Potential for a Z4M?

Beeacon · Post by **Beeacon** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:59 am

I was reading a Drivetribe article about the upcoming M2 set for 2022 and there was a throwaway comment about it being put on the Z4's chassis. If the chassis is good enough for the M2, BMW's highest praised M car for a good while, maybe there is hope for a Z4M...

https://drivetribe.com/p/bmw-greenlight ... WLXR37GQ6A

john-e89 · Post by **john-e89** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:42 pm

If that article is true then why not a Z4M..? Wasn’t there an agreement with Toyota saying BMW couldn’t build a coupe and Toyota not a roadster for 3 years from the start of sales of the G29 and Supra..? Could be wrong of course. But if it’s so and BMW are keeping the M2 comp then 2022 is the end of the agreement, the M2 will need a freshen up as the article, It’ll be 3 years since G29 launch so maybe a cosmetic freshen up of that too, and If BMW could shed some weight off the G29 then why not do an M, it all kinda fits in nicely. Porsche now have nigh on 400bhp in the Boxster and Cayman GTS so why not BMW have a Z4M roadster and coupe too.

Number5 · Post by **Number5** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:58 pm

Well, there is already an 'M'40i version so I'd assume thats as close as they'll get. However, it would be interesting if Alpina get hold of a few G29's and create their version of it.

GuidoK · Post by **GuidoK** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:25 pm

Beeacon wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:59 am I was reading a Drivetribe article about the upcoming M2 set for 2022 and there was a throwaway comment about it being put on the Z4's chassis.

It's not being put on "the Z4's chassis"
It's being put/made on the "CLAR platform" on which also the Z4 G29 is build.
And the 7 series, 5 series, 6 seriesGT, x3 series, X4 series, X5 series, 8 series, 3 series etc etc
It's BMW's major cross model rwd/awd platform and accepts engines from i3 to V12:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_CLAR_platform

Also referring to a chassis on a car that has a selfsupporting body is a bit odd from an engineering pov.

Beeacon · Post by **Beeacon** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:57 pm

GuidoK wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:25 pm
Beeacon wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:59 am I was reading a Drivetribe article about the upcoming M2 set for 2022 and there was a throwaway comment about it being put on the Z4's chassis.
It's not being put on "the Z4's chassis"
It's being put/made on the "CLAR platform" on which also the Z4 G29 is build.
And the 7 series, 5 series, 6 seriesGT, x3 series, X4 series, X5 series, 8 series, 3 series etc etc
It's BMW's major cross model rwd/awd platform and accepts engines from i3 to V12:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_CLAR_platform

Also referring to a chassis on a car that has a selfsupporting body is a bit odd from an engineering pov.

Maybe that's the case, but the article said chassis which made me think that they have developed the chassis for a sports car as opposed to, say, an X5; which would significantly reduce design costs if they're designing the chassis with both in mind, but still be on the same CLAR platform. The overall dimensions of a Z4 and M2 won't be far apart so I could imagine it working.

Regarding the 'self-supporting' body, is the Z4 body designed to behave as a monocoque? Genuine question.

Number5 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:58 pm Well, there is already an 'M'40i version so I'd assume thats as close as they'll get. However, it would be interesting if Alpina get hold of a few G29's and create their version of it.

Well they did do the M850i before the M8 came out recently, so maybe this is BMW's difference between an Audi S3 and an RS3.

GuidoK · Post by **GuidoK** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:43 pm

Beeacon wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:57 pm
Regarding the 'self-supporting' body, is the Z4 body designed to behave as a monocoque? Genuine question.

They are all self supporting bodies or as they also say "unibody"
A monocoque is something different; with that with a monocoque all strenght comes from its skin if you take its definition literally. It literally means 'single shell'. With unibody/self supporting bodies, there are bulkheads and box sections incorporated into the body. It behaves like a monocoque but it's not the same if you follow the definition literally.
My guess is that bmw hasn't build cars with seperate chassis in 65 years.....

But "put on the same chassis"..... what does that actually mean?
Will it have the same subframes front&rear? will it have the same suspension arms all around? will it have the same hubs front&rear? will it have the same arb's? will it have the same shocks&springs? will it have the same steering rack? etc etc....
I think that when it comes to market you'll find that there are just as much differences as similarities in these undercarriage components. Just compare partnumbers and you'll see.
Care to do a prediction?

My guess is that for starters the wheelbase won't be the same (the current m2 is already a fair bit longer and it won't get shorter, at least not the 20+cm required

), so, if there were a chassis, it wouldn't fit in the first place

mjennings23 · Post by **mjennings23** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 11:30 am

Number5 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:58 pm Well, there is already an 'M'40i version so I'd assume thats as close as they'll get. However, it would be interesting if Alpina get hold of a few G29's and create their version of it.

There's also an M240i below the M2, M440i due for this year with an M4 to follow no doubt, M850i and M8 etc.

As mentioned above, it seems they're positioning the Mxxxi cars against the likes of Audi S and 'lite' AMGs (C43, A35etc), and the Mx cars against RS and 'full fat' AMGs (C63 etc)

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:22 pm

Ok my poor old brain is scrambled enough with out all this speculation and guess work.

Lets just hope they build another Z4MR at some point.

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