2019 BMW Z4 Roadster Debuts At Pebble Beach Packin' 340 Turbocharged Horses

Today, however, we're getting The Full Monte, as the car was officially unveiled today at Pebble Beach. Taken as a whole, we're not quite certain what to make of the styling direction of the car. It seems to have lost some of the ultra-long nose, short rear deck proportions of its predecessor and has adopted a lot more swooshes and air vents this time around. Stylistically, it looks sort of like a mashup between a current-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK and the defunct Honda S2000.

But we digress; BMW has abandoned the power folding hardtop that was found on the previous generation and replaced it with a more compact power soft top (which can raise or lower in just over 10 seconds). BMW says that this allowed it to trim 110 pounds in weight from the vehicle. When it comes to a relatively small roadster like this, trimming weight can be a boon to performance and handling. Speaking of those two attributes, the new Z4 has a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight balance, which should make for lively handling around the track.

When it comes to power, the 2019 Z4 M40i First Edition is powered by a turbocharged inline-6 engine that puts out 340 horsepower. This is enough to rocket the vehicle from a standstill to 60mph in just 4.6 seconds. BMW isn't saying whether those times are with a 6-speed manual or with the optional automatic transmission. Other performance additions include 19-inch light alloy wheels, sports suspension with electronically controlled dampers and electronically controlled M Sport differential. We should also mention that the transmission isn't mounted direct aft the engine, and is instead incorporated into a rear transaxle.

Inside, you'll find dual 10-inch display screens (one in the instrument cluster and one on the center stack), a heads-up display, BMW Live Cockpit, and Vernasca black leather trim.

The 2019 BMW Z4 Roadster will launch worldwide (including the United States) in the spring of 2019.