BMW has ended production of its slow-selling Z4 roadster and won't have a replacement until a two-seater being developed with Toyota goes on sale in late 2017 or early 2018.
The current Z4 debuted in 2009 and is the oldest model in BMW's lineup. The successor, expected be called the Z5, will reportedly be will be built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, alongside the Toyota version.
Details about the Z5 are sparse. Spy photos have shown a roadster that is larger than the Z4. The rear-wheel-drive sports car will have a BMW engine. Toyota will supply a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
"BMW has a long roadster tradition," BMW CEO Harald Krueger told Automotive News Europe. "We will occupy the segment once more. It is not big, but it's important for the strength of the brand."
BMW has produced the Z4 in Regensburg, Germany. The company has not commented on the decision to end production in late August.
The first-generation Z4 went on sale in 2002, replacing the Z3. U.S. sales peaked at 20,169 cars in 2003. Through August, they are down 41 percent to 776.
