BMW teases Z4 replacement, debuts on August 17

BMW will offer an early glimpse of its next Z4 roadster with the Z4 Concept, which will be shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on 17 August.

A new preview image released on social media suggests that the open-top concept will feature a pair of rear butresses. The production Z4 it influences, however, is expected to feature a more conventional folding soft top – as seen on Z4 development cars.

The concept Z4's other features are expected to show the design direction for the third-generation Z4, which is planned to go on sale in late 2018 as part of what BMW’s head of sales and marketing, Ian Robertson, describes as the most comprehensive new model push.

Codenamed G29, the 2019 convertible is being developed in a joint engineering programme between BMW and Toyota, which will sell a coupé version as the Supra.

The two cars, which have been seen testing in development form on public roads for several months, will be produced alongside each another at Magna in Austria.

BMW is said to have retained the Z4 name for its future model, rather than using Z5 as previously rumoured, because Z5 won’t fit with its naming structure, which uses even numbers for performance models.

This is backed up by internal correspondence relating to the G29 project, which refers to the car as Z4.

The production Z4 will arrive three months after the new 8 Series, which is due in 2018 and is previewed by the Concept 8 Series.

The 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance kicks off on 16 August and runs through to 20 August.