BMW shuffles production; US plant to produce SUVs instead of Z4

[ifcar]

Automotive News August 31, 2007 - 3:54 pm EST

BMW AG plans to move production of the Z4 car from its Spartanburg, S.C., plant to Regensburg, Germany, starting with the next generation, a BMW spokeswoman said today.

The move, which will take place in 2009 or 2010, is aimed at centralizing the development and production expertise of particular vehicle types in BMW?s plants, said Bunny Richardson of BMW Manufacturing Corp.

Regensburg builds the 1 series and all variants of the 3 series, including convertibles. Besides being the birthplace of the Z4, which replaced the Z3 in 2002, the Spartanburg plant produces the X5 crossover.

BMW plans to begin building a new crossover, the X6, in Spartanburg in 2008. Production of the smaller X3 crossover will move to Spartanburg from contract assembler Magna Steyr?s plant in Graz, Austria, with the next generation, likely in 2010.

?All of this production movement is about gathering know-how,? Richardson said. ?For the X models, that will be Spartanburg. For the convertibles, that?s Regensburg.?

The Z4?s departure will not affect BMW?s plan to increase capacity in Spartanburg from 140,000 to 200,000 vehicles annually in the midterm, Richardson said.

She did not think the move was related to the Z4?s declining U.S. sales, which were down 17 percent through the first half of the year. BMW sold 5,420 Z4s through July, compared with 6,496 in 2006.

[Eye of the Tiger]

  That means no more charity Z4 autocrosses in South Carolina! 

[MX793]

That means no more charity Z4 autocrosses in South Carolina! 

Maybe they'll start some autocrosses for X3s, 5s and 6s?

[omicron]

That's good - I can now bomb the Spartanburg plant and not lose anything worthwhile.