Vehicle on test
BMW Z4 Roadster
Good:
Engines, ride and handling, hard top
Not so Good:
General softening up, silly handbrake, pricey options
Overall:
It is some seven years now since BMW turned its little sports two-seater the Z3, a sort of upmarket take on the oh-so-fun Mazda MX-5 but with the rather more handling-friendly rear-wheel-drive, into a rather more meatier model called the Z4. Now it is again time for renewal – not a Z5, but a new and significantly different Z4.
The changes are obvious the moment you look at the new Z4, even before you get your tape measure out. BMW has abandoned its traditional soft-top for a retractable hardtop – a first for a BMW roadster. This is possibly the most clear-cut example of the brand’s bid to target the Mercedes SLK with its new car, leading to some criticism of the marque going soft, abandoning the performance-orientated, enthusiast nature of previous versions (BMW itself says the previous Z4 was unashamedly targeted at those who want ‘extreme’ driving abilities) for something with the kind of comfort levels that will appeal to the generally female-influenced convertible market.
In some ways the metal roof makes the Z4 a more practical car. It’s a two-piece unit sliding almost silently into place in a mere 20 seconds. Of course when stowed it does slash the boot space, from a golf bag-accommodating 310 litres to just 180, though BMW does for the first time offer an optional through-loading hatch so you can accommodate longer items by routing them through the cabin.
General space has grown because basically the car has – it’s now 148mm longer, 9mm wider with doors stretched by 26mm in length. Is this a ploy to make room for the oft-rumoured 1 Series roadster? BMW claims no, the car’s bigger to offer more crash protection and a better design. Place your bets…
Thankfully that word performance has not been totally forgotten. The new Z4 comes with a three-way engine choice, all of six cylinders and all eager, responsive units with plenty to offer. This is especially true if you drop the standard six-speed manual gearbox for the Sport-Auto transmission or especially the biggest motor’s superbly slick seven-speed double-clutch auto/manual ‘box. BMW by the way won’t say that cheaper four cylinder engines will follow – but it’s not denied either.
Cheapest powerplant is the 2.5-litre 204bhp Z4 sDrive23i, rising through two different 3-litre units, the 258bhp Z4 sDrive30i and 306bhp Z4 sDrive35i. Wondering about sDrive? It’s the new BMW-speak for rear-wheel-drive – I kid you not…
The heaviest criticism of the old Z4 came courtesy of its posterior-numbing run-flat tyres. The bad news is that the run-flats remain, better news that a day in a Z4 around the challenging roads in northern Scotland suggests that the ride has been significantly improved – though the optional Adaptive M-Sport suspension makes things even better. It drops the car 10mm closer to the ground and offers electronic dampers with three modes depending on how enthusiastic you are feeling.
In short this BMW still makes the most of its rear-drive make-up, powering precisely into bends and sticking confidently through them. The stiffness is not compromised in open mode either, with the cabin feeling taut with none of the rattles and shakes that once characterised convertibles.
The car is significantly heavier than its predecessor, BMW arguing that this is due more to its larger size than the extra 30 kilos added by making the roof metal. And while extra kilos can cut fuel economy, the BMW does better in this respect than its rivals from Mercedes and Audi.
The new Z4 has been softened up compared to the previous model (I particularly question in a sports car dumping the traditional handbrake lever for one of those little pull-switches) but it can still offer a great deal of press-on fun. Me, I’d still be tempted by a Mazda MX-5, but then I wouldn’t be likely to be able to afford the £28,645 to £37,060 price range of the current Z4 line-up. That’s competitive compared to its premium rivals, but note too that’s without options – one model I drove on the launch boasted £9,500 of extras (including a superb but £2,500 sat-nav and telematics system). That made it a two-seater sports car for not much less than £50,000…
Report by Andrew Charman
