Zagato reskins BMW’s Z4

Italian design house takes the styling wand to two-seat roadster.

BMW has given buyers a hint of its Z4 to come, unveiling a smooth, svelte version of the two-seat sports car dubbed the Zagato Coupe.

Unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an annual concours held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, the reworked Z4 features many of the traditional styling cues from Milanese coachbuilder Zagato.

Largely hand-crafted, the car is registered for road use and meets all the legal requirements worldwide, Zagato says.

Under the hood is a version of BMW’s twin-turbo in-line six-cylinder engine - an unusual addition to a range that recently dropped the six-cylinder powertrain for turbocharged four-pot versions - giving performance that has already cut a ‘‘bella figura’’ at high speeds during testing on the test track, BMW says.

The Z4’s steel skin was replaced with hand-beaten aluminium that, while it follows the lines of the Z4, gives it a new look.

The car retains its long bonnet, but introduces a traditional Zagato-inspired ‘‘doppia gobba’’ double bubble roofline - it is designed to give drivers wearing helmets a bit extra headroom - to the rear-set glasshouse, falling down to a Kammback - the abruptly cut-off tail that is becoming the design signature of hybrid cars.

There’s a bit of science in the design, too. Ever heard of Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome? His form now graces the traditional kidney grille of the Zagato Coupe, which is also filled with small, floating ‘‘Z’’ letters built into a three-dimensional pattern.

Large air intakes add low-set finishing touches to the car’s nose, with their dynamic form and size hinting at the power of the engine under the bonnet.

The ‘‘Z’’ theme continues down the side, where another reference to the design house sits under the front guard-mounted air vents.

The doors, too, have changed considerably under Zagato’s hands, with the trailing edge having a more swept look that cuts into the rear-quarter glass at an acute angle.

Even the wheels are made to look like propellers in a nod to BMW’s ties to its aircraft making heritage.

The paint job, too, is bespoke for the car. Underneath, it’s a layer of black, then metallic silver, then six coats of Rosso Vivace - that’s red to you and me - followed by two coats of clear-coat seal. According to BMW, in the right light the car’s colour shifts from ‘‘something close to black all the way to a brilliant red’’.

Surprisingly, the Zagato Coupe has a two-tone grey interior set out with red stitching - quite dull compared with the vivid exterior.

Open the boot and you get a bespoke Zagato hat bag and even a travel bag that replicates the double-bubble roof of the car. BMW has unveiled several concept cars at the concours, including last year’s 328 Hommage speedster that celebrated the German car maker’s 75th anniversary of the 328.

Other concept cars unveiled at the weekend’s event include the Pininfarina Cambiano ‘‘eco-friendly’’ luxury sedan, the Italdesign Giugiaro Brivido hybrid car, and the Aston Martin Lagonda Project AM 310 sports car.

Via: news.drive.com.au