BMW Z4 M Sport

Among the compact sports cars, the BMW Z4, Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster stand out. But what is you? And why BMW and Porsche wait so long before the coupes? There is no Boxster coupe, but the Cayman is almost the same - but upgraded.

It may seem odd to the two German companies, known for high-performance and sporty cars, waited to make an announcement about their sections at the same time. The answer lies in why they introduced the roadsters in the first place.

Porsche wanted a new, smaller model to increase market coverage. Not everyone likes the 911, and not everyone wants a coupe. It is therefore logical to the mid-engine layout to select - the 911 is rear-engined - and the better balance that gives in designing the Boxster. At the same time, the addition of an open-top racer also increase sales. And two tricks worked.

But what about BMW? Well, BMW wanted cars in the United States to build, and would not the same car built in Germany as it would lead to higher costs to build. So it was decided to a racer for the U.S. market to build, but it would be somewhere else.

At that time there was more potential volume for a boulevard cruiser than a kind of two-seater out-and-out sports car in the United States, so the BMW Z3 was born. It was a fairly big car for a sporty car, and although a hardtop was offered, it looked odd, so the car even more than it was.