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Rumor: BMW Z2 Will Be Front-Wheel Drive

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BMW Z2

Pictured: the BMW Z4 sDrive35i

Remember the oft-discussed BMW Z2 that would stand in as an attractive two-seater compact convertible option for those not quite sold on the Z4? Car and Driver does, and they’ve released speculative details about the Z2 along with a render showing how it might look. Despite how fetching the BMW Z2 render appears, what is most likely to catch your eye is the fact that the finished version will be front-wheel drive.


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Indeed, the possible BMW Z2 will the same platform as the 2-series Active Tourer and the MINI roadster, and it will hope to elicit the same excitement as other roadsters as the FR-S and the MX-5. Given BMW’s track record, they’ll be shooting for a little bit more than just “fun;” they’ll more likely be aiming for supremacy.

C&D anticipates that the Z2 could come with a number of three- and four-cylinder engine options, most likely the latter with obligatory turbo, with a possible 300-horsepower, AWD M version to follow sometime thereafter.

The BMW Z2 should be around 750 pounds lighter than the Z4 thanks to the use of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum, as well as favoring a soft top as opposed to the retractable hard top found in the Z4.


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The BMW Z2 is in line for a late 2016/early 2017 launch date with an entry-level price around $30,000 and a $50,000 tag for the M version. The Z4 itself could soon be getting a hybrid version as a result of platform sharing between BMW and Toyota.

BMW has not confirmed any of the details reported by Car and Driver, but when they do (and we’re quite sure this is a when and not an if), we’ll have all the information right here at The News Wheel.