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Despite also being almost 200kg porkier than the M Roadster, the Z4 35i is virtually as quick and more than two litres more efficient per 100km. Mind you, as an auto, it’s also priced within $10,000 of the M at more than $120,000. The rest of the Z4 Roadster range (the single body replaces the previous convertible and coupe options) moves up in weight and price, too. At base 2.5-litre level, it is $6700 more expensive at $86,200, while the 3.0-litre Compare, Select and Save at $98,100 is a whole $8000 pricier than the convertible it replaces. And that’s before you factor in a plethora of expensive options. However, commensurate with its weight and price increase is the added safety, security and refinement of a fully integrated, poweroperated folding aluminium roof. It takes a relatively lengthy 20 seconds to open (during which time one must hold down the awkwardly positioned roof button) and cannot be operated on the move like some convertible roof systems, but it does it in virtual silence. Thanks to a massively larger rear window and longer side glass, which now incorporates two small rear windows that can be independently opened, all-round vision is vastly improved. Impressively for a convertible, the rear three-quarter blind spot is no worse than in many coupes. Styled inside and out by female BMW designers, the Z4 not only moves up in weight, but also size and therefore interior comfort. The two-seater cabin is still cosy and cosseting, but there’s noticeably more head and shoulder room – even if the driver’s seat feels too high and its seatback bolstering is a tad too narrow for the, let’s say, wide-backed among us. The extra body length also increases total boot space to 310 litres, but with the sizeable r Ê N H 4 /18
hard-top stowed it shrinks to just 180 litres, which is barely enough to store a couple of backpacks. With the roof down, wind buffeting in the cabin is acceptable up to 120km/h, even without the dealer-accessory wind buffer, and normal conversation can also be had. It also has the best Z4 interior yet. Entirely functional and ergonomic, there’s a little more Compare, Select and Save storage space via fold-out door pockets and rear bulkhead compartments, while the circular design theme is broken only by the optional flip-up dash monitor, which brings a new level of iDrive-operated technology to the Z4 but is so large it looks out of place. The Z4 continues to offer a poised, intimate driving experience. On a crisp Victorian morning with the roof down and the exhaust Z-blooded: Three-litre straight-six Z4 feels as fast as ever, despite stacking on the kilos. note reverberating against roadside cuttings, it still delivers a truly invigorating roadster driving experience. No manual or even 2.5-litre versions were available during the extensive launch drive, so we can’t say if the base sDrive25i lives up to its zesty predecessor, but in 3.0-litre automatic guise the Z4 has lost little of the performance or agility of the model it replaces. Gone is the twitchy, elastic steering, replaced by a more linear (but still electric) system that is suitably responsive and communicative, but still not as alive in your hands as other hydraulically-assisted BMW models. The 3.0 seems as quick as ever, despite its larger overall size and mass, and delivers superior stability and roadholding, though the revised independent rear suspension still tends r Ê N H 5 /18
Page 1 and 2: iSelect’s Issue 3 ● July 2009 M
Page 3: \\ DRIVEN: BMW Z4 Grand heft auto Z
Page 7 and 8: By DAVID HASSALL BRITISH sportscar
Page 9 and 10: \\ DRIVEN: Jaguar XFR Blown like th
Page 11 and 12: Go-Cat: The XFR gets frisky as the
Page 13 and 14: “Stuck choosing car insurance?”
Page 15 and 16: up to produce more power) and the 4
Page 17 and 18: comprises new, more stylised headli

Pussy Galore

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