BMW has confirmed its Z4 coupé 'concept' is going into production, with an arrival date in showrooms expected by the end of May.
BMW showed a 'concept' version at September's Frankfurt show and it was widely regarded as one of the highlights of that show.
The strong welcome for the new look led to plenty of hints - even in Frankfurt - that the car would go into production sooner rather than later.
Two models have already been confirmed: a 265bhp 3-litre six-cylinder version that will propel the Z4 Coupé to 62mph in around 5.5 seconds. This is the same engine that features in the 3-litre roadster version.
The German firm has also opted to launch an M version of the coupé right from the start. It will be powered by the 343bhp 3.2-litre straight six from the M3. It is expected to give it a 0-100km/h time of well under five seconds.
Both versions will feature a six-speed manual gearbox and BMW's M Differential. The cars will be produced at BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina in the US.
BMW hopes to steal some of the thunder from German rival Porsche, which has been recording continuous success in recent times.
In particular, the new coupé will target Porsche's recently launched Cayman S model.
There are no details on pricing for Ireland as yet, but reports in Britain suggest BMW are hoping to keep the hard-top coupé within the same range as the equivalent soft-top roadsters. If applied here, that would mean the 3-litre version starting at about €66,000.
Sales of the soft-top roadster version have been sluggish and it's hoped the new coupé will revitalise the Z4 model range.
