2007 Shanghai Auto Show Preview: Another BMW Performance Flagship in the Pipeline?

MUNICH, Germany — BMW reportedly will pull the wraps off a new high-end sports-car concept in Shanghai that could reach production badged as the Z9.

The Bavarians intend to pit the pricey two-seater against the Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz SL, according to the trade publication Automotive News. That suggests a sticker price in the $100,000-$120,000 range.

Spy photos of a prototype undergoing tests in Europe indicate a canvas-topped two-seater with a long nose and rear-wheel drive — sort of a big brother to the Z4.

Several European publications report BMW still hasn't decided whether to install the 5.0-liter V10 from the M5 /M6 or a new 6.3-liter V12.

BMW's last limited-edition performance roadster, the Z8, sold fewer than 6,000 units between 2000 and 2003. The company's sales target for the Z9 is 15,000 units a year, according to Automotive News.

BMW previously used the Z9 name on a gull-winged concept it displayed at the 1999 Frankfurt Auto Show, with a convertible version making the show circuit in 2000.