Skip to main content

With BMW Z4 production ended, is a Toyota-engineered replacement on the way?

The BMW Z4 has officially been put to pasture. The German brand didn’t make a big thing of it — offering no fanfare or press release — but according to a publication called BimmerToday, the final Z4 rolled off the production line on August 22. On sale since 2002, the sporty cruiser offered a fun, comfortable alternative to the Porsche Boxsters and Audi TTs of the world, while also providing a hopped-up M version in its first generation.

But we’re not really here to talk about the Z4. We’re here to talk about what’s next.

Recommended Videos

For years, rumors about a Z4 replacement called the Z5 have swirled, and these reports are of particular interest because of BMW’s relationship with Toyota. Allegedly, the Z5 will share its chassis with the successor to the Toyota Supra, with the engine being developed by the Germans. We’re crossing our fingers for the M3’s 425-horsepower inline-six, but that’s just us. In the end, we could essentially see one vehicle with two names akin to the Scion FR-S and Subaru BR-Z, but the final products could end up being very different from each other. It’s just too early to tell.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Read more: Is BMW’s Remote 3D View a tech gimmick, or a useful tool?

On Toyota’s end, the time couldn’t be more perfect for a Supra comeback. Both the Acura NSX and the Ford GT have gone through high-profile resurgences lately, and although the Supra isn’t quite on the level of those two, its passionate fan base would welcome a follow-up with open arms. Specifics of the car are few and far between, but it’s likely the car would take styling cues from Toyota’s stunning FT-1 concept and feature all-wheel drive.

Toyota FT-1 front angle
Toyota FT-1 concept Image used with permission by copyright holder

Last we heard, Toyota was planning to debut a production-ready concept by the end of 2016. If things keep going as planned, the Z4’s replacement shouldn’t be too far behind.

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Honda unveils sleek electric sedan and SUV prototypes at CES 2025
Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV prototypes.

Honda’s next-generation electric vehicles are a step closer to production. At CES 2025, the automaker unveiled prototypes of the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV, the first two of its 0 Series EVs that will start rolling off assembly lines in Ohio next year.

The two EVs follow 0 Series concept cars Honda unveiled at CES 2024. These are closer to what buyers can expect to see in showrooms, hence the label of “prototype” rather than “concept.” How close exactly? When Honda unveils a prototype, that vehicle generally makes the transition to production with minimal changes. But that would be particularly remarkable here.
They still look like concept cars

Read more
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2025 Awards
Top Tech of CES

Las Vegas is overrun. Every billboard in town is shouting about AI, hotel bar tops now sport a sea of laptops, and after hours The Strip is elbow to elbow with engineers toting yard-long beers.

That means CES, the year’s biggest tech bacchanalia, has come to town, and Digital Trends editors have spent the last four days frolicking among next year’s crop of incredible TVs, computers, tablets, and EVs. We’re in heaven.

Read more
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more