BMW Touring Coupé is a one-off shooting brake based on the Z4
Not for production
BMW has taken the wraps off the Touring Coupé, a one-off creation based on the underpinnings of the Z4 roadster.
The Touring Coupé takes the appearance of a stylish shooting brake — estate with a coupé-like roofline — with increased luggage space over the Z4 that sired it.
Although BMW has stated that no other examples will be produced, the show car appears road-legal and driveable.
Z4 nose with a Hofmeister kink on the side
BMW’s designers, led by Domagoj Dukec, have retained the Z4’s muscularity and have arguably enhanced its appearance with the addition of the new hardtop roof and rear hatch.
They’ve even managed to introduce a prominent take on BMW’s characteristic ‘Hofmeister kink’ — the upwards bodywork line in the back part of the rear side windows — though they couldn’t resist the temptation to tweak the Z4’s detailing, too.
Up front, the headlights and bonnet are unchanged, as is most of the lower apron, but a new version of the Z4’s radiator grille has been introduced, using stylised vertical slats.
Those are finished in a silver-bronze colour that also extends to the intricately constructed alloy wheels – measuring 20 inches in diameter up front and 21 inches at the back.
Paint named after Lake Como
BMW calls the paint Sparkling Lario (Lario is a derivative of Lake Como’s name in Latin) and it features embedded flakes of blue glass to shine through the core grey-brown colour. It probably looks better under the strong Italian sun than in the shady pictures.
Inside, the Touring Coupé retains the Z4’s dashboard — which now looks old-fashioned in comparison to the curved screen layout available in newer BMWs — but the cabin has been retrimmed in a classy two-tone scheme by Italian leather workshop Poltrona Frau, using thick-stitched leather in places.
The Touring Coupé seats two, as in the Z4 roadster, but the show car has much more luggage space behind.
That said, it’s the one area of the vehicle that lives up to the one-of-a-kind luxury billing, as the finish looks of an extremely high standard and arguably just as stylish as the front of the cabin.
BMW had the Schedoni leather workshop in Modena create a set of bespoke luggage to match the rest of the vehicle.
Traditional six-cylinder petrol power
Under the bonnet of the show car is a six-cylinder petrol engine, according to BMW, and it is assumed to be the turbocharged 3-litre unit used in the Z4 M40i, producing up to 335bhp. That’s sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
While the Touring Coupé seems out of kilter with BMW’s current forward-looking (and divisive) car designs, it is in keeping with the spirit of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este event, at which it will be shown, as it celebrates beautiful classic cars and concepts.
The Concorso d’Eleganza
The event first took place in 1929 and BMW became directly involved in 1999. Today, BMW Group Classic hosts the competition, in cooperation with the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este in Como.
For 2023 there will be eight vehicle classes:
- Class A is a Century of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Heroes of the most famous race in the world
- Class B is called The Fast and the Formal: Pre-war high speed luxury
- Class C is Grande Vitesse: Pre-war weekend racers
- Class D is Incredible India: The dazzling motoring indulgences of the might Maharajas
- Class E is Porsche at 75: Delving into the Stuttgart legend’s iconic and eccentric back catalogue
- Class F is called Granturismo: Experimenting with the post-war European GT
- Class G is That ‘Made in Italy’ Look: Styles which conquered new worlds
- Class H is Here Comes the Sun: ‘Topless’ done differently!
Aside from a competition in those categories, there are prizes for concept cars, the Coppa d’Oro voted on by the public and even a trophy for the best engine sound.
The BMW Group will exhibit a wide variety of cars other than the Touring Coupé, including the Rolls-Royce Spectre, electric Mini Convertible and the limited-production BMW 3.0 CSL.
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is open to the public on Sunday, May 21.
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- After reading about the one-off BMW Touring Coupé, you might be interested to see our review of the BMW M3 Touring
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