Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 


BMW shows off Concept Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.

BMW shows off Concept Touring Coupe
Z4-based shooting brake is, alas, a one-off.
<< earlier article     later article >>

 


News homepage

Newer articles featuring 2024 BMW Z4

2024-01-31: Manual gearbox returns to BMW’s Z4 roadster

What's all this about?

Looks like a Z4 estate, doesn’t it? Well, that’s because it is. Kind of. Actually, this is the BMW Concept Coupe, and it’s a sixties-throwback to the days when glamorous people owned slinky but practical sports cars instead of hulking great SUVs.

Is BMW going to put this one sale?

Sadly not. This concept car is a one-off, being shown at the Concorso D’Eleganza, a famous classic car event in Italy that BMW sponsors, and to which the Munich firm always brings an interesting concept car.

What's so special about it, then?

Well, while the front end is recognisably a Z4 (and we assume that the 340hp six-cylinder engine from the Z4 M40i is under there, although BMW isn’t officially saying) the rear bodywork is unique, with tall but tapering roofline under which is a fairly practical shooting brake estate-type boot. There’s certainly enough room for two people to pack in luggage for a week or so away.

That's a nice colour...

Custom-made for the car, no less. It’s called Sparkling Lario, and BMW says that it’s “embedded flakes of blue glass, its grey-brown hues achieve a unique impression of depth.” To finish off, there are silver-bronze accents that extend around the ‘Hofmeister Kink’ and up to the roof (slight shades of the XM, we think?) and a special grille at the front, which gets nice silver-bronze bars. Even the alloy wheels — staggered with 21-inch rims at the back and 20-inches at the front — are bespoke.

Is that a new interior I spy?

Oh yes. While the basic architecture is that of the standard Z4, BMW has gone to town on the upholstery, drafting in famous Italian leather-maker Poltrona Frau to do a two-tone brown leather look for the cabin, with gorgeous details like braided leather for the edges of the seats. That same pale ‘saddle’ brown leather extends to the boot, where you’ll also find a matching pair of duffel bags, hand-made by the Schedoni leather workshop in Modena (Ferrari’s home town, if you needed reminding).

Why has BMW made it?

Basically, it seems, to remind us that it still loves proper sports cars, even as the lineup becomes filled with chunky, heavy SUVs and crossovers. “The BMW Concept Touring Coupe celebrates the original Sheer Driving Pleasure,” said Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW Design. “A highly emotional vehicle like this shows that the passion for everything that goes into driving pleasure has been essential through the ages and will be for the future.”

Why won't BMW build it for real?

Economics. Z4 sales have been on a steady downward curve for some time, and it seems unlikely that, once the current model comes to the end of its production life in 2025, that it will be replaced at all. Few people buy sports cars anymore, and even fewer people would lash out money on a two-seat estate, however tempting the idea might seem to us enthusiasts.

Seems a shame...

Right? Not many modern BMWs that are this elegant. In fact, we even spotted legendary car designer Giorgetto Guigiaro braving the heavy rain at the launch event to take several photos of the car. If he appreciates it, it must be good…



Neil Briscoe - 23 May 2023


2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.

2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.2023 BMW Touring Coupe. Image by BMW.









www.bmw.co.uk    - BMW road tests
- BMW news
- Z4 images






Aston Martin Valhalla: 1,064bhp, 217mph, £850k. Image by Aston Martin.
Aston reveals full details on £850k Valhalla supercar
The Aston Martin Valhalla is the company’s first plug-in hybrid, capable of all-electric driving.
 
Jaguar begins its transformation. Image by Jaguar.
Jaguar begins a complete reinvention of the brand
JLR’s most storied brand heads for complete reinvention
Porsche launches 700hp Taycan GTS. Image by Porsche.
Porsche launches 2025 Taycan GTS
All-electric performance saloon and estate models get a 390-mile range.

 
 215 Racing
 9ff
 A. Kahn Design
 Abarth
 Abt
 AC Cars
 AC Schnitzer
 Acura
 Aehra
 AIM
 Alfa Romeo
 Alpina
 Alpine
 Amari
 APS Sportec
 Arash
 Arden
 Ares
 Ariel
 Arrinera
 Artega
 Ascari
 Aston Martin
 Atalanta
 Atomik
 Audi
 Austin
 Auto Union
 Autodelta
 Autofarm
 Autosport
 AVA
 Avatar
 Axon
 Aznom
 BAC
 BAIC
 Bentley
 Bertone
 Bizzarrini
 Bloodhound
 Bluebird
 BMW
 Bosch
 Bowler
 Brabham
 Brabus
 Breckland
 Bridgestone
 Brilliance
 Bristol
 Bugatti
 Buick
 Burton
 BYD
 Cadillac
 Callaway
 Callum
 Caparo
 Capstone
 Carlsson
 Caterham
 CCG
 Chang'an
 Changfeng
 Chevrolet
 Chevron
 Chongfeng
 Chrysler
 Citroen
 Climax
 Connaught
 Cooper Tires
 Corvette
 Cummins
 Cupra
 Dacia
 Daewoo
 Daihatsu
 Daimler
 Dartz
 Datsun
 David Brown
 David Brown Automotive
 DDR
 De Tomaso
 Delta
 Detroit Electric
 Devon
 Dodge
 Donkervoort
 Drayson
 DS
 Eagle
 Eagle E-type
 EDAG
 edo competition
 Eterniti
 Everrati
 Evisol
 Exagon
 FAB Design

 
 Factory Five
 Faralli & Mazzanti
 Fenix
 Fenomenon
 Ferrari
 Fiat
 Fisker
 Ford
 G-Power
 Geely
 Gemballa
 General Motors
 Genesis
 Ginetta
 Giugiaro
 Glickenhaus
 GMC
 Goodwood
 Google
 Gordon Murray
 Gordon Murray Automotive
 Gordon Murray Design
 Gray Design
 Great Wall
 GTA
 GTM
 Gumpert
 Hamann
 Hartge
 HBH
 Heffner Performance
 Hennessey
 HERE
 HiPhi
 Holden
 Honda
 Hulme
 Hummer
 Hyundai
 I.D.E.A
 Icona
 IFR
 Infiniti
 Ionity
 Isis
 JAC
 Jaguar
 Jeep
 Jensen
 Jetstream
 JJAD
 Joss Developments
 Kahn
 Kamala
 Keating
 Kia
 Koenigsegg
 KTM
 Kumho
 Lada
 Lagonda
 Lamborghini
 Lancia
 Land Rover
 Lexus
 Liberty
 Lightning
 Lincoln
 Lister
 Loma Performance
 Lorinser
 Lotus
 LupiniPower
 Luxgen
 Mahindra
 Mansory
 Maserati
 Mastretta
 Maybach
 Mazda
 McLaren
 Mercedes
 Mercedes-AMG
 Mercedes-Benz
 Mercedes-Maybach
 Mercury
 Metrocab
 MG
 Michelin
 MINI
 Mitsubishi
 MMI
 Monte Carlo
 Mopar
 Morgan
 Mosler
 MTM
 Munro
 NAC MG
 Nichols Cars
 Nissan
 NLV

 
 Noble
 Novitec
 Opel
 Overfinch
 Pagani
 Perodua
 Peugeot
 Piaggio
 Pininfarina
 Polestar
 Pontiac
 Porsche
 Praga
 Preview
 Prodrive
 Project Runningblade
 Project Velocity
 Proton
 Protoscar
 Qoros
 Radical
 Range Rover
 Red Bull
 Renault
 Reva
 Rimac
 Rinspeed
 RoadRazer
 Rolls-Royce
 Ronn Motor Company
 Rover
 RUF
 Saab
 SAIC
 Saleen
 Saturn
 Scagliarini
 SCG
 Scion
 SDR Sportscars
 SEAT
 Sin
 Singer
 Skoda
 Smart
 Soleil
 Spada
 speedArt
 Sportec
 Spyker
 SRT
 Ssangyong
 SSC
 Startech
 STaSIS
 Subaru
 Suzuki
 Suzusho
 TAD
 Tamiya
 Tata
 Techart
 Tesla
 The Little Car Company
 THINK
 Thunder Power
 Tojeiro
 Tommy Kaira
 TomTom
 Toray
 Toyota
 Trabant
 TranStar
 Trident
 Tushek
 TVR
 TWR
 UKCOTY
 Vanda Electrics
 Vauxhall
 Velozzi
 Vencer
 Venturi
 Veritas
 Vizualtech
 VL Automotive
 Volkswagen
 Volvo
 VUHL
 WCA
 WCotY
 Webasto
 Westfield
 Wiesmann
 Xenatec
 Yamaha
 Zagato
 Zarooq
 Zeekr
 Zenos
 Zenvo



 
 






External links:   | Irish Car Market News |

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2024 ©