The very first thought among almost all car enthusiasts upon first seeing the BMW Concept Touring Coupe (also known as a “Z4 Coupe” or “Clown Shoe revival”) was “Is BMW actually going to make this?” As it turns out, it actually might. We learned at a design roundtable during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este that BMW might be considering a production run of the stunning one-off. Even though BMW has yet to commit to a specific number of units (pending more feedback from potential customers), the rumored limited run is around 50 units. Of course, the price point will reflect that: it could cost somewhere in the ballpark of $250,000.
Great feedback from potential customers
During the roundtable discussion with the media, led by the head of BMW Group design Adrian van Hooydonk, we asked about the response from potentially interested customers. According to van Hooydonk, there have been some inquiries from interested, deep-pocketed buyers. “At least two or three people that said ‘I want it,’” van Hooydonk told us.
We then asked van Hooydonk if that interest will lead to anything else, to which he replied “Who knows? You know, I would like that. That’s for sure.” He also went on to say that a very limited run of around 50 units, which is the same number as the BMW 3.0 CSL, is possible. He also alluded that any production car based on this new Clown Shoe would cost significantly less than the 3.0 CSL, as the two cars are very different and would be desirable to different sorts of customers.
Cheaper than the limited edition BMW 3.0 CSL
“[The Concept Touring Coupe is] a different animal of course. Maybe not a car that you would go on track with. Still a car with, I think, decent amount of horsepower and good handling for sure. But it’s more common that you can cruise through Europe with and do let’s say a long weekend and so it’s more that type of fee.”
An editor from CarBuzz asked van Hooydonk about potential pricing, and we asked a BMW North America representative to confirm the rumored cost. The general consensus seems to be that a price of around $250,000 is realistic if such a car were to be built. Of course, some might say that’s a lot for what is essentially just a Z4 Coupe, especially since any production version would use the same B58 engine as the standard Z4.
According to BMW, the M3’s S58 engine doesn’t work in the Z4. The B58 engine is powerful enough to be fun, and the Z4 M40i is a blast to drive, but it won’t be the selling point for a potential Z4 Coupe “Clown Shoe” remake. Instead, customers would want it for its bespoke interior and its functionality as an exclusive, stylish, touring car.
