BMW reveals Zagato Roadster at Pebble Beach

Earlier this week, we snuck a peak at the BMW Zagato roadster in dark photos sent from BMW. After its reveal on the lawn at Pebble Beach on Friday, we’ve found out a bit more about the one-off drop top.

It only took six weeks to go from drawing to finished concept, according to BMW. The car came on the heels of the BMW Zagato coupe, which we first saw at the Concourso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy.

“We set ourselves the challenge of preparing the car in time for the renowned Pebble Beach concours,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group Design. “It was only with the expertise of both companies in the manufacture of high-end one-off cars and another display of outstanding teamwork that we were able to finish the car on schedule.”

The Zagato roadster has classic sports-car proportions with a sweeping hood and short rear end similar to the coupe version. BMW’s kidney grille sits up front with z-designs instead of the normal bars. A pair of ports are cut from the hood to extract hot air.

A bird’s-eye view shows the hallmark Zagato double-bubble roof, extending from the rear, through the roll bars and onto the hood.

The rear of the roadster looks low and wide, with a spoiler extending the width of the car. Brake lights are surrounded by black accents, leaving a small circle for BMW’s roundel. Underneath, a diffuser directs air out from under the back end, while exhaust pipes sit on each side.

The show car sits on 19-inch wheels with a five-spoke design, which BMW says was inspired by a propeller. The founders of both BMW and Zagato have roots in aviation. It’s painted a shade of gray, setting off the black and brown accents.

Like the coupe, we expect this roadster can be driven and registered legally in most countries. Whether BMW will produce the car in greater numbers remains to be seen.

By Jake Lingeman