‘Clown shoe’ returns as BMW debuts Concept Touring Coupé

Although it had recently as March this year denied all hopes of commissioning a successor to the radical Z3 M Coupe, BMW has done just that by revealing a shooting brake version of the current Z4 this past weekend at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza on the banks of Lake Como in Italy.

Limited production could happen

Called the Concept Touring Coupé, the spiritual successor for the Z3 M Coupé, known affectionally as the clown shoe for its estate-styled coupe design, for now remains a one-off despite BMW executives hinting it will consider mass production should enough interest be shown.

According to a report that emerged over the weekend, BMW’s Head of Design Adrian van Hooydonk let slip that “at least two to three people” had expressed interest in wanting a production-spec Concept Touring Coupé.

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“There’s no concrete plans to put it in production. But, we made the agreement before we set sail for Lake Como that, if there’s enough interest, we will take a look at it. That could be a very low-volume version, like 50 cars or so,” motor1.com quoted van Hooydonk as saying soon after the concept’s reveal.

Design classic waiting

Based on the updated Z4 that debuted near the end of last year, the Concept Touring Coupé is the work of BMW itself and while the front-end all the way to the door pillars are unchanged from the Z4, from there, it is all different as BMW has redesigned its trademark Hoffmeister kink C-pillar to fit in with the coupe bodystyle.

Finished in a unique colour called Sparkling Lario and riding on 20-inches at the front and 21-inches at the rear alloy wheels designed specifically for it, the Concept Touring Coupé also receives added gold accents, a sculpted rear window as part of the newly and uniquely designed tailgate, a prominent diffuser and taillights subtly updated from the Z4.

Inside, the interior is largely identical to that of the Z4, sans the presence of custom-made Poltrona Frau leather in dark brown and lighter saddle brown.

Power of six

Despite BMW not revealing much about the actual design of the shooting brake section itself, or of the interior, underneath, the Concept Touring Coupé is likely powered by the Z4 M40i’s 3.0-litre B58 straight-six turbocharged engine as per BMW only confirming it being motivated by a “six-cylinder engine”.

This means potentially the same outputs of 285kW/500Nm delivered to the rear wheels through the ZF-sourced eight-speed Steptronic gearbox.

Hold the deposits

A direct tribute to 328 Touring Coupé that won the Mille Miglia in 1940, but also the indirect successor to the Z3 M Coupe despite it not being named, the Concept Touring Coupé , as mentioned, remains a concept for now and nothing else.

However, with Z4 production set to end by 2025, rumours have already started that it could possibly enter production, regardless of what BMW has said. As mentioned though, this purely speculative and not confirmed outright.

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