New BMW Z5 Roadster Is The Next Toyota Supra’s Cousin

A new set of spy shots came to our hands, showing BMW’s Z4 replacement during some development testing in Germany.

The close relation of BMW’s new roadster and the Toyota’s Supra successor is already well documented as both cars are said to share the same platform and other components.

BMW’s car though will be the lighter one with a the smaller footprint as its Japanese cousin will make use of a longer version of that platform. Recent reports suggest that the architecture will use the same lightweight materials as in the BMW i8, meaning lots of carbon and aluminum.

The new roadster will reportedly use the Z5 moniker, with BMW possibly adding a hybrid powertrain with optional AWD in the range. If the rumors on the Supra successor prove to be true, it only makes sense that the two cars will share more components like the electric motors and gearbox too.

BMW ditched the heavy and complicated folding hard-top of the Z4 for its successor for a traditional soft top which despite what you see in the photos, will of course come with a proper rear window. This could also lead to a future coupe variant.

The company is planning to reveal the full production car in late 2017, with Toyota’s Supra to follow a few months later. Despite the advanced technology involved both in chassis and in powertrains, pricing is expected to remain close to that of the current Z4.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops