z4 M Sport Review

If the BMW Z2 gets the greenlight for production, it will slot below the Z4 and is expected to be out in 2016 or 2017. But unlike the rear-wheel-drive Z4, the Z2 will be front-wheel-drive, riding on the same UKL platform which underpins the 2 Series Active Tourer and X1. It will allegedly weigh only 1,134 kg thanks to the lightweight construction and the adoption of a soft top instead of a heavier metal roof.

Expect engine line up to be similar to the MINI Cooper or 2 Series Active Tourer. This means a range of three or four-cylinder turbocharged engines will power the small convertible. It is speculated that an all-wheel-drive version will also be in the pipeline.