Excellent Bimmer: 2009 BMW Z4
It is rare that the appearance of a car isn�t diminished by the addition of a retractable hardtop roof. The storage requirements for all that metal and machinery usually dictate a wider and higher rear end than is esthetically desirable. Check out the Chrysler Sebring convertible for an especially egregious example.
Not so with the newly grown-up Z4, which may be the best-looking BMW of all. Its tightly-tailored butt is balanced by a long, long front end, with attractive accent lines on the flanks. The effect is to create a modern car with classic proportions. Think pre-war Mille Miglia.
The Z4 interior closes the deal. It combines intelligent functionality and helpful info-graphics with a stylish touch not seen in earlier models, which to my eye were obsessively Spartan.
The Z4�s good looks are combined with stylish road matters. My test car was powered by a 3.0 liter, 255-horsepower inline-six. (The 300 horsepower twin-turbo six is also available). With the automatic transmission, the 3.0 is reported to get the car to 60 miles per hour in six seconds flat. The steering is typically precise, and the suspension produces a nice blend between a sporty ride and one that is comfortable. Mileage is a none-to-shabby 19 miles per gallon city/29 mpg highway.
All of this excellence comes at a price, both financially and functionally. While the base price of the Z4 is $45,750, my test model with the smaller engine came in at nearly $60,000, which included $500 for heated front seats and $350 for a high-definition radio.
That helps explain why Z4 sales are less than robust: BMW sold 361 in July. By comparison, it sold 427 X6s and 807 7 series.
Then there is the matter of trunk space. You�d never get a bag of golf clubs into the trunk of a Z4, but with the top down, you�d have a hard time even squeezing in a shaving kit. That puts a limit on the places you�ll go.
BMW's Z4 tested
Classic proportions, contemporary engineering
This latest Z4 is appreciably longer (147mm), a touch wider (10mm) and negligibly lower (7mm) than the car it replaces. Big news though, is the way it engages the elements�
For the first time in BMW�s history, a roadster with the blue and white roundel has a folding metal roof, enabling the new Z4 to effectively replace two cars simultaneously, soft top and Coupe Z4.
Cabriolet romantics will chafe at this design change, telling all and sundry how few things are as endearing as driving in the rain with a canvas roof in place - muted water-drop-on-canvas acoustics filling the cabin.
I am quite happy to settle for the folding hard-top�s contemporary nature, especially considering its lower levels of noise at high speeds.
Looks good, even with the roof in place. Could do with a more distinguished rear treatment though.
As an object of design the new Z4 might break with Z-series tradition in terms of roof structure, yet it cues classic two-thirds bonnet, one-third cabin and rump roadster proportions.
With an additional 147mm bumper-to-bumper, the new Z4 renders a car frighteningly close to the original 507 in profile.
Around the rear, I prefer the previous Z4�s dual crescent light treatment, yet the new design�s smoother horizontal bonnet lines are undoubtedly elegant. Along the flanks, the first-generation Z4�s heavily sculpted lower accent line is now balanced by a subtle shoulder line contour.
The elongated bonnet is embellished with two central creases which form a V-shape and the BMW roundel has migrated from the bonnet to the bumper.
Overall, it�s a strikingly styled car with a discerning touch of elegance, which is hardly surprising seeing as a woman�s intuition surfaced the exterior � Juliane Blasi�s work is highly commended.
Retract the electro-hydraulic roof and the cabin architecture reveals a familiar BMW blend.
Subtle touches, like those four nautically themed ventilation controls, contribute to make Z4 the best BMW cabin around currently.
Ergonomics are perfect, with a decidedly driver oriented placement of switches, stalks and controls.
From a design perspective, it�s hardly mould breaking yet the new ventilation controls and door trim do their bit to invigorate and distinguish Z4�s cabin from the current fare of underwhelming BMW interior design.
The road- and engine speed dials appear to have come straight off a 1990s 3 Series, bar them being mounted in recessed bezels, yet BMW�s curiously legible fonts and orange backlighting are still strikingly accomplished, even in 2009.
Equipment levels are pretty comprehensive too, with a sunroof (obviously) the only thing missing from the spec sheet.
BMW�s second generation iDrive system is as intuitive as its predecessor was petulant and Z4�s SatNav is wonderfully discerning, pandering to even my substandard sense of direction with insightful menu shortcuts with split-screen options.
Build quality, er, we believe the word is vacillating...
Z4�s roadster configuration ensures the absence of silly pseudo rear-seats and its bootspace is all the better for it, a neat 310l in Coupe trim, 180l with the roof retracted.
Admittedly, if you simply must find space for an additional manbag with the roof down, Merc�s SLK bests Z4�s bootspace by 28l, yet is 10l shy in capacity with the roof deployed.
The last of a breed?
There is little argument Juliane Blasi's Z4 proportions are classic roadster, especially the elongated bonnet.
What nestles just above the front axle though, is what makes this latest Z4 such an alluring prospect - the last mass produced in-line six-cylinder engine around driving an aft axle differential.
Despite other manufacturers pandering to packaging considerations and opting for V-configurations, BMW has stubbornly retained its fabled in-line layout for six-cylinder engines � a mechanical symmetry unmatched for smoothness and acoustic appeal.
Our Z4 test car, being an sDrive35i model, was powered by BMW�s award winning 3l, twin-turbo straight-six, which is quite simply the best production engine in the world. No argument. Frugal, powerful, resonant, it�s all things to all purposes all of the time.
Matched to BMW�s new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (a R28 700 option), the drivetrain makes for a heady dynamic blend.
Although the DCT �box (assembled by Getrag, utilising BorgWarner�s dualtronic clutch system) is a mellowed version of the M3 unit (foregoing launch control), it suits the Z4 application to a tee.
Some dislike its Steptronic layout - symmetrical pull for upshifts and push for downshifts - preferring the tradisional right-paddle pull for upshifts and left-paddle pull for downshifts 'F1' set-up....
19-inch alloy wheels are simple in design (and to clean) yet achingly pretty. Runflat tyres appear to be filled with concrete instead of air though...All things considered, a R13 400 option you can do without.
Purists might lament the 3l turbo engine�s undersquare architecture, resulting in power peaking at a rather sedate engine speed of only 5 800r/min, yet with 400Nm of rotational force available at only 1 300r/min, you�re left with an immensely generous range of exploitable performance.
The DCT transmission�s seven ratios tally consumption between 11- and 12l/100km in daily driving (very reasonable considering the performance) and ensure gloriously impolite sound effects when downshifting before entering traffic circles or leaving your apartment block's car park in the morning.
From a pure throttle-position-to-thrill ratio, the Z4 35i should have the measure of its peers, yet there is one factor mitigating against it � mass.
There is no diplomatic way of saying this � BMW�s Z4, thanks to its 120kg folding roof, is an overweight car. Pretty perhaps, but fat none the less. Merc�s SLK 350, at 1 485kg, appears positively dainty compared to the Z4�s 1 580kg kerb weight.
Around topographically undulating byways, favoured by roadsters on Sunday morning breakfast runs, the Z4 remains curiously engaging though, despite its weight problem.
It might have electric power steering, yet the three dynamic maps (normal, sport and sport+) allow one to shore up an unusual level of linearly geared accuracy and counterweight via the helm.
With only one differential (at the rear) and 225kW generated above the front axle, tyre signatures can be left at will. ABS actuated rear diff-locking function curtails the sliding fun at speed with the ESP partly disengaged though.
Grip is monumental (as you�d expect with such a low centre of gravity and generous rubber at each wheel corner) and mid-corner surface imperfections are unable to unsettle the Z4 when decelerated, set-up dexterously and turned in.
Ride quality though, especially at low speeds, is truly dreadful - thanks to those runflat Bridgestones and their unyielding sidewalls. It�s not as nimble as previous Z series roadsters either, yet outright cornering limits are way beyond what most customers will be brazen enough to explore with the roof down - on public roads anyhow.
When you do get a bit silly, and it�s quite easy to get carried away with the effortless velocity courtesy of the 35i�s blown six, failsafe understeer has been engineered into the package.
You can hang out the tail at low speeds with brutal throttle abuse, yet this is hardly what the Z4 was designed for.
Its rear wheel drive configuration is more biased towards disciplined turn-in characteristics, with the front wheels expertly managing directional changes, unburdened by power delivery duties.
For ultimate handling dexterity a Porsche Boxster remains the better car though.
Looks simply epic, with the enlarged kidneys perfectly balanced against the additional second-generation Z4 sheetmetal.
Design
Classic roadster styling finally does justice to 507 heritage. Tin-top effortless in operation at 20 seconds and detailing should stand the test of time.
Interior
Beyond the absolutely useless sun-visors (they're too small and don't clip out sideways, guaranteeing agony for 20 minutes after sunrise and 20 minutes before sunset driving at a right angle to the sun), it's an ergonomic joy and easier on the eye than any of its siblings.
Despite the fold-out door-pockets it could do with more interior stowage space though. No sunglass holder either. Driving position is ace though.
Driving
World�s best engine, shifting through a superb DCT gearbox � really is like having your cake and eating it. Commendably stable at speed, probingly capable of surgical changes of direction on sweeping roads. Brakes feel the weight when pushing on though.
Verdict
One of the differences between serendipity and irony is the former�s chancing of fate being met with unintentionally fortuitous consequences. BMW gambled by adding a metal-roof to their latest Z series car.
This gamble has paid dividends, heralding a roadster which finally has the styling proportions and presence to do justice to the 507 heritage.
Expensive it may be, but it�s the most accomplished of the modern Z series cars.
Just make sure you order one without those 19-inch runflats.
Pluses
Just look at it
Tin-top practicality
Twin-turbo six/seven-speed DCT combination
Minuses
Not cheap
Range limiting 55l tank
A bit heavy
Horrendous ride quality with optional 19-inch wheels
This latest Z4 is appreciably longer (147mm), a touch wider (10mm) and negligibly lower (7mm) than the car it replaces. Big news though, is the way it engages the elements�
For the first time in BMW�s history, a roadster with the blue and white roundel has a folding metal roof, enabling the new Z4 to effectively replace two cars simultaneously, soft top and Coupe Z4.
Cabriolet romantics will chafe at this design change, telling all and sundry how few things are as endearing as driving in the rain with a canvas roof in place - muted water-drop-on-canvas acoustics filling the cabin.
I am quite happy to settle for the folding hard-top�s contemporary nature, especially considering its lower levels of noise at high speeds.
Looks good, even with the roof in place. Could do with a more distinguished rear treatment though.
As an object of design the new Z4 might break with Z-series tradition in terms of roof structure, yet it cues classic two-thirds bonnet, one-third cabin and rump roadster proportions.
With an additional 147mm bumper-to-bumper, the new Z4 renders a car frighteningly close to the original 507 in profile.
Around the rear, I prefer the previous Z4�s dual crescent light treatment, yet the new design�s smoother horizontal bonnet lines are undoubtedly elegant. Along the flanks, the first-generation Z4�s heavily sculpted lower accent line is now balanced by a subtle shoulder line contour.
The elongated bonnet is embellished with two central creases which form a V-shape and the BMW roundel has migrated from the bonnet to the bumper.
Overall, it�s a strikingly styled car with a discerning touch of elegance, which is hardly surprising seeing as a woman�s intuition surfaced the exterior � Juliane Blasi�s work is highly commended.
Retract the electro-hydraulic roof and the cabin architecture reveals a familiar BMW blend.
Subtle touches, like those four nautically themed ventilation controls, contribute to make Z4 the best BMW cabin around currently.
Ergonomics are perfect, with a decidedly driver oriented placement of switches, stalks and controls.
From a design perspective, it�s hardly mould breaking yet the new ventilation controls and door trim do their bit to invigorate and distinguish Z4�s cabin from the current fare of underwhelming BMW interior design.
The road- and engine speed dials appear to have come straight off a 1990s 3 Series, bar them being mounted in recessed bezels, yet BMW�s curiously legible fonts and orange backlighting are still strikingly accomplished, even in 2009.
Equipment levels are pretty comprehensive too, with a sunroof (obviously) the only thing missing from the spec sheet.
BMW�s second generation iDrive system is as intuitive as its predecessor was petulant and Z4�s SatNav is wonderfully discerning, pandering to even my substandard sense of direction with insightful menu shortcuts with split-screen options.
Build quality, er, we believe the word is vacillating...
Z4�s roadster configuration ensures the absence of silly pseudo rear-seats and its bootspace is all the better for it, a neat 310l in Coupe trim, 180l with the roof retracted.
Admittedly, if you simply must find space for an additional manbag with the roof down, Merc�s SLK bests Z4�s bootspace by 28l, yet is 10l shy in capacity with the roof deployed.
The last of a breed?
There is little argument Juliane Blasi's Z4 proportions are classic roadster, especially the elongated bonnet.
What nestles just above the front axle though, is what makes this latest Z4 such an alluring prospect - the last mass produced in-line six-cylinder engine around driving an aft axle differential.
Despite other manufacturers pandering to packaging considerations and opting for V-configurations, BMW has stubbornly retained its fabled in-line layout for six-cylinder engines � a mechanical symmetry unmatched for smoothness and acoustic appeal.
Our Z4 test car, being an sDrive35i model, was powered by BMW�s award winning 3l, twin-turbo straight-six, which is quite simply the best production engine in the world. No argument. Frugal, powerful, resonant, it�s all things to all purposes all of the time.
Matched to BMW�s new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (a R28 700 option), the drivetrain makes for a heady dynamic blend.
Although the DCT �box (assembled by Getrag, utilising BorgWarner�s dualtronic clutch system) is a mellowed version of the M3 unit (foregoing launch control), it suits the Z4 application to a tee.
Some dislike its Steptronic layout - symmetrical pull for upshifts and push for downshifts - preferring the tradisional right-paddle pull for upshifts and left-paddle pull for downshifts 'F1' set-up....
19-inch alloy wheels are simple in design (and to clean) yet achingly pretty. Runflat tyres appear to be filled with concrete instead of air though...All things considered, a R13 400 option you can do without.
Purists might lament the 3l turbo engine�s undersquare architecture, resulting in power peaking at a rather sedate engine speed of only 5 800r/min, yet with 400Nm of rotational force available at only 1 300r/min, you�re left with an immensely generous range of exploitable performance.
The DCT transmission�s seven ratios tally consumption between 11- and 12l/100km in daily driving (very reasonable considering the performance) and ensure gloriously impolite sound effects when downshifting before entering traffic circles or leaving your apartment block's car park in the morning.
From a pure throttle-position-to-thrill ratio, the Z4 35i should have the measure of its peers, yet there is one factor mitigating against it � mass.
There is no diplomatic way of saying this � BMW�s Z4, thanks to its 120kg folding roof, is an overweight car. Pretty perhaps, but fat none the less. Merc�s SLK 350, at 1 485kg, appears positively dainty compared to the Z4�s 1 580kg kerb weight.
Around topographically undulating byways, favoured by roadsters on Sunday morning breakfast runs, the Z4 remains curiously engaging though, despite its weight problem.
It might have electric power steering, yet the three dynamic maps (normal, sport and sport+) allow one to shore up an unusual level of linearly geared accuracy and counterweight via the helm.
With only one differential (at the rear) and 225kW generated above the front axle, tyre signatures can be left at will. ABS actuated rear diff-locking function curtails the sliding fun at speed with the ESP partly disengaged though.
Grip is monumental (as you�d expect with such a low centre of gravity and generous rubber at each wheel corner) and mid-corner surface imperfections are unable to unsettle the Z4 when decelerated, set-up dexterously and turned in.
Ride quality though, especially at low speeds, is truly dreadful - thanks to those runflat Bridgestones and their unyielding sidewalls. It�s not as nimble as previous Z series roadsters either, yet outright cornering limits are way beyond what most customers will be brazen enough to explore with the roof down - on public roads anyhow.
When you do get a bit silly, and it�s quite easy to get carried away with the effortless velocity courtesy of the 35i�s blown six, failsafe understeer has been engineered into the package.
You can hang out the tail at low speeds with brutal throttle abuse, yet this is hardly what the Z4 was designed for.
Its rear wheel drive configuration is more biased towards disciplined turn-in characteristics, with the front wheels expertly managing directional changes, unburdened by power delivery duties.
For ultimate handling dexterity a Porsche Boxster remains the better car though.
Looks simply epic, with the enlarged kidneys perfectly balanced against the additional second-generation Z4 sheetmetal.
Design
Classic roadster styling finally does justice to 507 heritage. Tin-top effortless in operation at 20 seconds and detailing should stand the test of time.
Interior
Beyond the absolutely useless sun-visors (they're too small and don't clip out sideways, guaranteeing agony for 20 minutes after sunrise and 20 minutes before sunset driving at a right angle to the sun), it's an ergonomic joy and easier on the eye than any of its siblings.
Despite the fold-out door-pockets it could do with more interior stowage space though. No sunglass holder either. Driving position is ace though.
Driving
World�s best engine, shifting through a superb DCT gearbox � really is like having your cake and eating it. Commendably stable at speed, probingly capable of surgical changes of direction on sweeping roads. Brakes feel the weight when pushing on though.
Verdict
One of the differences between serendipity and irony is the former�s chancing of fate being met with unintentionally fortuitous consequences. BMW gambled by adding a metal-roof to their latest Z series car.
This gamble has paid dividends, heralding a roadster which finally has the styling proportions and presence to do justice to the 507 heritage.
Expensive it may be, but it�s the most accomplished of the modern Z series cars.
Just make sure you order one without those 19-inch runflats.
Pluses
Just look at it
Tin-top practicality
Twin-turbo six/seven-speed DCT combination
Minuses
Not cheap
Range limiting 55l tank
A bit heavy
Horrendous ride quality with optional 19-inch wheels
2009 BMW Z4
The proportion of hard tops to soft tops for convertibles and sports cars continues to evolve -- but not in the way you might think.
BMW
BMW 2009
Increasingly, manufacturers are equipping their droptops with folding metal contraptions, despite their complexity and cost. The latest example: the 2009 BMW Z4, the first roadster from the Bavarian manufacturer with a hideaway hard top. It succeeds the Z4 Roadster and Coupe.
Others that have recently installed hard tops include Volkswagen's Eos, Infiniti's G37, Chrysler's Sebring and Mazda, which added a disappearing hard top model for its MX-5 Miata.
Usually, in addition to adding cost and lots of whirring and moving parts, a collapsible hard top reduces luggage space and accessibility, though there are exceptions like the MX-5.
But the counterintuitive thing about these engineering marvels is that they have appeared more on cars below the median price line than on the very expensive cars where you might expect them. For example, the $234,000 Bentley GTC Speed has a fabric top, as does BMW's own 650i convertible, which can wind up costing more than $100,000.
One explanation is that fabric technology has advanced to the point where convertibles really don't need hard tops because the soft tops likely can last the life of the car. And the super-luxury cars get tops that resemble the proverbial padded cell.
But Martin Birkman, BMW's manager of product planning and motor sports, has a better analysis of the hard top/soft top dichotomy.
A major reason BMW went to the hard top, he said, is to make the car more appealing to a larger array of people. Aside from the obvious advantage of a cozy car that feels like a coupe with the top up, Birkman says the hard top gives the Z4 more of the character of an everyday car.
He said a single person or a couple might consider using it as their only car, where people who buy expensive soft top convertibles likely view them as toys and not daily drivers. An example is the Audi TTS, a ragtop competitor of the new Z4 Roadster.
The new Z4 certainly is in a price class where it could be considered as an expensive toy. But the powers at BMW obviously also think the hard top will broaden its appeal, not to mention the fact that it replaces two models.
Still, it is not a car for the masses. The base Z4'sDrive30i has a starting price of $46,575 and you can option the more powerful sDrive35i up well north of $60,000. The tested 30i with the optional sport package and heated front seats had a suggested sticker of $49,375.
Though the more powerful 35i likely will find favor with poverty-challenged enthusiasts who just have to have the hottest version in the lineup, the 30i gets the driving juices flowing just as well.
It comes with BMW's famed 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine with 255 horsepower, which drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox with a stiff shift linkage but glossy clutch action. The combination is good for a zero-to-60 acceleration time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 150 miles an hour, according to BMW's test figures.
If you opt for the $51,505 35i with the twin-turbo, 300-horsepower engine and the amazing $1,525 twin-clutch, seven-speed automated manual gearbox, you gain only six-tenths of a second, hitting 60 miles an hour in five seconds. Top speed is the same.
The seven-speed is a marvel, uncannily pre-selecting gears and snapping off shifts faster than you can think about them. But many enthusiasts likely would be just as happy with the tested six-speed stick shift and naturally-aspirated engine, not to mention saving nearly $6,500.
BMW calls the Z4 a roadster. By its definition, a roadster has a classic configuration of a long hood and a short rear deck. Years ago, a two-seater was considered a roadster if it had leaky side curtains. It was deemed a convertible if it had roll-up windows.
There's no point in arguing automotive theology. The Z4's defining characteristic is its way back seating position, almost over the rear axle. It imparts the feeling of driving the car from the back seat.
It's not a new phenomenon. The long hood/short rear deck has been a characteristic of many American muscle cars. Looking out over that elongated hood, as opposed to sitting in a sports car like a Porsche Cayman or Boxster where you can't see anything but asphalt, has a charm all its own.
The Z4 is a BMW, which means that by definition it is biased toward handling and performance, and that's what you get. It tracks cleanly through the curves and switchbacks and sends back tactile sensations and messages through the steering and brakes.
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