Teresa’s View
Driving a beautiful sports car is like wearing a fabulous couture dress, without the mandatory dieting. Be prepared to be noticed. That’s all I’m saying.
Just how much the all-new Z4 3.0si Coupe gets noticed is a testament to the BMW engineers who took the muddled styling of the Z4 Roadster and reformed it with stunning success. The effect is simultaneously modern and retro. Pronounced wheel arches and lower body contours replicate a certain defined physique. The boy is cut. It also helps that a serious reconstruction effort was made to smooth out the bulbous nose of the Z4’s predecessor, the Z3.
The 3.0si Coupe is the newest addition to the Z4 lineup that includes the 3.0i and 3.0si Roadster and the performance-oriented M.
A redo last year gave the roadsters more powerful engines. In the Coupe, the 3.0-liter inline-six produces 255 horsepower. Owners chose from a six-speed automatic or manual transmission. Manual is standard, natch, although the automatic comes with manual mode steering wheel paddles.
Acceleration is strong. BMW says the Coupe runs 0-to-60 in 5.6 seconds. On the twisty bits, the car’s solid suspension, 50/50 weight distribution, wide track and low center of gravity come together to produce a Zen-like balance. State-of-the art stability controls, complete with All Season Traction, help keep the Coupe on the road should one’s focus, or the weather, shift.
From little kids on bikes to adults at intersections, everyone, it seemed, wanted to talk about this week’s tester. This is a car that’ll make you a star.
What Is It?: The Z4 is a two-seater Coupe (hardtop) and Roadster (convertible) from BMW. The Coupe goes for $41K with destination charges.
Gadget Rating: 8.2 out of 10. All Z4s get automatic climate control, cruise, remote entry and power mirrors, windows and door locks. Safety items include side and knee airbags. Some controls are way tiny. Love the cool interior lights.
Listen: The sound system is an audiophile’s delight. It’s not just that there are 10 premium speakers in the cozy cabin, but that THX engineers — the one’s employed by George Lucas — designed a THX Certified Premium Sound System. Yes, the right soundtrack with this ride is a religious experience. And as of March’s production, BMW became the first automaker to include High Definition (HD) Radio as a factory installed option in all its 2007 vehicles. The result is clear, free, CD-like sound quality on stations that exist “between” the stations broadcasting in digital FM. The system also streams artist and song information from radio stations that provide it.
Grocery Sack Test: A hatch replaces the convertible’s wee trunk. The new backend opens wide and high to provide access to a cargo area that, BMW says, can accommodate two golf bags. However, if it’s grocery bags you’re loading, go for the plastic. The cargo space is still too vertically challenged for paper.
So, Where Are Ya From?: The Z4 Coupe is assembled in Spartanburg, S.C.