BMW Z4
At the Paris Motor Show in late September, BMW will officially launch its new roadster, the Z4, which takes over from the Z3. As many will remember, the company had displayed a concept earlier called the ‘X Coupe’ and the Z4 has drawn heavily from it (but no clamshell rear section, though).
As with some recent new BMWs, the styling of the Z4 – also from the studio headed by Chris Bangle – breaks new ground and is considered by the company to be ‘another highlight in BMW’s new design language’.
The Z4 bears all the classic features of a typical roadster – a long and sleek engine compartment, a long wheelbase, short overhangs and a low seating position moved far to the back. The exciting design of the car is characterised by the intriguing interplay of convex and concave surfaces, hard edges and gentle curvature. This intense optical impression creates new transitions of light and shadow from every angle, shaping the very special character of the car.
The new body offers the roadster aficionado not only a spacious cockpit with sports-contoured seats featured as standard, but also a large luggage compartment with a variable roof box providing capacity of up to 260, large enough for two golf bags. The soft roof folds in a Z-shaped configuration and comes with a heated rear window made of glass.
It is initially available with two high-torque six-cylinder power units, the Z4 3.0i (170 kW/231 bhp/top speed: 250 km/h) with its special sound engineering and the Z4 2.5i (141 kW/192 bhp/235 km/h). Power is conveyed to the modified rear axle of the BMW 3 Series by a new 6-speed (Z4 2.5i: 5-speed) manual gearbox. Dynamic Drive Control (DDC) ensures even more spontaneous acceleration and power at the touch of the pedal. A 5-speed automatic transmission will be available as an option as well as the 6-speed sequential gearbox (SMG).
Wide track, an extremely low centre of gravity, optimum 50:50 axle load distribution and very precise steering (electric power steering) help to give the new Z4 agility. Run-flat tyres are standard so a spare isn’t needed. There is also Dynamic Stability Control III with an on-demand traction mode that should guarantee supreme driving safety in all situations.
Dials and instruments housed beneath sporting hoods on the dashboard allow the driver of the Z4 to keep a close eye at all times on all the functions. Options available at extra cost include a sophisticated navigation system with a display retracting fully into the instrument panel, a top-quality hifi system in carver technology for powerful bass reproduction, and a car telephone. Standard features are a leather sports steering wheel, a roll-over safety system, and lots of spacious storage compartments.
