BMW Zagato Roadster - 2012

German engineering meets Italian design at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours.

The 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Monterey Motorsports Reunion is fast developing into an auto show for the rich and famous. High-end automakers are vying for attention with new production models and concept vehicles. That’s the case with the BMW Zagato Roadster, a German engineered and Italian designed drop-top that could easily make the jump from concept to production model. Based on the BMW Z4 convertible, the Zagato-penned Roadster follows the introduction of the outwardly similar Coupe Concept, shown only three months ago during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Apparently, the leap from being only a design idea to full-scale concept took only six weeks. “We set ourselves the challenge of preparing the car in time for the renowned Pebble Beach Concours” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design.

The Roadster shares many design similarities with the Coupe version that came before it. A curvaceous hood is balanced with pronounced fenders that flow nicely into a Kamm-style tail end. The blacked-out taillights appear slightly 1980s-kitsch, at least to some eyes, though one especially nice detail is the front grille, which is filled with small Zagato “z” letters. One item found on the Coupe and missing from the Roadster is the famous Zagato double-bubble roofline—though you and a passenger could always don football helmets with the top up for a similar effect. The “Rosso Vivace” paintjob of the Coupe has given way to a rich-looking grey finish, while a set of 19-inch five-spoke alloy wheels are shared between both models.

Unfortunately, as was the case with the Coupe, the BMW Zagato Roadster Concept is being shown with no details regarding what’s lurking beneath the bodywork. We’ve speculated that it’s likely the Z4’s top engine, a 335-bhp turbocharged inline-6 cylinder, is lurking beneath the hood. Then again, with the German brand’s push towards better fuel economy and efficiency, it’s not impossible that the new turbocharged 4-cylinder used in the 2012 Z4 sDrive 28i could provide the motivating force for this drop-top (and its coupe cousin). Our guess is that the BMW Zagato Coupe and Roadster concepts will be produced in a limited edition, with an official announcement possibly scheduled for the Paris Auto Show in September.