[Sterling Roadster]

Ummm.... where are the curves? isn't that a big reason we love BMW roadsters?

[Law]

If this is really going against the F-Type Jag as mentioned by Scott, then its got some big shoes to fill.

The V6 and V8 engines in the F-Type are among the greatest sounding engines produced today and the exterior design is almost an instant classic.
In other words, the F-Type ignites a certain passion and has a theatrical feel about it.

If BMW has learned anything as of late, its that it needs to reintroduce some of that passion and theatre.
The most efficient MPG and all the carbon fibre in the world doesn't mean jack if the cars lack soul and are artificial in feel/sound, particularly in this segment of 2-seater coupes and roadsters.

[angelr]

Originally Posted by Sterling Roadster

Ummm.... where are the curves? isn't that a big reason we love BMW roadsters?

I think it has extra cladding to disguise the true lines and shape.

[Flying Ace]

so in other words, the Toyota version will be better value.

[F80_M]

Bring on the M version already!! Stop with this child's play

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by Alpine F31

Agreed. I love my E85. It's more fun to drive than my M235i.

heresy!!

[reprod]

Originally Posted by F22_M235i

Bring on the M version already!! Stop with this child's play

Well said

[IS3andME]

Any recent pics of the Toyota version?

[BGR]

Either BMW is upping their camo game, or this car is going to be pretty boring...

[raysspl]

Wondering if we'll ever see this as a hardtop version

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by raysspl

Wondering if we'll ever see this as a hardtop version

Coupe later.

Folding hardtop, no.

[mkoesel]

I completely agree with your sentiments, although I am much less concerned about the sound of the car than I am the actual performance. If it performs well, sound is much less important.

SCOTT's comments suggest to me that this car will come with an F-Type sized price tag - about $60k staring price. But if BMW tries to hang a $60k sticker on the four cylinder model - even if it has over 300hp, let's say - I suspect the marketplace is not going to react in a very positive way. I realize there is the Boxster and Cayman in this space with four cylinder power and a similar MSRP, but to me those are different cars than an F-Type. So where does that leave the Z5? We'll have to wait and see where it falls, but it seems to me they have a challenging road ahead. Hypothetically, if the base F-Type had an I4 engine and also didn't offer a V8, it would not have received nearly the positive market reception it did. Similarly, if you take a Boxster/Cayman, make it bigger (and probably heavier), move the engine forward and generally make it more like an F-Type, that kills that car's appeal too. So, there is more than one winning formula out there for sure, and more no-doubt exist. I hope BMW has theirs figured out.

Originally Posted by Law

If this is really going against the F-Type Jag as mentioned by Scott, then its got some big shoes to fill.

The V6 and V8 engines in the F-Type are among the greatest sounding engines produced today and the exterior design is almost an instant classic.
In other words, the F-Type ignites a certain passion and has a theatrical feel about it.

If BMW has learned anything as of late, its that it needs to reintroduce some of that passion and theatre. The most efficient MPG and all the carbon fibre in the world doesn't mean jack if the cars lack soul and are artificial in feel/sound, particularly in this segment of 2-seater coupes and roadsters.

[Vanne]

If those camouflage pics are anything to go by, then kill me now please..

looks like a crap mustang vert..

I hope they dump whatever monstrosity is hiding under that butt ugly camo, and pull a rabbit out go their hat, otherwise after my current car, ill be sure as heck leaving this camp.

[ron_jeremy]

Originally Posted by Law

If this is really going against the F-Type Jag as mentioned by Scott, then its got some big shoes to fill.

The V6 and V8 engines in the F-Type are among the greatest sounding engines produced today and the exterior design is almost an instant classic.
In other words, the F-Type ignites a certain passion and has a theatrical feel about it.

If BMW has learned anything as of late, its that it needs to reintroduce some of that passion and theatre.
The most efficient MPG and all the carbon fibre in the world doesn't mean jack if the cars lack soul and are artificial in feel/sound, particularly in this segment of 2-seater coupes and roadsters.

Wow, each his own, but the sound of the F was just horrible, both the V6 and the bigger brother.
Give me a I6 sound like the M2 or a V10 any day.
I guess the former is more realistic, but one can hope
Anyway, these pictures look great, looks low and wide, love the fact that it has a Soft top, it's the right choice

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by BGR

Either BMW is upping their camo game, or this car is going to be pretty boring...

Their camo game is way better than people
think it is. #Happens every time.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Vanne

If those camouflage pics are anything to go by, then kill me now please..

looks like a crap mustang vert..

I hope they dump whatever monstrosity is hiding under that butt ugly camo, and pull a rabbit out go their hat, otherwise after my current car, ill be sure as heck leaving this camp.

You've got them scared now!

Dude .. It is camoflauge right ? Hell yeah it's working. They are trying to get people to NOT notice it.

[Law]

Originally Posted by ron_jeremy

Wow, each his own, but the sound of the F was just horrible, both the V6 and the bigger brother.
Give me a I6 sound like the M2 or a V10 any day.
I guess the former is more realistic, but one can hope
Anyway, these pictures look great, looks low and wide, love the fact that it has a Soft top, it's the right choice

That's a first. Never heard the F-Type noise described as horrible before so definitely to each his own

I love me a good straight six sound just as much as any other BMW enthusiast but as good as the M2 sounds, its still not a mind-blowing noise nor is the sound as definitive of an I6 as an older Bavarian six (i.e., S38, M54, etc.). To me the newer BMW I6s generally lack the crisp mechanical symphony that used to dominate in older inline sixes.

I think more than a few of us dream of a V10 in a two-seater package.
Hell, even a V8 would be nice.
I've said this before, but BMW definitely missed their chance a decade ago around the time when Audi launched the R8.
BMW had the chance to build a worthy and superior contender.
An S65 and S85 powered "supercar" packaged correctly would've easily given the 911 and R8 a run for its money.
Imagine an E89 Z4 M with S65 or a mid-engined BMW with S85 power.
In hindsight, its a pity that BMW missed out on the lost opportunities.

[AKRAPOVICOWNS]

Well, it is pretty clear that we won't see a v8 in the Z5, so let's stop dreaming.

What we can do is beg Bmw for a Z8 successor, then we might have a V8 in a 2 seater, heck, even a V10. That's definitely my wettest dream. Loved the Z8 to death.

[scoobysaurus]

Originally Posted by ron_jeremy

Wow, each his own, but the sound of the F was just horrible, both the V6 and the bigger brother.
Give me a I6 sound like the M2 or a V10 any day.
I guess the former is more realistic, but one can hope
Anyway, these pictures look great, looks low and wide, love the fact that it has a Soft top, it's the right choice

LOL.

S85 > Jag V8 > Jag V6 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> N55

No wait.. that isn't quite right. F-Type V6 sound >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> M2 sound

BMW hasn't made a good sounding car since the S85 and S65 went out of production. But yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night.

[Bosozoku]

Originally Posted by Law

... The most efficient MPG and all the carbon fibre in the world doesn't mean jack if the cars lack soul and are artificial in feel/sound, particularly in this segment of 2-seater coupes and roadsters.

I think there are other qualities in play in the roadster market:

1. Prestige (which explains the Mercedes SL's popularity)

2. Value (which explains the Mazda Miata's popularity)

The BMW Z line has good prestige and value, but never nailed either one.
Prestige and value, to me, are at the high and low end of the market.
BMW tried to carve out a niche in the middle.
Didn't work. There is no "middle end" in the roadster market.

So what angle can BMW try next?
Performance? Maybe. As mentioned by the OP, there are plenty of fast AMG and Jaguar roadsters.
M Division could easily build a super-fast Z5. But would it sell?

Technology? Probably the only avenue left. The Carbon Core technology could be used in the Z5.
And maybe Toyota will pay a licensing fee to use that technology in their Supra (or whatever it will be called.)

Either way, it's likely that BMW has crunched the numbers and decided that they can't afford to build a Z5 by themselves.
So they're forced to split development costs with Toyota.

[Bosozoku]

Originally Posted by scoobysaurus

... BMW hasn't made a good sounding car since the S85 and S65 went out of production. But yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night.

But yeah, whatever gets you around the track faster.
Just making your car douchebag-loud doesn't get it done.

[mrkoven]

no hardtop no care