The carpocalypse has claimed countless victims, but convertibles have been among the hardest hit. The death count is staggering as Mercedes alone has killed the AMG GT Roadster, SLC/SLK, and S-Class Cabriolet. The company has also merged the C- and E-Class Cabrios into the new CLE-Class drop top.
It appears the murderous thoughts are spreading as Car & Driver is reporting the BMW Z4 won’t live to see another generation. That remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t exactly be surprising given lackluster sales.
According to GoodCarBadCar, BMW only sold 1,881 Z4s in the United States last year. While that was an increase from 2022, sales are down considerably since 2,941 units were sold in 2019. The slide is even worse when you consider that Z4 sales used to hover around 10,000 units annually before the Great Recession.
If the Z4 is indeed toast, it raises questions about the future of the Toyota Supra. That particular model also sells in relatively small numbers as the company moved 2,652 units in the United States last year. While the coupe easily outsold its roadster counterpart, Supra sales were down nearly 50% from 2022.
Getting back to BMW, it looks like the 8-Series Coupe and Convertible could be dropped as well. However, insiders told the publication the model will continue to exist in Gran Coupe form. Furthermore, we might get an i8 to battle the Porsche Taycan and upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door EV.
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While those deaths wouldn’t be surprising, Car & Driver is reporting Alpina will be pushed upmarket to compete with Mercedes-Maybach. This could result in radical changes as the publication says the Rolls-Royce Ghost will die and effectively be replaced by the Alpina B7.
If true, it sounds like a risky move as Rolls-Royce is an iconic brand with universal appeal. Alpina, on the other hand, isn’t well-known outside of enthusiast circles and doesn’t elicit the same response as a Rolls.
That being said, the publication believes Rolls-Royce will focus on exclusivity as well as ultra-luxury vehicles. These could include a Spectre convertible as well as new coachbuilt models like the Droptail.
