The last Z4 E89, a rear-wheel drive Z4 sDrive35is in Valencia Orange Metallic, rolled off the line at BMW’s Regensburg plant on Aug 22. The Z4 is the only BMW model that still uses the acclaimed but ageing N54 engine.
The turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder mill produces peak output of 340hp and 450Nm of torque. The N54 engine has since been superseded by the current B58 engine found in two states of tune in the 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 Series.
Over 115,000 units of the second-generation Z4 have been built since 2009. It was only sold as a retractable hard top whereas the first generation was a soft top. Now it looks like BMW has come full circle and decided to go back to the classic soft top in the upcoming roadster.
The Z5 will use a fabric roof and will have a bigger and lighter body. It will make at least 350hp to match the output of its rival the Porsche 718 Boxster S, say pundits. The roadster will be based on a new architecture shared with Toyota but will use different engines from its Japanese counterpart who will also use the shared platform to revive the iconic Supra nameplate.
Meanwhile the BMW Malaysia website has quietly dropped the Z4 from its site but is still listing it for sale in two variants. The Z4 sDrive20i is going for RM359,800 while the Z4 sDrive28i M Sport is being offered at RM487,800.
