Z4 a high-strung techno-marvel
My friend wanted to know just one thing: “So is this supposed to be a great car?”
It was a leading question, a prelude to a complaint.
“You should write that these might be the worst seats I’ve ever ridden in.”
Well, soooooory.
There’s no pleasing some people. Put them in one of the world’s great sports cars and they whine about the seats.
Introduced in 2006, BMW’s Z4 Coupe puts a lid on its Z4 Convertible siblings and gives BMW a counter to Porsche’s Cayman.
It is a driver’s car, pure and simple. Low-profile tires. Ultra-precise suspension. Skinny, deeply bolstered sport seats.
They’re music to the ears of enthusiasts, but these amenities explain my friend’s discomfort.
She might have been more forgiving had she known my tester was equipped with $1,800 worth of options that, while not designed to induce discomfort, could be perceived to have that effect.
But I’m guessing she’d have shifted her focus: “I need a derrick to get out of this darn thing.”
She loved saying it.
In Its Nature
Don’t blame the Z4. Sporting cars demand more of their occupants.
BMW promotes its cars as The Ultimate Driving Machines, not The Ultimate Riding Machines.
That should tell you something.
BMW does build some of the most comfortable cars on the planet, hands down. But it took a different tack with the Z4.
You don’t go chasing Porsches with Barcalounger ride and handling.
Besides, delete the $1,300 sport package (low-profile high-performance tires, sport suspension) and the $500 sport seats and you’ve got a sports car anyone could love.
Except the guys with a Cayman in their sights.
A Bargain
The Z4 is known as a bargain in sports-car circles. With a base price of $41,095 (including destination), the 255-horsepower Z4 Coupe 3.0si runs $9,000 less than a base Cayman and offers a 10-hp premium.
The high-performance Z4 M runs $50,795 and 330-hp. That’s $9 Grand less than the competitive Cayman S, and the Bimmer enjoys a 35-hp power advantage.
Neither horsepower nor price is a measure of superiority, but BMW holds the advantage on both counts.
Granted, it stretches credulity to plump as a bargain a $41,000 sports car that holds two people and half their luggage, but so it is.
The Goods
The 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that powers the 3.0si has a broad power band and is supremely smooth and supple. The base transmission is a six-speed manual; a six-speed automatic with manual-shift mode is optional.
Improved body rigidity is the only good reason to tack a top onto a perfectly good convertible. Improved rigidity enables more precise suspension tuning, which in turn produces superior handling characteristics.
But the top has a downside: it obscures the Z4’s lovely exhaust note. To drive the convertible with the top down is to wallow in a diet of ear candy.
The coupe makes its share of joyful noise, but it just happens at higher engine speeds and is more mechanical in nature.
Traditional Layout
Like the Cayman, the Z4 offers outstanding front-to-rear weight distribution, but gets there via different means. The Cayman’s flat-six engine resides mid-ships, sandwiched between the seats and the rear axle.
The Z uses a traditional front-engine, rear-drive layout. This produces a long, slippery hood line and a bubble-shaped top, designed tall to accommodate larger drivers. The top slips sleekly into the rear hatch, which lifts to expose a decently sized cargo area.
This configuration has the effect of muting somewhat the convertible’s love-it-or-hate-it sheet metal.
As is true of all small sports cars, interior layout and ergonomics are a mixed bag. There is a bare minimum of incidental storage space, the audio controls are too small (and lack a station tuning function) and the driver’s side cupholder is ideally positioned to create spills – and did.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, power accessories, cruise control, heated mirrors and remote keyless entry. Aside from the standard leather seating surfaces, though, there’s nothing particularly luxurious about this interior; it’s designed to function well and communicate effectively at speed, not to coddle.
This will not necessarily please all passengers.
The Payoff
There is a clear payoff, though. The Z4 Coupe 3.0si performs magnificently.
Even my seat-wary friend couldn’t help but be impressed with the absence of body lean in fast sweepers.
Beyond a touch of sensitivity upon light pedal pressure, the brakes modulate and provide progressive response. Steering is precise and communicative.
With its wide tires and finely tuned suspension, the Z4 is prone to finding and tracking the groves in the road surface, a flaw I easily forgave.
High-strung, low-slung sports cars are not for everyone. If your prime passenger has a tender behind and a thing for a soft ride, buy the everyday Z4 Coupe.
But if you love the feel of a precisely tuned sports car, there’s a sport package waiting for you.
Just be mindful of those seats; there may be someone in your life lobbying for the other car.