(autoinsidernews.com) - Earlier this month, we posted about the possibility that BMW is planning a entry-level roadster, called the Z2, that would fit below the Z4. When BMW replaced the Z3 roadster with the Z4, which moved upmarket to challenge the Porsche Boxster, it left a hole for an entry-level model, reports Trend.
Insiders from BMW say a new entry-level model would take at least four years to develop, which means it will likely arrive after the next-generation Z4 in 2009. The Z2 name is more than speculation, since BMW trademarked it as long ago as 2001.
The Z2 will likely share components with 1-Series and 3-Series models to reduce costs and speed development, which means it could be built at BMWs plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Z2 would likely be powered by four-cylinder engines only, most likely with normally aspirated 1.8L and 2.0L engine choices, with a turbocharged 2.0L performance model delivering 300-hp. The turbocharged 2.0L is already under development for a performance version of the 1-Series.