Well folks, today is finally the day we get a true glimpse at the 2009 BMW Z4 and what a glimpse it is! As BMW noted in it’s press release, the new Z4 is the first BMW Z Series to carry a hardtop convertible. As such, this new Z4 will be a hybrid of both coupe and convertible which may leave little hope for those of us looking for a successor to the E85 coupe.

Moving on though, the new Z4 is a tour de force of styling, technology and performance. For those of you that followed the many test mule pictures that have littered the internet the you probably already knew what to expect in terms of styling, especially based on some of the prospective spy shots we’ve shown here before. However, the Z4 looks even better than I had hoped. It retains the classic sports car layout with a potent engine tucked under a long hood with a soft, tapering tail at the rear.

The cut lines that glide down the car from wheel well to wheel well are a strong evolution of the original flame surfacing lines seen on the previous generation Z4. These same cut lines are then accentuated by the fender inlets behind the front wheels, a styling cue taken directly from the CS Concept and already spotted on the new F01 7 Series.

Moving inside the car, we see an interior that almost exactly duplicates that of the CS Concept’s. In my opinion, this interior really focuses the dash and instruments much more toward the driver, which is thankfully the opposite of the direction BMW’s interiors had been moving. Granted it’s difficult to tell, but the fit and finish of interior appears to be very refined and polished and pulls design cues from the CS again with the electronic handbrake and the unfortunately goofy looking shifter on automatic/DCT models. That said, the Z4 will be a very comfortable, cozy place to be that wraps around it’s occupants juxtaposed to the somewhat expansive, long dash-laden interior of the previous Z4.

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P.S New unseen photos were uploaded

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