2010 BMW Z4 Reviews

The BMW Z3 and Z4 are genuine roadsters, not simply convertibles. The difference being that roadsters are strictly two-seaters and the seats are set well back, almost to the rear axle. The resulting very long nose and a stubby tail mean the BMW Z-cars have a no-nonsense purposeful appearance.The BMW Z3 was launched in Australia way back in January 1997. It was BMW’s answer to the astonishing success of the Mazda MX-5, a car that reinvented the open-top car many thought had gone forever. Despite its different name, the BMW Z4 is really the second-generation Z3, it was given the new title to match the new naming system which sees the sporty variants getting even numbers.The Z series models were initially designed for the USA so in the early editions are rather American in their makeup for keen Aussie drivers. In particular, their handling was softer than usual for a BMW, though far from soft in absolute terms. When the Z3 also became a hit in many other countries, including Australia, the handling became full-on sport with the introduction of the Z4.The first Australian imports of the BMW Z4 reached us downunder in July 2003. Handling of the Z4 is exceptionally good with excellent chassis balance thanks to the setback position of the engine. Naturally rear wheel drive gives you proper throttle control. Some may feel the ride is on the firm side, but true drivers will be more than willing to overlooks this.Perhaps take along your regular passenger and get their feelings for the car on roughish roads. Though the little BMW began life with a 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine, the German marque is famed for its six-cylinder engines and these were soon squeezed under the long bonnet and almost immediately became the powerplant of choice in almost all cars.In June 1999 imports of the 1.9-litre four had ceased in Australia and all used a sweet little 2.0-litre straight-six. The big gun engine in the Z3 is the 3.0-litre six-cylinder. Performance from the smaller engines is nothing to get excited about, but the free-revving nature, and great exhaust note, makes them feel faster than they really are – and isn’t that what counts?BMW Z4s have a 2.5 or 3.0-litre straight-six from their 2003 introduction until the company started to get into the small-capacity turbocharged field with blown four-cylinder engines. Some sixes remained alongside the turbo-petrol fours until 2012, when they were replaced by big-boost turbo fours. Some miss the demise of the straight-six turbo engines – ourselves included – so if you really love them it might be time to invest in the last of the line.A special engine is used in the Z4 33i models. A 3.0-litre twin-turbo six, it gives huge amounts of forward thrust and is a delight for the revheads to punt along. Manual and automatic transmission are offered in most cars and the auto isn’t as slow and irritating as in some sports models. Our choice is still the DIY shifter, though.Manuals have six gear ratios. The autos increased in the number of gears, beginning with just four speeds in 1997 and advancing to no fewer than eight in 2012, with five and six speeds being sold along the timeline. The BMW dealer network is well established in Australia and is known for its high quality of technical training.Electronic diagnosis of problems is highly refined as BMW was a leader in this field. The technician plugs in your car and it is then connected to a large computer in Germany where it is quizzed not only on current problems but even in intermittent troubles that aren’t actually present in the car at the time it was driven into the workshop. Clever stuff.This high-tech diagnoses and servicing is just one reason it makes a lot of sense to buy a used Z3 or Z4 that has always been serviced by an official BMW dealer. Spare parts aren't outrageously expensive for a car in this class, but may prove to be a factor in your decision as to whether to buy an older Z4 rather than a cheaper convertible from a lower-cost maker.Insurance may be expensive if the driver is young and/or inexperienced. Surprisingly there is seldom a big increase in premiums for the high-performance models.WHAT TO LOOK FORCarry out your own pre-purchase inspection to the best of your ability. Once it has passed your tests call your BMW dealer, or at least a qualified mechanic with knowledge of the marque. Lift the carpets for signs of dampness or even rust if the car has been caught out in the rain in a big way. It’s best to ask permission from the seller before doing this as technically it’s dismantling the car and that is often frowned upon.Check for previous crash repairs by looking for signs of paint overspray, panels with a slight waviness in their finish and for colours that don't match exactly from one panel to the next. Make sure the engine starts virtually instantly, idles smoothly within a second or so of startup and pulls without hesitation even when completely cold.CAR BUYING TIPSome sports cars are ‘fanged’ on a daily basis, others never get past the mid-range marks on the tacho. No marks for guessing which is the better bet as a used car. 

THERE have been some mad, bad BMWs in the past that had more in common with American muscle cars than sober ``ultimate driving machines''. Exhibit A: the M Coupes and Roadsters offered during the previous decade. Rather than the balance of attributes in an M3, the performance version of BMW's junior executive, the M Coupes and their relatives prioritised ballistic power.I never spent much time in any of them and when I did, their reputation for handling like greasy eels made me very wary.I was expecting this Z4, the fastest and most expensive variant of the roadster range launched last year, to lay down rubber in the same direction. It comes from the same model line as M Coupes and Roadsters, which were the heady pinnacle of previous Z ranges. Like them, the 35is has a straight-six cylinder engine and with 250kW, almost identical power.The new car is even quicker to 100km/h, with a quoted time of 4.8 seconds, than the last of the crazy Coupes. It's as quick, in fact, as BMW's current M3 with a manual gearbox. And that's pretty quick for something that lacks the imprimatur of the brand's M tuning division.BMW says there are no plans to make an M version of this Z, although, like most car companies, BMW denies everything right up to the moment when it confirms what everyone suspected all along. There's scope to do it here because, compared with previous top-shelf Zs, this one is completely sane. The name should have been enough of a giveaway.Over the years, BMW's naming strategy has become increasingly convoluted to the point where it's now a crime against nomenclature. ``Z4 sDrive35is'' has all the legibility of a DNA sequence and you'll need a centrifuge and a microscope to spot that the only difference between this and its nearest neighbour is the ``s'' tacked on the end.That's how it feels from behind the wheel, too. For another $13,000 it's quicker than the Not-s model by 0.3 seconds to 100km/h, thanks to reprogramming of its twin-turbo engine for more boost. It needs a few more revs to deliver, but on tap is 25kW more power and 50Nm more torque. There's even an overboost function that briefly delivers 500Nm, which is enough to pull a plough. It's a fabulous unit that remains unflappable however hard you work it and emits a tuneful deep, throaty sound.But it doesn't feel like a leap into supercar territory. I'm not even convinced that I'd be able to pick this car from the Not-s unless I drove them back to back. Perhaps expectations are playing tricks on me here. This version is respectably fast, but given the numbers I thought it would have a scary turn of speed that takes your breath away.It's a little unclear, too, why BMW has retained this engine in this model. Elsewhere it's being replaced by one with a single, twin-scroll turbocharger that's better for fuel economy (see below). It's still early in this Z's model cycle, so perhaps that will come.There are other remnants of earlier thinking, too. The seven-speed double-clutch gearbox, optional in the Not-s but standard here, is a good example of the type but BMW has stuck with its idiosyncratic shift paddles on the wheel, which need to be pushed for down, pulled for up. Virtually everyone else has abandoned brand-specific solutions for the industry standard of left paddle for down, right for up. There's a reason why: it's better.Aside from the engine, the other main engineering upgrade is adaptive suspension. This lowers the car and adjusts to road surfaces on the move. Apparently, when the front wheels hit a bump the system is quick enough to alter the rear suspension set-up in time for the back wheels to be prepared. It copes well with rolling dips and crests but less well with sharp bumps and potholes, where it lacks the brilliant initial compliance of most BMWs. The ride quality can be abrupt.At the same time, even on the firmest setting there's a fair bit of body roll and the suspension seems to exhaust its range of movement quickly. It can be caught out.On a twisty road, this Z4 is capable but, unfortunately, not engaging, and nowhere near the best that BMW can offer. The electric steering has been tweaked for better tactility but still felt remote, an impression magnified by the long bonnet that ends who-knows-where. From the driver's seat, the steering wheel is offset slightly to the left and that doesn't help matters either.Read more about prestige motoring at The Australian.

The new roadster has plenty of M stuff, and the performance to match a manual M3 coupe, but BMW Australia says it's not a true M car and not entitled to the badge which brings ultimate BMW bragging rights. Instead, in the confusing BMW world of 2010, the rapid twin-turbo Roadster is called the sDrive35is.To translate into the stuff that matters, it has a force-fed six that makes 250kW/500Nm, a seven-speed double-clutch sports auto gearbox, adaptive M suspension, 18-inch alloys and a unique bark from its twin- pipe exhaust.The car is priced from $129,900 and aimed straight at the Porsche Boxster, although BMW Australia concedes there could be some people who will shop it against an Audi TTRS, something AMG from Benz, or even a Nissan 370Z.The change away from a true M-car in the Z4 range shows the work pressure on BMW's hot shop, which has only just finished the X5 and X6 and is now deeply into the next V8 turbo M5, as well as a slight direction change for the two-seater convertible. It's not as extreme these days.The price hardly matters because BMW Australia only has 25 cars for the rest of the year and is expecting a similar tight supply through 2011. But it's $129,900 without an - inevitable - extra dip through the optional-equipment list.That puts it straight up against the Boxster, which starts at $105,000 these days, and it even undercuts the Boxster S which is the real choice for keen drivers. Then again, there will be an all-new Boxster next year which promises a lot more - including space - than today's car."It's the Boxster that we're really got in our sights. It raises the perfomrance to the standard of the Porsche," says Piers Scott, spokesman for BMW Australia. He touts the changes and particularly the unique-design alloy wheels, M logos on things like the steering wheel and scuff plates inside the wheel, as well as the lower ride height and the unique exhaust note.But he also concedes the Z4, across the board, is not a big seller in Australia. This year's running sales total is 188 against 126 in 2009, despite the arrival of an all-new model. "They are not flying out the door. Globally it has been a huge success story and leads the segment by far, but in Australia it is still to find its feet," he admits.The key to the car is the twin-turbo six, which uses one turbocharger each for three cylinders, to deliver peak torque from just 1500 revs and overboost of 500 Newton-metres under high-load conditions. Peak power comes at 5900 revs, relatively low against M cars with redlines around 8000.The double-clutch gearbox is the right choice for the car, although it still has the silly auto-style shift levers of the cruisey BMWs, and the adaptive suspension is set lower with the ability for more firmness and grip. The driver assist systems are also switchable to ensure maximum fun."For the pure enthusiast, it's a performance car that's track capable," says Scott.As for the exhaust note, it's not a pure M system but has been tuned to give a better note.The latest Z4 is slightly bigger and slightly more rounded, with more cabin space than before. It still has a folding hardtop that works quickly and easily, with a cabin that has the right stuff in the right places.The changes for the M upgrade are minor, but enough for BMW enthusiasts to know the difference.The second-generation Z4 came with more poise and balance than the previous car, which makes it better for an M-style upgrade. It copes easily with the extra power and torque, instead of turning into a bucking broncho, and never feels to be stretched beyond its limits. The nose will push wide if you get onto the power too hard or too early in a tight bend, but generally it just tracks around a curve and invites you to dip into the loud pedal.When you do there is a very sweet thump from the exhaust, although it's not the same as the howl from a non-turbo six or V8 from the M-car menu.It is an extremely rapid car at all times on all types of roads, but is not lairy or overdone. In fact, it's remarkably refined and that should work for people who are considering a Boxster. The gearbox is terrific for maintaining swift motoring, although the engine will drop below ideal boost in tight corners as second is a bit too tall. It recovers boost quickly, but is something you notice. The ride is firm but not shaky, the seats are great, there is good feel to the suspension and the brakes never feel troubled, even at fairly rapid speed.The Z4 hero is a true hero and definitely capable of challenging the Porsche Boxster, but you have to wonder if people with the right money would also want the right badge - an M - to tell people what they have in the garage.