Official Press Office pics

The new roof is made out of aluminum, so quite light. The coupe E86 has a metal roof. The coupe weights only 10 kg more than the roadster. Some say the roof is too blaming the extra weight. It will have some effect, the complex open/close mechanism will add also some extra weight. But I cannot image that this is more than 30kg. The upper part of the roof (I guess) is not more than 50% of that weight. So the center of gravity is not influence that badly. So what's adding this extra let's assume 65 kg of weight. I guess most of that extra weight is caused by improving the body strength or rigidity of the chassis. Don't forget the E85 only scored a 4 in the euro NCAP crash tests. All respected car manufactures in Europe cannot permit to score a 4 on today's new introduced model. Luxury equipment, larger standard wheels, car is longer.....everything will add weight. Cars are getting bigger, safer and heavier. A trend for today.

EdP

UPDATE
Nice article about soft and metal roofs (in German). http://www.n-tv.de/1108041.html
The soft-top of Audi's new A5 weights 50kg. The VW EOS with a metal roof weights 88kg. These cars have a bigger roof than the E89. The VW has a roof made out of steel (not aluminum like the E89). So a Z4 soft-top versus metal top is < 30 kg.
 
I didn't like the new Z4 at first, was really happy that I didn't as well since I had just got an 03 Z4. BUT, the more I've looked at it the more it's growning on me. Does anyone else think the side on angle makes it look a bit like a boat, that's the only thing I don't like about it and also that it's lost some of the hard angles I love about the old Z4.
 
I do like the folding metal origami roof as is the norm thesedays, not too much change in the styling but then there didnt need to be as even the old car like mine is still I think a handsome brute, that and you know your always going to be at least 5 feet away from any accident thanks to the enormous bonnet :rofl:
 
I sat in two new Zeds on Friday in Florida. I looked very closely at the folding roof mechanism, and took a couple of pics of it. It is way complicated and looks heavy.
 
Shipkiller said:
I sat in two new Zeds on Friday in Florida. I looked very closely at the folding roof mechanism, and took a couple of pics of it. It is way complicated and looks heavy.
Click to expand...
I seem to recall reading somewhere that the roof mechanism weighs over 200 pounds/90 kg.
 
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