While the front end of this latest 2018 Z5 prototype remains well hidden, BMW engineers were apparently a little less careful with the rear.

The taillight design is only partially revealed, but we can already tell that compared to the outgoing Z4, the taillights on the new Z5 have been slightly raised and no longer seem to meet up with the bottom part of the boot lid to create a continuous design line.

As for the rear bumper, it’s housing a pair of squared exhaust tips, though the design of the bumper itself, while probably finalized, remains well hidden underneath all that vinyl.

There are, of course, plenty of other differences between the Z5 and the soon-to-be-replaced Z4. For starters, the new car will ditch the old model’s hard-top in favor of a more traditional soft-top design – we can now see its rear window too (it was covered up in previous images).

The BMW Z5 will also be lighter than its predecessor, and will feature a selection of four and six-cylinder turbo engines, as well as optional xDrive all-wheel drive, according to recent reports. A hybrid powertrain is also possible, which the Z5 would probably share with its Japanese cousin, the Toyota Supra.

We’ve already took a peak inside the Z5’s cabin and saw that the layout of the dashboard looks familiar, but it’s not finalized. Other than that, expect plenty of modern-day active safety systems to be available on both sister cars.

The 2018 BMW Z5 is expected to surface sometime later this year, as rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz SLC, Audi TT and Porsche 718 Boxster await.

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Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops