Z Series Sport Auto Supertest: BMW Z4 M40i (World Exclusive)

[DeDe]

"Finally a real sportscar!"

• Measured power: 357 PS/6000 rpm (claimed for EU-version: 340 PS/5000-6500 rpm)
• Tyres: Michelin Pilot Super Sport
• Weight with full tank of fuel: 1588 kg
• Weight distribution (fr./rear): 50,6/49,4 %
• 0-100 km/h in 4,9 s (claimed figure is 4,6)
• 0-160 km/h in 11,0 s
• 0-200 km/h in 17,6 s
• Flexibility in 5th/6th/7th/8th gear (80-120 km/h): 4,1/5,4/6,9/10,9 s
• 18 m slalom: 69,5 km/h
• 36 m slalom: 133 km/h
• 110 m evasive test: 151 km/h
• Windtunnel-results at 200 km/h: 24 and 7 kgs of uplift (fr./rear axle)
• Max. cornering G: 1,30
• Max. braking G: -1,24
• 200-0/100-0 km/h with warm brakes: 135,7/32,9 m
• Hockenheimring Short: 1:12,8 min
• Nordschleife: 7:55 min

No scans, sorry.

 

[DblPen]

How is it compared with old z4? Or SL, or i dont know what other rivals it has. Will be interesting to compare it with supra, even tho it is probably going to be coupe only (?).

 

[mihc]

How is it compared with old z4? Or SL, or i dont know what other rivals it has. Will be interesting to compare it with supra, even tho it is probably going to be coupe only (?).

Z4M Coupe Hockenheim 1:17,2 and Nurburgring 8:15.

 

[klier]

Z4M Coupe Hockenheim 1:17,2 and Nurburgring 8:15.

Great time for the new non M softcore Z4. But like the E89, I very much doubt we'll see a real M version.

How is it compared with old z4? Or SL, or i dont know what other rivals it has. Will be interesting to compare it with supra, even tho it is probably going to be coupe only (?).

Competition are the SLK (not the SL), Boxter and I suppose the TT although that's more like a modified hatch.
And yeah the Supra will be coupe only.

edit; SLK = SLC obviously

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Why it is soooooooo heavy?

 

[klier]

Great time for the new non M softcore Z4. But like the E89, I very much doubt we'll see a real M version.

Quoting myself for fun, but I'd like to add that the Z4 M E85 is almost 13 years old, and has slightly less power (343 hp vs the measured 357 hp of the new M40i).

Why it is soooooooo heavy?

It's no lightweight, but the car is definitely not overweight or something...
That 1588 kg number is with a full tank and it's still lighter than an E89 sDrive35i.

It's also stiffer than an M4 and has much more equipment compared to the last Z4.

 

[Laurent T]

BMW is good at PR - a Z4 supertest when nobody else didn't even have yet a propre first test !

 

[rollo]

0-100 km/h is a little surprising.

 

[bmwz4coupe]

Much faster Hockenheim time than the previous top version Z4 even if the horsepower is aprox the same, I think this did 1:16

 

[hovabongZA]

0-100 km/h is a little surprising.

Agreed , BMW are generally faster than quoted.

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Quoting myself for fun, but I'd like to add that the Z4 M E85 is almost 13 years old, and has slightly less power (343 hp vs the measured 357 hp of the new M40i).



It's no lightweight, but the car is definitely not overweight or somethin...

But compared to the E89 it should be at least 100 kg lighter, 50 kg from the new platform and another 50 kg from the lack of a hardtop

 

[DeDe]

Agreed , BMW are generally faster than quoted.

Blame the extreme heat of the testday: 31 Degrees C air- and 48 Degrees C tracktemperature.

 

[Zafiro]

It's still a preproduction car. Why is everyone so excited by this. When the Alfa was tested as preproduction everybody complained about it. What's the difference now. Same formula apply to BMW, if its done with pre-production car then its not very valid. Both BMW and Sportauto should do this test again and with a 100% production ready car.

 

[Matski]

Why it is soooooooo heavy?

It's not that heavy. It does point to the platform just being shortened CLAR (in my opinion), but if it's lighter than it's predecessor, as well as being faster, cornering better and stopping better, it seems a bit arbitrary to demand 3 figure weight savings as well.

 

[rollo]

Blame the extreme heat of the testday: 31 Degrees C air- and 48 Degrees C tracktemperature. [/QU...

Sorry, just shy of 88 degrees F. Not buying it.

 

[bum-man]

^That and forced induction.

 

[rollo]

^That and forced induction.

High heat can certainly be a negative factor. I just have a hard time with the numbers in this case. If BMW publishes 4.6, I would expect 4.2 or 4.3 IRL. That's seems like too large of a difference to conclude the 4.9 was due to the heat.

Maybe someone more schooled in this area can weigh in?

 

[DeDe]

High heat can certainly be a negative factor. I just have a hard time with the numbers in thi...

It's in the article: heat. Also, they always measure acceleration with 2 people onboard and full tank of fuel. With only driver and full tank it will easily post 4.6 s times (in AutoBild Sportscars for instance).