Quote :

"BMW has apparently put together a prototype lightweight coupe called the Z29. Based on the Z4, the car is said to weight just over 2,500 pounds. It features the same engine as the Z4 M and M3, and is built of aluminum and carbon fiber."

For those who know German:

http://www.auto-motor-sport.de/news/auto_und_produkte/bmw_z29_bayerischer_leicht_sinn.120292.htm


But damn, it looks very good in a different sort of way. And oh yeah, it has not been touched by the Bangle stick! And I bet it is a great performer: 343 hp, and just 2,550 pounds.





[Edited on August 4, 2006 at 10:47 PM. Reason : ]

8/4/2006 10:46:32 PM

shit looks nice. I like the Lambo doors, also the non-Bangle features.

8/4/2006 10:50:23 PM

bangle cars look better than that!

8/4/2006 11:00:51 PM

hot.

8/4/2006 11:06:28 PM

i hope you are kidding, the z4 coupe looks much better. While the weight and HP are cool, the car looks like shit.

8/4/2006 11:17:47 PM

any idea on how much? other than $texas of course...

8/5/2006 12:14:35 AM

Looooove it. I just don't like how boxy the front end looks. Looks like BMW's answer to a Mercedes sports car...like an slk500 or something.

8/5/2006 12:18:03 AM

350z meets crossfire...ish

8/5/2006 12:19:33 AM

someone said a focus front with a prelude back.

anyway, such comparisons are ridiculous and pointless, unless you have a car that is a blatant copy of another.

this bimmer looks great. no bangling, really smooth and crisp lines.

the z4 coupe looks ugly from the front and the side (the roofline is great), but looks nice from the back. this looks nice from all angles.

8/5/2006 12:23:29 AM

purty

8/5/2006 12:26:54 AM

i really like the back view

8/5/2006 1:03:21 AM

Quote :

"shit looks nice. I like the Lambo doors, also the non-Bangle features."

you're fired

8/5/2006 1:16:36 AM

butt ugly

8/5/2006 1:45:44 AM

only part i like is the flow of the car from the a-pillar to the tail. that's it.

8/5/2006 2:09:13 AM

I'd wager that it's a photoshop job.

BMW will not produce a 2500lbs car, you can bet on that. But aside from the obvious, those are 997 tt wheels, and what appears to be aftermarket Ford Focus headlights. Also, if this car was as 'sporty' as claimed, the current market would dictate 4 large&shiny exhaust pipes that are, not 2 small ones that aren't bling. Combine that with the dated looking kidney, and it's seeming less likely that this is an actual car. Ofcourse the dead giveaway is the e36 m3 mirrors.
Ahmet

8/5/2006 6:34:05 AM

Wie Hasslich

8/5/2006 8:08:46 AM

looks compressed, i like the z4 more

8/5/2006 8:24:09 AM

They should market this as the Z2. That would be genius.

If it is reasonably priced (base model), say $25,000, it would sell like hotcakes.

8/5/2006 8:47:34 AM

yes, a 343HP BMW for $25,000. In your dream buddy. I think we're looking at at least $40K.

8/5/2006 9:13:45 AM

If you open your eyes wide like , you will see this:

Quote :

"(base model)"

8/5/2006 10:10:41 AM

yes, find me a 343HP BMW for $25K.

8/5/2006 10:14:22 AM

Jesus, how thick can you be???

I said BASE MODEL.

A car with a 342 hp engine is NOT a base model (unless it is a supercar).

The base model would have the BASE ENGINE, say a 2.5 litre V6, or a 2 litre turbo 4, good for 150-200 hp.

The 343 hp model would be the TOP OF THE LINE, which would retail for about 40K.

8/5/2006 10:18:08 AM

when's the last time you can get a brand new BMW for $25K? My point is that BMW is not gonna drive down their luxury image by selling a car for $25K. Even if they can sell it at that price, they'll still charge at least $30K just because it's a BMW.

8/5/2006 10:21:47 AM

Quote :

"when's the last time you can get a brand new BMW for $25K?"

So? Automakers never do anything new? Like trying to reach out to new customers at different levels?

If MB (A-Class) and Audi (A2) have 25K models, why not BMW?

And BTW, BMW does make a 25K car. It is called as the 1-Series.

Granted, it doesn't come to the US, but if it did, the pricing would look like this:

116i: 23K
118i: 25K
120i: 27K

8/5/2006 10:47:57 AM

exactly man, i doubt that we would ever see a 1 series for sale in the US. I don't know if they can compete with Honda and Toyota at the lower price level.

[Edited on August 5, 2006 at 10:51 AM. Reason : .]

8/5/2006 10:51:16 AM

Thats the dumbest thing I've read hgtran.

If other companies do it here, then so will BMW.

8/5/2006 2:09:18 PM

where is Ben to tell us about it

8/5/2006 2:58:57 PM

its not real.

8/5/2006 3:27:31 PM

i think it looks cool regardless

8/5/2006 3:39:32 PM

i liked it until i saw the riced out tails

didnt this trend die in like 2001?

8/5/2006 4:33:08 PM

Quote :

" 2.5 litre V6"

stfu & gtfo

8/5/2006 4:34:24 PM

hgtran actually has a good point. bmw's 1 series would not be able to compete with the accord and camry in the united states. you get much more for the money with the honda and toyota than you would with a bmw 1-series or 2-series - size being the biggest advantage for the japanese companies in that class. only thing you would get with the bmw is the badge. americans have made it clear that we really don't care all that much about badging. value for money is what sells in the u.s.

not to mention, the accord and camry are top 5 or top 10 in sales in the u.s. bmw isn't going to come in and get anywhere near that, especially with a $25k 1 series (which would probably be more in the u.s.) that should really sell for ~$18k.

dang, and i forgot about acura's lineup. shoo!

[Edited on August 5, 2006 at 4:45 PM. Reason : ]

8/5/2006 4:38:00 PM

^^ if you have some worthwhile criticism, state it like a human being; i can't read you mind

NWTF & STFU & GTFO!!!!1111 lololololol

8/5/2006 4:41:58 PM

i still think i came a little when i saw this car

8/5/2006 4:42:44 PM

Quote :

"bmw isn't going to come in and get anywhere near that"

that really isn't BMWs target demographic though

you are going to see more of them in cities or places where people make more money because that's the image BMW is marketing- it's about staus and the image that goes along with it

they are luxury sedans, not economy cars

people are going to buy a used 3 series instead of a brand new, top of the line accord or camry, if they want 'image'.

8/5/2006 4:51:15 PM

you're right. and if they're going for the image angle, then they're not going to buy a 1-series. only people that will buy/drive a 1-series will be.
1. parents for their kids' first car.
2. recent college grad tryin' too hard to look cool, but everyone else is just going to laugh at them because we will all know that person really can't afford a real bmw. this is like someone who went to a university, but never graduated claiming to be an alumnus. technically, they would be right. however, that person and everyone else knows that you're not really an alumnus unless you graduate. that's what driving a 1-series is - being a wannabe.

[Edited on August 5, 2006 at 4:59 PM. Reason : ]

8/5/2006 4:54:39 PM

exactly

anyone remember that heinous looking Mercedes hatchback?

the only people that bought that piece of shit were rich parents for their spoiled kids

8/5/2006 4:59:12 PM

yes, and i know two kids with rich parents who drive them. c230, i think? they have supercharged and amg versions though, for whatever that's worth.

8/5/2006 5:02:08 PM

^ exactly (that they have powerful version also)

and the 130i has a 265 hp engine, and it will knock out any 3-series except the M3. but it also costs the equivalent of a cool $37,000 in Germany.

8/5/2006 6:02:25 PM

i love it, faked or not. BIG step back in the right design direction of BMW. About fucking time too, I was seriously worried the company would eventually completely drop it's heritage

8/5/2006 7:08:26 PM

yea, it's time for BMW to get back to its root. I hate their new cars, look like mazdas.

8/5/2006 7:14:49 PM

ill have to agree with ahmet

i dont believe bmw would never produce anything with such ugly head/tail lights

look closely at the wheels, note they are in the same position. even the valvestems and centercap emblems are in the same position. the calipers as well. the reflection in the floor shows a different style of wheel altogether.

those mirrors, and moreso the position they are in, look terrible.

bmw likes to recess the roundel into the body a little, they dont just stick them out there to look like it was an afterthought. and those grilles are a blast from the past. that muffler belongs on an aircooled VW.

8/5/2006 8:27:59 PM

hate to break it to you guys, but theres no way to KNOW if its real or not. Upwards of 70% of the cars you see in commercials, adverts and promo shots are rendered models. And BMW/VW/Mercedes are really big on doing it that way.

8/5/2006 9:07:53 PM