It's minus 15 outside, but BMW's showstopper at
Detroit is its new
Z4 roadster. The new folding hardtop version of BMW's Porsche Boxster chaser took pride of place on BMW's stand in the Cobo centre, Detroit. While the home teams make rather hollow boasts regarding leaps in economy BMW, like the other European manufacturers, are able to deliver real-world economy from already initiated green product initiatives. So for all the talk of the Z4's sporting credentials much emphasis has been made on its inclusion of EfficientDynamics, giving the neat new roadster not just excellent on-road performance but also decent environmental credentials.
Joining the Z4 on the stand was the 7 Series ActiveHybrid concept. Underlining the importance of the need to be green in Detroit the 7 ActiveHybrid concept was introduced first at the BMW press conference, the fuel-efficient luxury saloon anticipated to join the X6 ActiveHybrid into production in the next 12 months. With a range of turbodiesels also on show BMW is talking confidently of continued success, not just in the US, but worldwide despite the tough market conditions.
Kyle Fortune - 11 Jan 2009