BMW Z4 getting the chop?

Friday, 18 February 2022

BMW is allegedly considering dropping the Z4 from its line-up by 2025, due to the roadster not selling as well as expected.

The rumour comes from the Spanish site Motor.es, which said the Z4 will get a mid-life update before being dropped. Seems weird to put money into a vehicle that has already been committed to being put out to pasture…

Of course, BMW’s overseas representatives responded to the story and said that it “cannot speculate on future product offerings,” and the claims do seem a little wild, so take everything with a grain of salt.

Should BMW kill the Z4, what would happen to the Toyota Supra? At the moment it is unclear, but ongoing powertrain and interior parts supply would probably hinge on the details of the contract between the two companies.

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If they have a deal extending beyond 2025, we could reasonably assume Toyota will continue to offer the Supra for as long as it sees fit.

Speaking of the Supra, other rumours are pointing toward Toyota developing a new halo model with the GRMN suffix. Apparently – and grab some more salt for this one – it will combine the 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine from the current M3/M4 with a manual transmission and a bunch of carbon fibre to keep weight down.

If that is the case, don’t expect the Supra GRMN to rival the BMW twins in power. The M3 and M4 make 375kW/650Nm in Competition trim and the current Supra sits at 285kW/500Nm.

Outputs somewhere between 300kW and 325kW are expected, which should also put the go-faster Supra at the same level as the new Nissan Z (298kW/475Nm) but at a higher price point. Same with the upcoming Subaru WRX STI.

Speculation points to the Supra GRMN launching sometime in 2023.