BMW has an Audi R8 competitor on the drawing board and it looks the part. The Bavarian automaker is planning a two-seat roadster with a Z9 badge.
It will replace the Z8, which went out of production in 2003, as BMW's flagship supercar and, the automaker says, give the brand a rival for the R8 and even Mercedes' SLS.
It first appeared at the 2005 Los Angeles auto show as the California Spyder concept, a sleek, low-slung drop-top with carbon-fibre bodywork and a 518kW BMW F1 engine that revved to 17 000rpm.
The firm's top brass gave the green light for production, albeit with more conventional engines, but the global economic crisis put the project on ice in 2007.
The AutoExpress illustrations you see here were inspired by sketches of the California Spyder and the Vision EfficientDynamics concept from the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.
The proportions are classic roadster: just like the smaller Z4, the cabin is way back near the rear axle and a long bonnet and tiny front and rear overhangs give the car a sporting character.
The double-bubble rear deck is a retro touch similar to that on Porsche's Boxster Spyder. The active front splitter and rear diffuser will change shape at speed to improve airflow around the car and therefore fuel efficiency.
Power is claimed to come from the 4.4-litre twin-turbo that will power the next M5. The engine is said to develop 444kW and would be mated to a twin-clutch gearbox providing power to the rear wheels through an M limited-slip differential.
Reports also suggest that BMW's upcoming battery-powered urban car is crucial to the resurrection of the Z9 project since both cars will be made mostly of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic to reduce weight.
The roadster will use the 5, 6 and 7-Series platform, brake-energy regeneration and stop/start. - INL Motoring