2012 BMW Z2 Roadster On The Way?

REPORTS OF a smaller roadster in BMW's 'Z' lineup have been doing the rounds for some time now, and it is now believed that the German luxury carmaker's board will make a decision on the so-called Z2 roadster by the end of 2009.

Sharing its platform with the 1 Series, reports suggest the 2012 BMW Z2 will likely be powered by a line of four-cylinder engines, ranging from a 90kW starter through to a 157kW turbocharged unit.

However, a high-performance model using BMW's 3.0 litre twin-turbo inline six is also rumoured to be under consideration at Munich, while the requisite hybrid rumours have popped up as well.

A top speed of 240km/h for the four-cylinder has been speculated, with 0-100km/h going down in around 7.0 seconds.

Unlike its larger sibling's folding hard-top, the Z2 would likely feature a soft-top roof for optimised weight and space, and combined with the efficient and powerful four-cylinder engines, the 2012 Z2 would give BMW an ideal means of competing with the successful Mazda MX-5.

These renderings offer a glimpse of what we might be able to expect from the Z2's styling, with a more compact form inspired by its larger Z4 sibling.