The front, rear and side profile images of BMW’s upcoming two-seat sportscar, the Z4 M40i, have been spotted online. Leaked ahead of its Pebble Beach reveal, the M40i is expected to be the range-topping Z4 model and will use a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit shared with the M240i, producing about 355hp.
In June, a series of patent images revealed the car's styling and showcased the car's swept-back headlights, flat rear lights and wide kidney grilles, akin to the 2017 Z4 concept. However, these new pictures seem to be the first sighting of the final production model.
BMW has previously confirmed the Z4 will be revealed at Pebble Beach in August before its specifications are announced at the Paris motor show in September.
The Z4 model is expected to go on sale in March 2019 and has been caught on camera testing for more than a year. BMW announced the future Z4's arrival back in 2015 and revealed the concept version to preview its design last year.
Powering the new Z4 will be a choice of BMW's latest turbocharged petrol engines. Alongside the turbocharged 3.0-litre engine of the M40i, pictured in the leaked images, there will also be a Z4 30i that will use a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that produces about 251.4hp.
Both engines will come with standard rear-wheel drive and a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. A full-fat M version of the Z4 is not on the cards. The Z4 shares parts with the upcoming Toyota Supra, following Toyota and BMW's decision to co-develop a new sports car platform. While the Z4 will be a convertible, Toyota's new car will be a spiritual successor to the original Supra and as such will wear a hard top, as shown by spotted development cars.
BMW had the previous-gen Z4 on sale in India till the beginning of this year. Available in two trims, both were powered by a 3.0-litre, straight-six, turbo-petrol engine that sent 306hp and 400Nm of peak torque to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic. There is no word yet on whether the all-new model will come to our market.
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