BMW E89 Z4 Test Drives Thread

[dr Dunkel]

Originally Posted by C&D

But then, that’s still significantly less than a similarly outfitted Porsche Boxster, which would certainly drive better but wouldn’t be able to touch the Z4’s combination of all-weather security and genuine sense of occasion.

What is this "all-weather security", I keep seeing that is American reviews of cars with folding hardtop. Is it actually raining knives over there, or what?

[PanterroR]

^Lol, i don't know myself either...

It would be nice to have some of those above pics in HR, especially this one:

[mike.blueberry]

Originally Posted by dr Dunkel

...and I would say not even close. They are to a certain extent, but they are far from the enthusiasts vehicles we have grown accusomed to from BMW.

Why is that?





It all started with the 2002 tii and then the 323i, to become 325, 328, etc I'd say the 3 series empersonated the enthusiasts' vehicles we have grown accustomed to, along with of course the M models and many other models with other qualities.

Factoring in how heavier all cars became, the 135i takes that flagship by being an overly powered car marketed as a non-M in a toned down 120i body. Excatly BMW. With an excellent engine and driving pleasure and dynamics. It's a bit uglier, but it's forgiven due to the initiative and idea.

Mike

[klier]

^ Quite right, but please lets keep it about the Z4 now!

Those pics posted by Merc1 look mindblowing

[dr Dunkel]

Originally Posted by mike.blueberry

It all started with the 2002 tii and then the 323i, to become 325, 328, etc I'd say the 3 series empersonated the enthusiasts' vehicles we have grown accustomed to, along with of course the M models and many other models with other qualities.

If you take that point-of-view, I agree. The 135i is maybe somewhat an E30 325 of today.

[Merc1]

What is it?

This is the new BMW Z4 sDrive23i, now fitted with a folding hard top instead of a fabric roof. BMW is up-front about the reason for this: the Mercedes SLK has one too and BMW’s research suggests that it costs the Z4 sales.

On first impressions, though, the previous Z4’s character seems to have survived the change of roof. The new car is more accommodating – it’s a smidge wider but over 120mm longer – yet feels similarly minimalist and driver-focused inside. Material quality is good, although without iDrive a rather obvious dash-top cubby bluntly reminds buyers that they didn’t delve too far into the options list.

What’s it like?

Our first UK steer in the Z4 is in the sDrive23i, the range-starter and powered by a 2.5-litre straight six. It’s a free-spinning unit and revs happily to 7000rpm, though it’s not without some inertia.

When mated to the six-speed manual ’box of our test car, with its solid and precise but heavy shift, it doesn’t make for easy rev-matching when blipping downshifts. The noise it makes is refined and smooth more than aurally stimulating, but it still feels like an impressive drivetrain.

Dynamically the Z4 is on the ‘pretty good’ rather than ‘outstanding’ side of things. All Z4 flavours come as standard with 17-inch wheels, with bigger sizes optional, and with Dynamic Drive Control, with which one can choose between three settings of, well, sportiness, I suppose.

However, even on our test car’s standard 17-inchers and in DDC’s normal mode, the ride could get a little harsh over poor surfaces, with slightly loose body control. Moving through Sport and Sport+, things get both tighter and harsher, coupled to a sharper throttle and weightier steering.

Like its predecessor, the new Z4 has an electrically assisted power steering set-up, and it could use more linearity just off straight ahead. The very first few degrees do too little, the next few too much.

Once on lock it becomes more alive and precise, though. Then the Z4 reveals its inherent fine balance and poise, and starts to become a proper driver’s tool.

Should I buy one?

The BMW Z4 is good, but it hints at its dynamic talents too infrequently for the package to be wholly convincing.


BMW Z4 sDrive23i - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk


M

[Merc1]

Seduction, BMW tells us, is the name of the game in the modern roadster market. Demographic evidence and customer confessions suggest that hardly anyone actually needs a wind-in-the-hair car with a small trunk and just two seats, so people have a lot of time to stroke their chins, consult the position of the planets and think about the purchase. We aren't talking corn harvesters or fire trucks here. Buyers have to fall in love.

"The roadster market has always been volatile," BMW's Klaus Borgman told us at the launch of the new Z4 near Alicante, Spain. "Roadsters are an emotional purchase," he said, "so sales depend on what's offered at the time. It's the concept that decides."

And this year BMW has decided to broaden the concept by restyling the Z4 and offering a little more space and luxury, along with an all-season retractable hardtop — thereby replacing the previous Z4 Coupe and Roadster with a single, do-everything model.

Right. No more ragtop; no more "I wonder if I should have bought a convertible" coupe-buyer's remorse. It didn't escape BMW's attention that many Mercedes SLK buyers mentioned the M-B's cool, folding hardtop as a pivotal factor in their buying decision. But there's more going on with the new Z4, of course, than just the top.

There's the engine, for instance.

Actually, there are three different engines available for the new Roadster, but Americans will be getting only the two most potent packages, a "base" 255-bhp Z4 sDrive30i version of the 3.0-liter aluminum inline-6, and the exhilarating 300-bhp twin-turbo Z4 sDrive35i. (In Europe, there's a 2.5-liter 23i we won't see here.)

At the Spanish introduction, BMW provided the world press with the more powerful 35i version only, all in a shimmering light gold they call Orion Silver, and our test car here is a red version of same. So we've yet to drive the naturally aspirated car, but you might say our hearts remain unbroken.

The twin-turbo engine is — as we've already experienced in other BMWs — quite a piece of work. It revs to its 7000-rpm redline with a glassy-smooth snarl when you put your foot in it, yet the extremely wide torque band (300 lb.-ft. of torque on tap all the way from 1400 to 5000 rpm) also allows you to trundle in relaxed fashion — or rocket out of the corners at will. It's an all-purpose, does-everything-well engine.

Connecting all that power to the rear axle in our test car is the optional 7-speed (yes, five more than your dad's Dynaflow) mechanical gearbox whose up- and-downshifting is done with very rapid scientific precision by an electrohydraulic system that operates the twin clutches and shifts gears. You can leave the box in full automatic — where it works as effortlessly as that Dynaflow, but with considerably more alacrity — or you can select gears manually with either steering wheel paddles or the shift lever. Downshifts — especially in the Sport-Plus control mode — produce a quick and lovely whoop-and-burble from the exhaust. No human was ever this smooth.

Upshifts, too, are seamless and almost instantaneous in Sport-Plus mode. The car puts the power down in a nearly uninterrupted flow, allowing it to go from 0 to 60 mph in a pleasingly manic 4.8-second surge, with a quarter-mile time of 13.3 sec. at 106.7 — numbers roughly equal to those of the light and nimble Lotus Exige S.

In Spain, however, I briefly had a chance to drive the standard 6-speed manual, and actually preferred this version, as it simply makes the car feel more immediately responsive and less mechanically remote, for my traditional tastes. Nice clutch and shift action, too.

But some of my ambivalence about the 7-speed semi-automatic may come from the console-mounted shift lever, which has a top button to engage Park, and a side button to unlock the lever for Reverse or Drive. All of this works well enough when you get used to it, but still requires a look at the shift lever to make sure you've done the right thing when maneuvering in tight parking spots. Another case of technology one or two steps removed from intuition.

Sort of like the key. You have to insert the fob-shaped "key" into a slot in the dash, then push a stop/start button above it — a pointless two-stage operation every time you get in or out of the car. As our Engineering Editor Dennis Simanaitis has pointed out, it's only a matter of time before someone invents a handy key that you can both insert and turn in one motion...

Retractable hardtop controls, however, are simple, quick and easy. Push a button on the console and the hardtop — made of two lightweight aluminum shells that nest tightly together — folds quickly (20 sec.) beneath a lid behind the passenger compartment. Wind flow in the cockpit is quite serene with the top down, and there's very little wind noise with the top up, though rough roads will produce the occasional non-monolithic-coupe rattle or creak.

This slick-operating top does take up some trunk space, however, and you'll have to put the top halfway up to get full access to the remaining 4.6 cu. ft. of the modest 10.9 cu. ft. trunk. Luckily, there's a pass-through sock that extends forward onto the armrest for skis or golf clubs. A horizontal luggage partition keeps you from trying to lower the top when the trunk is too full, thereby protecting those eggs in your grocery bag, not to mention the top mechanism itself.

Seats are comfortable, with good upper body side support (adjustable), though the fit, overall, is rather snug, especially for a tall driver who likes some extra seatback recline.

A cockpit switch allows you to select from three modes of driving seriousness — Normal, Sport and Sport-Plus — which I think of as Laid Back, Alert and All Wound Up. The switch tailors shift points and speed, throttle response, steering boost and suspension damping to meet your moods. There's a discernible tightening of reflexes as you head toward Sport-Plus, but the Z4 doesn't become abusively stiff or punishing in any mode, and roll stiffness never reaches M-car levels. The most noticeable immediate change in Sport-Plus is the amazingly swift and crackling shift action.

Steering?

Well, how much you like the Z4's steering may depend on how — and where — you drive. In a brisk cruising mode, it feels smooth, light and agile, but as you speed up and begin to push the car though fast sweepers or quick transitions, it begins to feel a bit artificial and rubbery. Even steady-state corners seem to require small corrections to hold a line, as if the car is not tracking smoothly. It's only a minor, nearly subliminal annoyance on the road, but much more noticeable in the cut-and-thrust of the slalom and skidpad. Despite BMW's solid tradition of rear-drive/front-engine steering precision, the Z4 can feel, when leaned on, almost like a front-wheel-drive car.

Handling on mountain roads (or the all-important entrance ramp GP) feels sure-footed and predictable, and the car's supple suspension and excellent ride quality keep the Bridgestone Potenzas connected on bumpy curves. Ultimately, with Dynamic Stability Control turned (mostly) off, the Z4 can be made to oversteer in the slalom and skidpad, but it stays gathered up and easy to drive at normal fast road speeds. It never feels quite as planted and race-car-like as, say, a Porsche Boxster S, but has more of a grand touring dynamic focus.

The interior of the car — in creamy white with charcoal black trim, in our case — was cleanly elegant and beautifully detailed, with trim lines shaped to promote a "cocooning" effect. BMW stressed the added storage room, with door cubbies and extra space behind the seats, though, for tall drivers, that last might be more useful for hauling a wood plank than a suitcase; it's still small.

Interestingly, both the interior and the exterior of the new Z4 were designed by women. Nadya Amaout did the inside, and Juliane Blasi was in charge of exterior design. An industry first, perhaps? We can't think of a precedent.

In any case, most (including me) liked the redesign and found it leaner, sharper and more purposeful than before. The creases down the center of the hood are repeated in the roofline and rear deck, and the side strakes extend from the headlights all the way back along the length of the car. To my eye, it looks less consciously sculpted and more natural, while still accentuating the classic front-engine/rear-drive roadster look, with the driver sitting back near the rear axle. It looks muscular, alert and ready to leap. Which it is.

Always — in a volatile market — a compelling concept.

How compelling, of course, will depend, for many, on price. Base prices will be $45,750 for the 255-bhp naturally aspirated version and $51,650 for the twin-turbo sDrive35i. Add more if you opt for upgrades such as the iDrive and nav package, or the 7-speed semi-automatic transmission.

My own instinct would be to keep this car as simple as possible. In sports cars, less is often more.


Road and Track - Road Test: 2010 BMW Z4


Video


M

[Merc1]

We were blown away by the Z4 in our first drive on European roads (here) – but can BMW’s all-new roadster live up to expectations here?

This UK-spec model provides the answer. It’s fitted with the entry-level 201bhp 2.5-litre straight-six engine, which revs sweetly all the way to 7,000rpm and produces a tuneful exhaust note.

Our example was also equipped with the optional M Sport adaptive suspension. This gives a choice of Normal, Sport and Sport+ settings, selected through the Drive Dynamic Control (DDC) function. DDC applies the same modes to the throttle response and steering weight.

The standard ride setting on the previous Z4 compares to Sport+ here. And in Normal and Sport, refinement is vastly improved – during our run, the springs soaked up the worst the UK’s roads could muster, instantly making the BMW feel like a more grown-up car.

However, what the new roadster gains in long-distance comfort it sacrifices through fast corners, with the body feeling loose at times. In reality, though, it’s become a more comfortable and usable car for more people, more of the time.

The front-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout means the trademark long bonnet and squat rear-end proportions remain. But the old Z4’s harsh edges have been replaced with flowing lines and subtle creases, making this a stunning machine to look at with the two-piece folding roof up or down.

Inside, there are top-quality materials wherever you look. However, the absence of an iDrive controller or even sat-nav in our model highlights the fact that, despite having a more supple chassis, this is still very much a sports car focused on driver pleasure, not creature comforts.

Rival: Porsche Boxster
From the distinctive bark of the flat-six powerplant to the accurate steering, Porsche’s soft-top Boxster remains one of the sharpest sports cars available.


BMW Z4 sDrive23i | First Drives | Car Reviews | Auto Express


M

[dr Dunkel]

This is a very good review for the Z4, no doubt, but, the fact that the praise is given by AE is, in fact, more telling of their preferences than it is about the strengths of the Z4 when it comes to reward its driver.

[Merc1]

Based on the evidence presented my all-star list has been altered.

M

[Merc1]

BMW's Roadster Finally Hits Its Stride


There's this guy at work (let's call him Dan) who never warmed up to BMW's Z3 and Z4 roadsters. Something about them simply didn't ring true.

"The original Z3 seemed like a reactionary car," says Dan, "a concept BMW didn't really believe in themselves. But everyone had to respond after the Mazda Miata reinvigorated the demand for small two-seat sports cars."

And the result seemed like an über-Miata, too — except the super-suit didn't fit well.

BMW must have felt the same way, because the redesigned car received significant changes and a new name: Z4. Attempts to tailor the suit included a wheelbase stretched by nearly 2 inches, a stiffer chassis and a much improved rear suspension.

But the magic still wasn't there and the Bangle-administration styling was polarizing, if not confrontational. Doubters like Dan remained unconvinced.

"I remained unconvinced," says Dan.

So the recent arrival of the new 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i roadster at our offices was met with considerable suspicion. Some approached it carrying a grudge, in fact, because its new power-retractable hardtop signals the end of dedicated fixed-roof versions like the M coupe, considered by some to be the best thing about previous Z roadsters.

Heart Transplant

What the Z4 really needed was a major infusion of horsepower. After all, the competing 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 and 2009 Porsche Boxster S both meet or exceed the 300-horsepower barrier. The outgoing Z4 whimpers in the corner with but 255 horses.

The 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i has that problem handled, because it's now propelled by the same 300-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 that we covet in the 335i and 135i. And this impressive power plant goes the competition one better because it also delivers 300 pound-feet of torque — about 35 lb-ft more than either of its BMW siblings.

Press the go pedal on your favorite on-ramp and the Z4 sDrive35i exhibits effortless strength and delivers a sustained midrange punch that comes from a torque peak that arrives at just 1,300 rpm and stays put up to 5,000 rpm. This prodigious grunt also reduces the need to stir the six-speed gearbox as often — a handy trait because we're still not keen on the long-throw clutch action found on many BMWs, including this Z4.

Unleashed at the track, this adds up to a 5.2-second run to 60 mph from a standstill (4.9 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) in the face of a slight headwind on the way to a 13.4-second quarter-mile run at 103.7 mph. That's about a tenth of a second quicker to 60 mph than the last Boxster S we tested, though the '09 Boxster might squeak ahead again once we test it with its new 310-hp engine. (It'll be close.)


Full Story and Video: Edmunds Inside Line - 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i Full Test and Video


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[dr Dunkel]

Originally Posted by Edmunds

On real roads, however, the 2009 BMW Z4 delivers crisp turn-in, reliable grip and lots of confidence. There's an unflappable sophistication to the way the Z4 responds to driver commands. It feels more planted and less frenetic than before, and that makes it easy to build up speed and really push.

This sounds really good, but we have gotten very mixed reports now...

[PanterroR]

Originally Posted by dr Dunkel

This sounds really good, but we have gotten very mixed reports now...

I don't care, i'm 100% sure BMW didn't mess up this one, in no way except maybe hard top...

Btw, it would be nice to have those pics in HR... Can't get enough of this car...

[dr Dunkel]

Originally Posted by PanterroR

I don't care, i'm 100% sure BMW didn't mess up this one, in no way except maybe hard top...

It is probably a damned good car. But check this statement from C&D:

Originally Posted by C&D

In any situation, the Z4 has an abundance of body roll, and the steering supplements its artificial weight with a lack of feedback. In tight corners, the Z4 starts to understeer before the front end finally bites, requiring a steering correction.

Are they even talking about the same car?

[PanterroR]

Originally Posted by dr Dunkel

Are they even talking about the same car?

Lol, yeah, i saw that... It's hard to believe...

[ree]

Autocar - Roadtest:



BMW Z4 3.0 sDrive35i

Test date 02 June 2009 Price as tested £37,060

For: Elegant interior, flexible engine, versatile twin-clutch gearbox

Against: Balance between ride and handling, steering, pricey options




BMW Z4 3.0 sDrive35i - Autocar.co.uk

[Merc1]

I drove the Z4 sDrive35i (what a stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid name; there's even a ridiculous badge with this horrible combination of letters and numbers) around Ann Arbor and environs over the Memorial Day weekend and came away impressed. First, the exterior styling is about perfect, with the long, sexy hood, the curvaceous rear, and the handsome 19-inch wheels. The interior is also very nicely designed, with an appropriately upmarket ambience. This was one of those cars that, after it got a little dust on it over the weekend, I dug out the detailing spray and a chamois and cleaned it up. I didn't want this car to be dirty while it was in my possession, even if I were just driving to the grocery store.

The Z4 sDrive35i's body structure is notably stiff; every time I went over rough pavement, I marveled at how well this very tightly screwed-together roadster absorbed the bumps, the heaves, the asphalt patches, and the railroad crossings. Structural rigidity appears to be first-rate.

Our test Z4 sDrive35i is equipped with BMW's 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, for which I had mixed feelings. Shift quality is uniformly smooth and quick, but the driver interface is a little fussy. I found myself playing around with the stubby gearshift lever more than I would have liked, and I found the shift paddles to be only marginally useful, which is what I find with ALL shift paddles (some day, we're going to look back at shift paddles and wonder why we thought they were so cool). Sometimes, a graphic of the gearshift knob would appear in the center display, and I could never figure out why. It's easy, though, to grab the shift knob and push the wrong button on it; it takes a while to trust that, indeed, you have put the car in P for Park, not R for Reverse. I decided that the best thing to do is to shove the gearshifter to the left, which causes an "S" for sport to appear in the center display. Then just treat it like an automatic and use your right foot. You're rewarded with crisp, fast upshifts, accompanied by lovely rorty exhaust sounds.

Not surprisingly, the Z4 sDrive35i's steering feel and precision, body control, and ride quality were pretty much above reproach. Some of the fussier chassis gurus around the office might find something to nitpick, but it all worked for me, and I was able to drive the Z4 sDrive35i way too fast on some of my favorite roads with little drama and a lot of pleasure. Somehow, though, the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six didn't seem to strain at the leash, to be quite as exuberant, as it is in other BMW applications. Maybe I just didn't have enough opportunities to really let the Z4 sDrive35i unwind this weekend; it being a holiday, everywhere I went in Washtenaw County was thick with radar-gun-pointing cops. And the Z4 sDrive35i makes a mighty tempting target.

The folding hard top really does seem like overkill in a tiny little car like the Z4 sDrive35i, but the car looks great when the top is up. Top down, there's still a respectable amount of cargo space, enough that I was able to stow a case of wine (in a horizontal, not vertical, box) under the tonneau cover with lots of room to spare. The top goes down quickly enough, but I wish there were a more noticeable signal that it is indeed all the way down, or all the way up, so you know when to stop pushing the open or close button. Sometimes I thought I was done, put the car in Drive, and then the car gave a little "dong" or something and there was a warning graphic in the central display.

The only real downside to the Z4 sDrive35i is its cost: $58K as equipped. Then again, this car is a long way from the 1996 BMW Z3 roadster and its little four-banger.


More Editor Reviews: Automobile Magazine - Review: 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i


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[ree]

HYPNOTIZED by the sea blue BMW that slipped into my parking space a few weeks ago, I stopped wondering about how fast this test car would go or whether it could stop at all.

You should do the same.

But if you insist on details and are given to using words like downforce and stoichiometry, be assured that the 2010 edition of the Z4 is plenty fast and halts like a drill instructor.

Will it describe an asphalt arc as mathematically as the Porsche Boxster? No. But here’s the dirty little secret of luxury convertibles: most buyers don’t do math.

For those who would consider dropping $50,000 or even $60,000 on a two-seat driveway ornament, this is what matters: the BMW is beautiful, inside and out. It’s the most luxurious convertible this side of a $100,000 Jaguar XKR or Mercedes-Benz SL550. The exterior makes the Porsche Boxster seem a bit played-out; the interior makes a Corvette’s look like recycled duct tape.

If you don’t believe me, ask my wife. She drove the Z4 to the corner bodega and pronounced it her new favorite car even before she shifted out of second gear. Add her to the week’s worth of women and men who flirted with the BMW, smitten by its mile-long hood and sophisticated creases and cavities.

The new Z4 is undoubtedly one of the best do-overs in recent years, a confident, muscular reinvention by Juliane Blasi and Nadya Arnaout of BMW’s Munich design studio. The previous generation of the Z4 was cloyingly overstyled, arguably the least successful design by Chris Bangle, who has stepped down as BMW’s design chief. And with an exception for the brilliant M Coupe version, that earlier Z4 also fell short in arousing passion for many drivers.

The new car, now with a retractable metal roof rather than a soft top, soothes rather than strains the eye. And it is more engaging to drive, especially with the twin-turbo in-line 6 as was the case in the sDrive35i version I tested.

BMW has moved Z4 production across the Atlantic, transferring assembly from the American South — Spartanburg, S.C. — to the southern German city of Regensburg. It also slid the Z4 toward the decadent end of the two-seat spectrum.

The new car is nearly a half-foot longer and roughly an inch wider, but drivers are likely to show a greater appreciation for the richness of its cabin appointments, a first-class upgrade from the barren surroundings of the previous Z4. The glove box and interior storage accommodations are reasonable, and an optional center pass-through to the trunk lets owners carry two sets of skis or a full-size golf bag.

With its top down and midriff exposed, my Z4 test car looked ready for a South Beach summer, its paint hue contrasting smartly with the resort-ready ivory leather on the seats, dashboard and door panels. That leather adds $2,050 to the $52,475 base price of the sDrive35i, and also added sport seats and dark wood trim. Like other drop-top Bimmers, the Z4 features a sun-reflective coating on the leather that reduces their surface temperatures in direct sunlight — a boon to sensitive thighs.

Z4s equipped with the optional GPS navigation system use the newest version of BMW’s iDrive, the control interface for most every electronic device in the car. Once an infuriating maze of inscrutable menus and illogical buttons, the latest iDrive is vastly more user-friendly and surprisingly simple to operate. A rotary knob between the seats controls the settings of the navigation and entertainment systems on a dash-top 8.8-inch screen that seems IMAX-scale in a car this small.

The Z4’s two-piece metal hardtop retracts in about 20 seconds. It renders the cabin virtually as quiet as any conventional hardtop.

It’s quite a treat to watch the top fold and get swallowed by the trunk. But the aluminum panels and its structure add roughly 200 pounds compared with a soft top, bringing the Z4 to 3,500 pounds.

Yet as with most retractable hardtops, this designer sandwich, once folded, leaves room for little more than a few side dishes. The trunk is not as laughable as that of the Pontiac Solstice, yet a wheeled carry-on suitcase barely fit with the top down. Even with the roof raised, there are more mysterious braces and gussets than you’d see in a ’20s lingerie shop, cutting into storage.

After serial encounters with metal-roof convertibles, I’ve decided that I’d gladly take the inconveniences of a fabric top — overstated anyway, as the modern versions are precisely fitted, double-layered for insulation and all but leakproof — to gain enough trunk space for two people to make a weekend escape with one measly bag apiece.

On a run through the horse country of Dutchess County, N.Y., I dropped the top to feel the sun and hear that playful engine along the rolling two-lane roads. With 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, the twin-turbo power plant has become BMW’s well-bred workhorse, powering everything from the 1 Series coupe and 3 Series sedan to the X6 crossover.

BMW cites a 5.1-second 0-60 m.p.h. time for the stick-shift 35i. That seemed conservative; Car and Driver magazine managed a brisk 4.8-second run. Even the lesser sDrive30i, equipped with a naturally aspirated 255-horsepower in-line 6, runs the 0-60 dash in 5.6 seconds.

The Z4’s manual shifter is a squarish, short-throw chunk of aluminum that pivots beautifully through its six gears. While the Z4 30i model offers a sprightly 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters, the 35i model incorporates the even sportier dual-clutch automated gearbox first offered on the latest M3.

My test car’s $1,900 sport package added stickier tires and an M adaptive suspension with three firmness settings. In comfort mode, the ride is especially plush for a small roadster. But the handling was too laid-back for me so I tended to leave it set in the middle Sport mode.

This setting recalibrates the throttle, tenses the steering, loosens up the stability control system, and in cars with an automatic transmission, lets the engine rev higher before upshifts. Kick it up to Sport Plus and it gives a wild-child pilot some leeway for wheelspin and drift before the stability control wags a finger of disapproval.

Despite the electronic aids, the Z4’s handling yields some advantage to competing sports cars. The BMW’s steering is great at filtering unwanted vibrations but feels mildly isolated. Fly into a curve and you end up waiting a crucial beat to feel the computerized suspension hunker down before you can rocket out the other side. In the Boxster, you just fly, plotting to try it faster next time. It’s odd that BMW can virtually perfect the steering of its 1, 3, 5 and 7 Series cars but hasn’t quite nailed the formula in its small convertibles.

The con to all these pros is that the BMW has moved upscale, just in time to watch the economy pass in the other direction. All prettied up with $10,600 in options, my 35i shot past $63,000. Still, a comparably equipped Boxster S costs roughly $70,000. The Mercedes SLK350 and the Audi TTS easily reach the upper $50,000 range, so the BMW isn’t out of line. And the 30i model delivers all the style and most of the performance for about $6,000 less.

In the tricky balancing act for any expensive convertible, the new BMW definitely leans toward luxury — but not so far that it loses touch with its sporting principles.

• • •

INSIDE TRACK: A fast lap of luxury.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/au...ef=automobiles

[Bartek Sikorski]

More than a decade ago, I gushed like a schoolgirl over the new Z3. It was almost embarrassing. Thoughts of cruising down PCH with the top down and music up took me back to a time when happiness was a rusty 914 and a full tank of gas.

The Z3's 140 hp wasn't going to win many stoplight grand prix but that was OK. It was more than enough for a smart driver to have a great time. I did. The European-bred equivalent to the Mazda Miata bode well for the industry. Plus, the Z3 looked great and was every bit as good as the MX5. Just looking at the car's profile, the pronounced nose and low-slung cockpit, made you realize BMW had big plans for the little Zed.

Within a year the Z3 was powered by BMW's vaunted inline six, the "Damascus steel" of engines. As performance rose, so did everything else, including its price.
That first Z3 felt like such an innocent car. It had an air of gritty adventure you can't buy (probably because you didn't have much money). The Z3 didn't need a lot of extras. In fact, that might have spoiled its roadster purity.
They say you can never really go home. The new Z4 isn't interested in that. It wants you to do a low fly-by at mach 1 and wave at the plebes below. BMW is not given to nostalgia.

Sitting in the new BMW roadster is like the captain's chair in a Citation Jet. And it feels just as fast. With a brilliant twin turbo six under hood it's got forward thrust comparable to a genuine muscle car. Squirting from roundabout to roundabout (Spain is really into roundabouts) was a study in traction management. The car produces 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of twist that equates to a burnout machine of the first order.

Obviously there's more to the car than simply smoking the tires. In an effort to get a cornering pic, I had my driver circle an empty cul-de-sac. I figured the car would get to a point when it would transition from slight understeer to throttle-induced oversteer. It wasn't happening. The Z4 kept going faster and faster, refusing to budge. My poor driver was ready to puke. It looked like one of those Tyco slot cars, the really trick ones with the undertray magnets. We learned that the Z4 has a tenacious grip. Getting this thing to step out is something you would need to do on a racetrack, probably wearing a helmet.


Driving the Z4, you can't help but sense BMW's motorsport DNA. The seven-speed double clutch transmission is something that might have been culled from its race department. Accelerating hard, your body is pushed back into the seat. Pulling toward you induces upshifts. Likewise, aggressive braking pushes the body forward and downshifts are accomplished by pushing forward. Gear changes are instantaneous, punctuated by a BLAAAT between shifts. Hearing that, the auto/manual tranny almost begs to be driven hard. Or not. Simply leaving the gear lever in drive yields a highly intuitive shift program, extremely smooth and fluid. Unlike the previous SMG gearbox, this one is a genuine dual-purpose transmission. It'll play fast or slow or anything in between.

Sporting a near 50/50 weight distribution, the Z4 uses a significant amount of aluminum suspension components including a "double-jointed" front section and constant geometry rear axle. Wearing the optional bigger running gear (8x18 front and 8.5x18 rear with 225/40 and 255/35 performance tires), the Z4 bears more resemblance to the bad boy Z8 than its older sibling. And while the Z8 had something of an unorthodox cabin, the new Z4 is pretty close to perfect, entirely redesigned and hyper-functional. Moreover, BMW's freshly revamped iDrive will make its first roadster appearance. And yes, iDrive is much better now.

Full article: europeancarweb