BMW Z2 MX-5 Fighter Dubbed 'Inessential,' Cancelled
Despite models like the i8 and Z4, BMW is more interested in SUVs and crossovers than sports cars these days. Case in point: The Z2 has been cancelled.
The Z2 would have gone toe-to-toe with the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Fiat’s Spyder beginning in 2016, Car reports, but was deemed “inessential” in the face of both booming SUV sales and a sluggish sports car market by chairman Harald Krüger and R&D boss Klaus Fröhlich, a move in line with sales boss Ian Robertson’s belief the sports car market may never recover.
The roadster would have slotted under the Z4, come with a £20,000 ($31,000 USD) starting price tag, and been limited to three- and four-cylinder engine options delivering their power to the front wheels.
The aforementioned FWD setup would have been the result of the Z2 sharing a platform with the MINI, BMW 1 Series, and the front-driven models in the BMW 2 Series, a setup also shared by the still-alive MINI Superleggera roadster.
[Photo credit: BMW]
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"...been limited to three- and four-cylinder engine options delivering their power to the front wheels." Epic fail.
Fröhlich! Weihnachten?
The fact that BMW would only consider this as a front-driver, and then abandon it altogether indicates to me that, just as Honda is an engine company that happens to build cars, BMW is a roundel company that happens to build cars. Both companies build good cars, but that's not their fundamental raison d'etre.
Since the price was listed in British Pounds and then merely converted to USD using the current exchange rate, I think we can assume the car would be less than the $31k mentioned. The price in England includes all taxes and cars typically cost more there as a rule of thumb. Maybe the car would be actually price competitive with the Miata. Anyway, even if it were price competitive with the Miata, would it be nearly as good a car? Would badge snobs buy it anyway even though it's small, noisy, etc? Wouldn't a base 1-series or 2-series be a better choice for people just wanting the badge?