The BMW Z2 is on its way, despite not exactly being the darling of BMW brass. So says Britain’s CAR Magazine, which argues that the German automaker doesn’t want lose out to the everyman’s small roadster, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, now that its own Z4 has gotten larger and more expensive.

According to CAR, unlike the larger Z4, the Z2 will only be available with a folding soft top, which should be good for weight but less so for refinement.

Fortunately, CAR suggests that any talk of the car being front-wheel drive has been killed dead. Instead, BMW’s top guys are trying to make the choice between employing rear- or all-wheel drive to make the little roadster go.

A trio of 2.0-liter turbo engines are earmarked for the Z2, generating between 170 and 272 horsepower, and a couple of diesel powerplants with the same displacement are also mooted.

As of now, the report suggests that there’s a lot of finalizing to be done in Munich on everything from platforms to engines, so stay tuned for more info as it becomes available. In the meantime, check out CAR for a pair of Z2 renderings.

BMW Z2 to feature all-wheel drive? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW says that after 25 years, one in four of the company’s vehicles is sold with xDrive all-wheel drive. The German carmaker currently sells a total of 45 models that put power to all four tires, and it says that figure may rise in the near future. In order to celebrate just how far the company’s all-wheel drive system has come over the past quarter decade, BMW has rolled out a quick stroll down memory lane. The first BMW to wear an X on its trunk debuted in 1985 and offered buyers a vehicle that was as capable when the road turned slippery as it was when the tarmac grew twisty.

Since then, BMW says that it has worked to give all of its all-wheel-drive vehicles the same rear-wheel bias as the rest of its products to maintain the now classic BMW driving feel. Hit the jump to see the full press release for yourself, and be sure to check out the gallery full of vintage BMW goodies.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW celebrates 25 years of all-wheel drive

BMW celebrates 25 years of all-wheel drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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