2012 BMW Z2 Roadster previewed

[glimmerman]

http://www.motorauthority.com/...w-bmw-z2-roadster.html

Nice looking car - as long as they keep it light this will be a scorcher.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I like. To me this makes sense as a complement to the new, heavier, more luxurious Z4.

 

[AMCRambler]

The price tag is ridiculous though. 25,000 euros? For what essentially amounts to a Mazda MX-5 with a BMW badge on it? Seems way overpriced. For that kind of money you can get a Lotus that'll perform a lot better. I hope that was a typo.

 

[senseamp]

So in 3 years BMW is going to build an MX-5 competitor but costing many thousands more with no LSD option (on non-M models) which they aren't even going to bring to the US.
Yippie! :|

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: AMCRambler
The price tag is ridiculous though. 25,000 euros? For what essentially amounts to a Mazda MX-5 with a BMW badge on it? Seems way overpriced. For that kind of money you can get a Lotus that'll perform a lot better. I hope that was a typo.

Originally posted by: AMCRambler
The price tag is ridiculous though. 25,000 euros? For what essentially amounts to a Mazda MX-5 with a BMW badge on it? Seems way overpriced. For that kind of money you can get a Lotus that'll perform a lot better. I hope that was a typo.

A base model MX-5 is, weirdly, 23,500 euros according to mazda.fr

http://www.mazda.fr/upload/cou...res/mx-5/mx5-final.pdf

Of course, unless they shove a 300HP turbo V6 in it, there's no real reason for an American to buy it. The price of the base model is likely to end up in S2000 territory over here, and that's simply not competition you want to have.

And unless the car is far lighter than a Miata (this is BMW - it won't be!) or better equipped (flat-out impossible - no LSDs on anything but M-cars), it likely won't handle as well. Which totally defeats of the point.

Of course, someone will. Why? It's the cheapest convertible you can buy with the BMW logon on it. People would still buy it if it were based off an AMC Pacer and powered by an asthmatic gerbil.

 

[KDKPSJ]

I thought the car is a lot more expensive in Europe?

For instance, MSRP for Hyundai Sonata I4 in German is about 25,000 Euro ($ 18k in US), about same as Z2 base model in the article. So, if we were to have Z2 base model in US, it will be about $ 18k. Consider we won't have base Z2, more likely Z235i with Twinturbo 3.0 I6 or Z228i with NA 3.0 I6, it's not gonna be that cheap though.

Car price in US is the lowest in the world, no wonder.

 

[KevinH]

Originally posted by: everydae
I thought the car is a lot more expensive in Europe?

For instance, MSRP for Hyundai Sonata I4 in German is about 25,000 Euro ($ 18k in US), about same as Z2 base model in the article. So, if we were to have Z2 base model in US, it will be about $ 18k. Consider we won't have base Z2, more likely Z235i with Twinturbo 3.0 I6 or Z228i with NA 3.0 I6, it's not gonna be that cheap though.

Car price in US is the lowest in the world, no wonder.

If this car can be had for high 20's low 30's it's time for me to trade in my Z4 Coupe.

Gorgeous!

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: KevinH
If this car can be had for high 20's low 30's it's time for me to trade in my Z4 Coupe.

Gorgeous!

You might be able to pick one of these up with a N/A six for the low thirties, but I really wouldn't bother when you an buy an S2000 which, while not exactly bulletproof, is a heck of a lot cheaper to own than a BMW.

Also, I'm willing to bet that this car will be extremely similar in interior quality to the 1-series, which is not particularly nice.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: KevinH
If this car can be had for high 20's low 30's it's time for me to trade in my Z4 Coupe.

Gorgeous!

You might be able to pick one of these up with a N/A six for the low thirties, but I really wouldn't bother when you an buy an S2000 which, while not exactly bulletproof, is a heck of a lot cheaper to own than a BMW.

Also, I'm willing to bet that this car will be extremely similar in interior quality to the 1-series, which is not particularly nice.

By the time that this car gets here the S2000 will have been dead for some time. 2009 is the last year for it. If you look at the production numbers the article shows its really no surprise, they just weren't selling.

Edmunds article on end of the S2000

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

By the time that this car gets here the S2000 will have been dead for some time. 2009 is the last year for it. If you look at the production numbers the article shows its really no surprise, they just weren't selling.

Go figure.

I still wouldn't buy it.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: Bignate603

By the time that this car gets here the S2000 will have been dead for some time. 2009 is the last year for it. If you look at the production numbers the article shows its really no surprise, they just weren't selling.

Go figure.

I still wouldn't buy it.

I wouldn't either, for that sort of car I'd be looking at an MX-5. If the Solstice was going to be hanging around I'd consider that too before the Z2.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Also, I'm willing to bet that this car will be extremely similar in interior quality to the 1-series, which is not particularly nice.

Dash-stroker or not, the 1 & 3 series interiors are extremely poor for the vehicle cost. Z3 as well. The new Z4 actually started to change that so hopefully they're going in a better direction.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: KevinH
If this car can be had for high 20's low 30's it's time for me to trade in my Z4 Coupe.

Gorgeous!

You might be able to pick one of these up with a N/A six for the low thirties, but I really wouldn't bother when you an buy an S2000 which, while not exactly bulletproof, is a heck of a lot cheaper to own than a BMW.

Also, I'm willing to bet that this car will be extremely similar in interior quality to the 1-series, which is not particularly nice.

The 1 series interior depends entirely upon options. We have a nicely optioned up example and it's a very pleasant place to be.