BMW is planning a new model that will rival the Mercedes SL-Class and fill the gap left by the discontinued Z8, according to two magazine reports this week. Both the U.K.’s AutoCar and U.S.-based AutoWeek are reporting BMW most definitely is working on a car called the Z6 that will rival the highly successful SL Mercedes. The reports come 6 weeks after Germany’s AutoBild first indicated BMW was working on such a car.
According to AutoCar the Z6 looks like a cross between a Nissan 350Z and a Porsche 911. The report indicates that it will be the same size as the BMW 6-Series , but much sportier. The report also indicates the car will weigh under 3,300 pounds. AutoBild reported the same figure in April, stating the car would be a sporty alternative to the 3850-pound Mercedes SL.
The car is designed to be a technology showcase, and, as such, will use exotic materials like magnesium and carbon fiber. It will also use a more efficient engine than the Z8, both reports said.
BMW hopes to sell 15,000 units per year, according to AutoCar.
The AutoWeek report indicates the car will cost less than the Z8 (which sold for $130,000) and has a great deal of support from the BMW board. The report also suggests an entry-level Z2 will be slotted below the Z4.
Both magazines say plans for a mid-engine layout were scrapped, and BMW instead opted for a front-engine design.
In its report on the car, AutoBild said while BMW can’t “reinvent the hardtop,� it wants to give the car a strong coupe character when the roof is up.
Interestingly, AutoWeek suggests that recent spy shots that some fan sites speculated showed the Porsche Panamera wearing a BMW M5 body are actually the Z6 platform in testing.
