 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Click image to enlarge |
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Oshawa, Ontario – Coming out so late in the model year that I’m surprised it’s not badged as a 2010, the all-new BMW Z4 deftly replaces two models, the outgoing Z4 coupe and convertible. It manages this feat through a retractable hardtop, the only choice available, which automatically folds up and stows to transform this two-seater from a weather-tight hardtop into a fast-n-fun convertible at the touch of a button.
The outgoing 2008 model included a higher-performance M variant, but this time around, there are only two choices (at least for now), which use BMW’s award-winning 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder, also used in the 1, 3 and 5 Series. The company has recently embarked on an odd renaming program that might eventually require making the vehicles larger just so the monikers will fit on the sides, and the Z4 is no exception. The Z4 sDrive30i uses the naturally-aspirated six, making 255 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. But my tester, the Z4 sDrive35i, uses a powerplant that’s undoubtedly one of the best engines produced by any company to date, a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre that cranks out easy-to-remember numbers of 300 horses and 300 lb-ft. The small turbochargers are configured so that each feeds one bank of cylinders. The result is virtually no turbo lag, awesome acceleration at any spot on the throttle, and low-end grunt that would push you into the rear seat, if the car had one.
Both come by default with a six-speed manual transmission, but the available automatics differ. The sDrive30i uses a six-speed automatic, while my tester was equipped with a seven-speed double-clutch automatic for an additional $1,950.
 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Click image to enlarge |
The Z4 isn’t inexpensive by any means. The sDrive30i starts at $53,900, while the sDrive35i begins to tip the scales at $61,900. My tester was optioned with packages and stand-alone options that included sport seats, 19-inch wheels, heated wheel and upgraded stereo that pushed it to $72,550 (including $800 for metallic paint that originally resulted in BMW giving me a bright silver car that was the wrong one; no one, including me, thought that a dark champagne shade would be called “Orion Silver”). Those with deeper pockets can also add such items missing on my tester as a $2,000 navigation system (which includes the first iDrive control system on a Z4), a pure white $2,700 leather interior, Park Distance Control for $900, or an M Adaptive Suspension system for $2,000.
Indeed, it’s that price point that makes me wonder if BMW is doing the right thing by offering the same engines in such a variety of models. I could order the twin-turbo 3.0-litre in the nimble little 1 Series, which comes with a soft top instead of a foldaway hard roof, and save myself $14,700 on the base MSRPs. On the other hand, some people eat their scrambled eggs at the kitchen table and others prefer their breakfast on fine china at an upscale restaurant, and there’s room in this world for both. Realistically, I could save my pennies, put a 1 Series in my driveway and be very happy with it. But with the Z4, I want to win the lottery just so I can buy this car.
I was somewhat limited with the car, in that most of the roads I had available to me were as straight as Jerry Falwell, and not much prettier. The few hard thrashings I was able to give it around some curves confirmed what a few other journalists have said about it: there’s more body roll than expected, and while the steering is accurate, there’s a bit of numbness to the feel. (I don’t know if the optional M Suspension would make it considerably more tossable, since I haven’t had an opportunity to try it.) Without having spent a lot of time with it on twisty roads or on a track, my impression is of a mature, rock-steady and very satisfying machine on the type of roads most drivers encounter, with no twitchiness and with beautiful balance.
Cars are seldom all things for all people, and it seems that if BMW has aimed for those who prefer weekend wine country tours to all-day track laps, it has produced a car that targets the demographic impressively. There won’t be too many stops on the tour for fuel, either: published figures for the twin turbo are 11.4 L/100 km (25 mpg Imp) in the city and 7.7 L/100 km (37 mpg Imp) on the highway, while in combined driving, I got what I felt was a very impressive 9.5 L/100 km (30 mpg Imp). The minimum fuel grade is 89 octane, while 91 is recommended.
 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Click image to enlarge |
Overall, I’m very impressed with the seven-speed double clutch transmission (DCT), but far less with its controls. The smooth shifts and uninterrupted power provided by these types of gearboxes adds to the driving pleasure. Hitting the “Sport” button moves the shift points, and also changes the engine and steering response, and the damping controls. That helps pump up the exhaust’s delicious snarl, with the shifts triggering a crack out the pipes as sweet as a symphony. Hit the button again and you’re into “Sport Plus,” which also deactivates the Dynamic Stability Control (it can also be disengaged independently through a button of its own). Through a combination of Sport Plus, manual shift mode and a hard thrust of the right foot, the car engages a launch mode that digs in to the point that you can start to feel the front wheels lifting.
But the transmission is hampered by the awful shift lever that I first came to dislike when we met in the X5. Rather than a conventional shifter, the Z4 uses an electronic paddle, with a button for Park (shut the car off without remembering to push the button, and it will automatically engage it for you). That’s bad enough, but what I really hate is that you shift into each gear from the lever’s central default position, and Reverse is reached by pushing forward. Unique touches can be fun, but there are some things that should be universal, and this is one of them. Almost every other automatic transmission out there starts in Park, and then you pull down for Reverse. Do that with the Z4 (or any other BMW so equipped), and you’re in Drive. The first time I drove one of these, I got in, routinely pulled it back one click, and almost hit the car in front of me when I went forward instead of backward. Sure, you’ll get used to it, but in a world of multi-car families and valet parking, I think it’s inherently unsafe.
Should you wish to scull the gears yourself, you can do so via the lever, or by the wheel-mounted paddles – and they’re my other complaint. I like upshift on one side and downshift on the other, and both of them either push or pull, but not either/or. The Z4 uses redundant paddles that you pull to upshift, and push to downshift. Those with bear paws probably won’t have a problem, but between the thick wheel and the extreme inboard placement of the paddles, I couldn’t use them: my hands were too small to reach them.
 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Click image to enlarge |
There are as many opinions on styling as people to give them, and mine is that the Z4 is a stunner. The extra-long nose stops just shy of being cartoonish, and the car reminds me of a powerboat, although backing into a spot is highly recommended, as it’s hard to see parking curbs over the expanse in front of you. The front body creases form a subtle cove through the door, with the top one bowing to the curve that follows the rear wheels. The taillights wrap around the trunk, and the line of clear LEDs below them flash red for turn signals. The sDrive35i is differentiated from the sDrive30i by such styling cues as aluminum grille bars and split exhaust tips.
Inside, the sDrive35i has some extra standard features over its less-expensive sibling, including a lighting package, garage door opener, auto-dimming mirror, power seats, leather upholstery (the sDrive30i starts with “leatherette”) and Comfort Access, which means you don’t need to insert the key before hitting the engine start button. The remote also lets you lower the top before you actually get into the car if you prefer.
    2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Click image to enlarge |
The Z4 is as pretty inside as it is outside, with a metallic “hockey stick” that curves out of the dash pad and houses the climate control, a tall console separating driver and passenger, and asymmetrical centre vents. The simple but effective gauges include a way-cool feature: when you set the cruise control, a tiny green light races around the speedometer’s circumference and stops at the selected speed. Temporarily cancel the cruise, and the light turns red, switching back to green when the system is restarted.
There’s some small-item storage, but not a lot: small door pockets, two little open console cubbies, a narrow lidded console box, and a locking glovebox. If you’re short and you sit with your seat ahead, you can slip a laptop bag or similar behind the chair. Europeans get out of their cars for coffee – and the Z4 is definitely Euro, production having switched from South Carolina back to Germany for this generation – and you should, too. There are two shallow cupholders inside the console box, which require you to keep the lid open when using them, while an ugly auxiliary cupholder can be mounted on the passenger side of the console. (It fits into the glovebox when not in use.)
A folding top requires space for its storage. Once the top is down – and it’s odd that there’s no chime or message to indicate that the operation has finished – it sits in the top of the trunk. A moveable partition ensures that any cargo is below the danger zone, and the roof won’t open if this partition hasn’t been snapped down into place. With the top up, the storage area is about 82 cm long and 73 cm wide, and if you pack all the way to the sides of the trunk – which you can’t do if you’re planning on dropping the top – you can go about 134 cm at the most. When the partition is in place, your goods must fit into a cubby that’s 82 cm long, 73 cm wide, and 30 cm high. Pack carefully, and that should get two of you through a weekend jaunt. There’s also a pass-through if you’re planning on skiing or golfing while you’re gone.
I expect the Z4’s primary natural habitat is going to be the country club parking lot, and it’s a great car for the market. It lacks the 1 Series’ ballet-dancer agility, the 3 Series’ practicality and the 5 Series’ luxo-limo feel, but makes the most of the torque monster that lurks under that long hood with poise and character all its own. I gotta go buy me a lottery ticket. For the little that’s wrong with this car, there’s sure a lot that’s right.
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