BMW Z4 Roadster First Drive

Two for the price of one

This is the first redesign of the distinctive Z4 roadster since it replaced the Z3 back in 2002. The new Z4 still has its classic roadster proportions with a lengthy bonnet, bulky wheel arches, short overhangs and its distinctive low to the ground rearward seating position. The 2009 Z4 is also sporting a slightly new appearance. Gone are the hard, wedge shaped body lines. They've been replaced with a softer, more elegant appearance with side styling lines resembling the BMW 135i coupe. The body of the Z4 is now longer and slightly wider which has added to improvements in head, shoulder and leg room. Ingress and egress has also improved.

The Z4's front has undergone a mild facelift with new, pulled back head lights that combine with the traditional kidney bean grill. The new restyled bonnet gives the Z4 a stronger, more aggressive presence on the road.

The big news for the new Z4 is the introduction of a two piece aluminium retractable hard top. This is a first for a BMW roadster allowing BMW to delete the Z4 Coupe and Convertible soft top. Flick a switch and the roof disappears within 20 seconds, tucking away neatly into the boot compartment. This system gives the best of both worlds - the comfort of a coupe to protect you from the wind and inclement weather, and the freedom of a roadster to take full advantage of the sun. At the launch the optional dealer-fitted wind deflector was unavailable; however it's worth considering as it helps stop the back of your head being buffeted at speed.

There are three models in the new Z4 range:

• Z4 sDrive23i with a 2.5 litre 150kW/250Nm engine, with prices starting at $86,200.
• Z4sDrive30i powered by a 3.0 litre 190kW/310Nm six-cylinder engine from $98,100.
• Z4 sDrive35i with BMW's legendary 3.0 litre 225kW/400Nm straight six twin turbo direct injected petrol engine that starts at $116,900.

 
The Z4sDrive35i, with six-speed manual gearbox, accelerates from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds. The double clutch, seven-speed sports automatic transmission's time was 5.1 seconds.

The three variants come standard with a six-speed manual. For an additional $3,300 the sDrive23i and sDrive30i are available in six-speed automatic with Steptronic and gearshift paddles. A seven-speed sports auto with double clutch and gearshift paddles is available on the 35i for an additional $3,500.

For an exhilarating ride the BMW Adaptive M Suspension is the first option to look at. It lowers the vehicle by 10mm at the flick of a switch and allows the driver to choose from three different settings - Normal, Sport and Sport+.

Standard features on the base model Z4 includes

• Park Distance Control (PDC) front and rear
• Bi-xenon headlights with washer system
• Rain sensing wipers
• Automatic head light control
• Central locking with remote control
• Multi-function leather sports steering wheel
• Automatic climate control with micro-filter
• AM/FM radio with in-dash CD player
• USB audio interface for MP3 integration
• Leather seating with heating
• 17" alloy wheels on the 23i and 30i.
• The 30i gets
• Satellite navigation with 8.8" colour screen
• Electric seat with memory function for driver's seat and mirrors
• 245W, 11 speaker audio system.
• The 35i gets
• 18" alloy wheel
• Keyless entry and starting
• Adaptive head lights
• High beam assist
• BMW sports seats and exterior mirrors with anti-dazzle and fold in functions
• Remote control opening and closing of the hard top.

Of course it wouldn't be a German prestige car if it didn't have an extensive and pricey list of options. BMW has raft of options to personalise your Z4 to meet all your performance and comfort requirements. These includes Adaptive M suspension, 18 and 19" alloy wheels, interior package that includes Nappa leather in ivory white, BMW sports seats and wood trim, steering wheel heating, TV function, upgraded 245W, 14 speaker audio system and extended leather package on top of the instrument panel, on the side door trims and sun visors.

When it comes to safety BMW has equipped the Z4 with a comprehensive package including

• Twin front and side thorax airbags with occupant detector
• Dynamic Stability control (DSC)
• Dynamic Traction Control (DTC)
• Roll over safety system (roll bars) behind the head restraints
• Run flat safety tyres with pressure indicator
• Dynamic Driving Control (DDC) that lets you set the suspension dampening to Normal, Sport and Sport+. The DDC system also controls the transmission mapping, throttle response and steering characteristics.

On the launch we had the opportunity to test drive both the 30i and the twin turbo 35i, both with the adaptive M suspension option and automatic transmissions. The cars performed superbly along a twisting, winding section of the Great Ocean Road and surrounding mountain ranges.

The 35i with seven-speed double clutch was always going to be very impressive but close on its heels was the 30i with a naturally aspirated 3.0 litre six backed by the six-speed auto.

In wet conditions both models delivered excellent levels of grip on below average stretches of bitumen. The only time the car misbehaved and occasionally lost traction causing the Traction Control warning light to flicker was on patchy fast corners in the Sport+ mode. Steering was firm and precise delivering a good level of feedback to the driver. Occasionally in wet conditions slight understeer was evident but only on tight fast bends. This was less of a concern when dry road testing. During the road test under constant harsh braking and fast acceleration, the automatic gearboxes in both variants performed flawlessly.

The cockpit is snug and both the standard and sports seats do an excellent job of cradling the driver during high speed corning. With the increased body size, BMW has increased the size of the side windows by 40 per cent and the rear window by 52 per cent. All round visibility on the new Z4 has increased by 14 per cent and gone are the annoying blind spots of previous models.

The only downside is the lack of storage space in the boot - we struggled to fit two medium sized back packs in even with the roof up. There is also minimal storage inside.

BMW is aware the Z4 roadster is not the most practical car on the market and space can be an issue at times, but what it offers is an exceptional classic roadster driving experience.

Those buying a Z4 aren't going to be overly concerned with boot space, glove box size and the number of cup holders. They're after a true, long-nosed classis roadster driving experience where the driver sits close to the ground. Very few cars on the market can offer this style of driving today. BMW is predicting it will sell around 400 units per year keeping them in close contact with the Z4's rival the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster.