2003 BMW Z4

My BMW Z4 test drive started almost be accident- I had brought my X5 in for regular maintainance and my dealer had just happened to have a Z4 with a 6 cylinder and manual transmission -- having asked about it months back, my dealer couldn't resist - he knew I'd ask anyway, so he looked at me and said "let's go, Nick."

Naturally, having been a solid BMW customer for so long, my long-time dealer-friend is accustomed to my curiosity and interest in driving EVERYTHING. To say the least, the Z4 was unexpected, and to be honest, at first I was only partially curious as my current automotive priorities were quite far away from the sportscar realm. Needless to say, upon putting my toosh in the driver's seat, my interest was peaked- quite a departure from the staple Z3, the Z4 is lightyears ahead of its older brother in terms of refinement in the driving, interior and configuration department.. However this leads to a few very important questions which may make this car the silver bullet, or make it just downright THE WRONG THING. Most importantly, you must ask yourself if, given the considerably high price of this automible, you are willing to sacrifice fun in order to gain refinement.

The Z4 I drove was a nicely equipped 225 horsepower 6 cylinder with a manual 6 speed finished in Toledo Blue Metallic. The cars base price is just under 41,000 with destination. Add to that the Metallic Paint, optional wood and aluminum trim, premium/sport package as well as Xenon light and 6 speed SMG transmission and your base moves up to a whopping 47,720!! Truly a departure from the more reasonably priced Z3 - added to which, typical NY/Long Island dealer premiums- the markup on a Z4 so equipped would probably be a few bucks more, just because they're not quite so common, at least thus far in BMW's allocations in my area. The first thing that crossed my mind is that in approaching 50 grand, you're not approaching, but well into Porsche territory, so you better drive this car long and well to determine if this is what you want, because at this price, this isn't exactly the possibly whimsical decision that a Z3 might be...

Exterior wise, the Z4 is night and day from the Z3 - which is fine by me, because in my opinion, the Z3 was always a bit too dainty and cute-sie for my taste. The Z4's bodywork is actually pretty impressive- there are infinite curves and angles built in- sweeping strafe mark right across the linear axis of the car and the Z4 has a really nice behind with an elavted mid-trunk panel section and very sleek quarters and tail-light array. The only problem is comparing the real-deal Z4 to the Z4 on paper is absolutely misleading -- BMW's photograph's clearly were picked to flatter the car- and in some cases, you'll find some bodywork underemphasized in the pictures, and some over-emphasized. Overall I really dig the Z4's aggressive styling- a nice blend of aggressive jaggedness with sophisticated curves -- however it is once again, NIGHT and DAY from the Z3... To me this is quite honestly more negative than it is cool -- THe Z3, although a bit "chick" has a very timeless "roadster-esque" style. Yeah, it may be absolutely TINY, but it won't go out of style in this lifetime! The Z4 is very complex- perhaps to a fault. Gone is some of the timelessness, now replaced by possibly over-emphasis on the sophistication... Ironically, the same seems to hold true for the cars driving characteristics, but we'll get to that later.

Interior wise, the car is top-notch, first class. The test unit was furnished with the standard BMW aluminum trim - this is hardly "standard" by the way- at least compared to the Z3s interior, which quite honestly was a bit of a let down for a BMW in my opinion. The Z4 is absolutely classy - aluminum trim combined with the extra wood trim package- the entire interior is nicely accented, the shifter trim panel, the steering wheel is located perfectly along with the display- a nicely refined gauge cluster and instrumentation is laid out neat and clean- very refined. You really have to sit in the car for a while before even driving it to appreciate all the style that went into the interior's design-- In my opinion, the Z4 really succeded where the Z3 dissapointed... The interior is clearly one of the cars best attributes. The power top is pretty trick too - very fast and operates at the touch of a button- the top is hidden by a slick facade panel which blends seemlessly with the cars body work in tucks the top neatly in the trunk. Trunk space is quite an improvement over the Z3 also- while this car is hardly utilitarian, it's greater roominess and space is a big improvement over the Z3, and this makes the car more accessible and thus more marketable... Granted, the people buying Z3s aren't looking for a station wagon- but you'll hear quite a few poeple complain "if the damn thing only had a little more room...."

Speaking of room, driver and passenger accomodation are also top-notch, just like the interior. It's stilla sports car, but it is pretty clear that luxury was a much higher priority in the Z4 than it it was in the Z3 -- again, this may be a bad thing as well, as the fun factor is greatly toned down, though in my opinion hardly by the interior! Still, I wouldn't be surprised if some people felt the interior was a bit too luxury-orineted for a sports car - my adivce is omit the wood trim and deal- the car's insides are tip-top! The sport-package features "sport seats" with an 8 way power design and driver-memory, standard BMW issue. The seats were just one more thing that felt a bit too luxury and not enough sport- they were plenty comfy, but not exactly the total-support that true "sport seats" would be expected to come with. Again, perhaps too much luxury, not engouh fun. The Z4 also features a selectable on-off passenger airbag- again, aimed at making the car more accessible- if you children, you may be more eager to go driving more often..

Aside from the interior and looks being lightyears ahead (or at least AWAY) from the Z3, the suspension is truly AHEAD... The Z3 was never a spectacular handler- however it certainly was FUN. The "M" installment was an absolute blast- pure raw-edge thrills. The suspension in the Z4 is as far as I'm concerned, perfect. the Rear is completely up to date, unlike the Z3's decade old mushy design, the Z4 is stiff and stable- very in touch and very much designed for putting the power to the pavement. THe inline 6's 225 horsepower is certainly reasonable- it's not monster horsepower, however it is substantial, and therefore getting that power right to the street is key. The Z4s rear suspension is tuned perfectly for the 6 speed transmission and inline 6 -- the front suspension is also very taught and the car is super responsive as a result- however the ultimate irony is the car's tragic vagueness...

... All new (and truly unfortunate) for the Z4, BMW has chosen to take the "drive-by-wire" approach and installed an electronically-assisted steering design. While the system is certainly accurate as the day is long, and the car is incredibly responsive, it also feels a bit vague-- in my opinion, alot of the fun-factor is erased as a result. Dont get me wrong, the cars incredible suspension and race-car inspired responsiveness begs to be driven fast- however it is the strange feeling induced by electronic-assist steering which takes some of the fun out of driving this car. I've driven all kinds of sports cars- however in all my life, there is one particular roadster which I love dearly and can't resist driving -- it is my dad's Pinninfarina Spider (just a slightly more refined version of the FIat Spider, after PInninfarina took over the company in 1984). The Pinnin has less than half the horse-power of the Z4 obviously, but it is infinitely more timeless looking and the tight rack-and-pinion steering is just SO damned sporty- THAT is a pleasure to drive and what I like in a sports car! Again, don't get me wrong, the Z4 is an incredible concoction of luxury, refinement and performance, but it is the feel which seems a bit lacking- in short, the fun...

The Sport package fitted to the test unit includes 18" sport alloys- again, adding to the road-hugging properties, the sport package also includes the sport-tuned suspension. I'm very curious to know what the non-sport version of this car feels like, and I'm planning on test driving one very soon -- Because if the sport-version seems a bit anti-fun, I can't imagine what the non-sport version will do for me.. The sport tires are 225/40R-18 front/255/35R-18 rear- nicely low-profile and they incorporate run-flat design. Accordingly, no spare means more room in the trunk-it's already improved with the little "hump." Lastly, the sport package features dynamic-driving control selectable normal/sport settings for throttle and steering. In my opinion, the stability control definitely adds to the whole "drive-by-wire" theme, however it's actually a very well blended system, and doesn't kick-in too easily, but when it does, there is a good reason. Overall, with the sport package suspension, 18" rims, wider tires and the cars overall balance, it is a joy to drive and exhibits a very neutral feel, which is quite contrary to the Z3- which feels certainly a bit more raw-edged, but also more fun. Again, it is your sportscar priorities which will determine if this is a winner or loser- but no question about it, the car is very VERY balanced and neutral feeling.

On the road the car's refinement is more than evident.. A trip on some of long-island's north shore hidden twisties was just in order- the Z4 corners extraodinarily neutral and embarrasses the old Z3 in terms of compsure- the updated suspension is exactly what people were waiting for- combined with the low-profile tires and the accurate steering, the cars balance shines through and equates to one hell of a car for when the road gets twisty. Unfortauntely, it is also this area where the electronically assisted steering ruins a bit of the fun- it just feels like the car is maybe a little TOO composed- its like you're sitting there in the midst of this super-luxury interior going "when is this going to get hairy"? Even though the car likes to be driven fast, I never got to the point where I felt like the car was being pushed- this says ALOT for the engineering, but then why such a loss in fun?? THIS, is the possible downfall of the Z4- or otheriwse, this is what will make it champion!

The Z4's exhaust note is also very luxury, at least around town- however out on the road the engine sings, especially when the 6 speed transmission is allowed to work, shifting at higher revs means more music- the car sounds great on the road with the top down OR up! Acceleration is linear and convincing - the cars suspension makes it feel pretty quick, although again, the refinement factor does the opposite- still, for 225 horsepower, the Z4 moves and moves well- I'm curious to know if anything is on the docket for a super-power Z roadster though... Braking is also very performance oriented with BMW's oversized vented disc braking system - the car is not as lightweight as the Z3 was, however it feels very capable in the brakes depertment and there was no fade even under hard braking.

Overall, the Z4 was truly a surprise in many regards- most of which the refinement area AND the deceiving looks- again, in person, the car looks substantially different then it does in the pictures -- it's very much a love-hate thing too- because I've heard both sides of this and there doesn't seem to be any middle ground on the looks of the Z4! I myself really enjoyed driving the car, and I think it looks super sharp AND performs like a charm- the Z3 has always been lacking in suspension and overall driving performance- but it is certainly a total blast! THe Z4 is very much the shocking opposite - it drives gorgeously and just oozes refinement, though clearly it is at the expense of fun. My advice is go drive the car a few times- also be wary of the price - again, at almost 50,000 for a 6 cylinder with the fixins (pre-tax I'll add) you are quickly approaching Porsche Boxster territory- and given my love for Porsche, It would be unfair for me to start ranting... A Boxster S puts you into the low to mid 50's, and the S stands for "Serious" - no doubt, this is a tough choice to resist, especially when the Z4 is priced so close.. This is a tough decision. The Z4 is most certainly everything you wished the Z3 could be, provided you dig the look - however achieving that at the expense of fun may or may not be the answer you're looking for, this is assuming you've already come to terms with the price.