The new BMW Z4 Roadster and Z4 M Roadster
BMW's latest two-seat sportscar offers exhilarating performance and unparalleled point-to-point speed. Backed up by a stimulating aural sound-track, purity of design and a development process led by enthusiasts, the Z4 M Roadster signifies the best of BMW.
BMW has also moved the benchmark for two-seat open-top sports on with the addition of a revised non-M Z4, featuring new front and rear design, improved specification and new powerplants. Customers in the market for two-seat open-top motoring can now choose from ten Z4 models priced from £22,945 to £42,750 and with power outputs ranging from 150hp to 343hp.
Product highlights:
... New Sport models introduced
... World’s fastest fully electrically-operated soft-top
... 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre cars powered by the world’s lightest six-cylinder petrol engine
... 343hp 3.2-litre M Roadster engine, five-time International Engine of the Year awards category winner
... Dynamic Stability Control+ fitted on Z4 for first time
Engine:
The Z4 is powered by some of the smoothest, most refined engines currently available. The line-up offers five powerplants starting with a 150hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and rising to a 343hp 3.2-litre straight-six ensuring a spread of performance to suit all tastes. All engines offer VANOS variable valve timing technology with VALVETRONIC variable valve opening technology featuring on all ‘standard’ cars (except the Z4 M Roadster).
Using the 3.2-litre engine that has won category honours five times in a row at the Engine of the Year awards, the all-new BMW Z4 M Roadster is the new flagship model of the range. With 63hp more than a Porsche Boxster S, on-road performance is breathtaking. Capable of a zero to 62mph time of just 5.0 seconds, the Z4 M Roadster goes on to an electronically-limited155mph.
But it is not just the BMW Z4 M Roadster powerplant that has a story to tell. Featuring the world’s lightest production six-cylinder engine made of aluminium and magnesium, the BMW Z4 3.0si uses VANOS and VALVETRONIC variable valve technology to help it achieve 265hp and 315Nm of torque - figures which also better the output of a Porsche Boxster. On the road this results in a zero to 62mph time of 5.7 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.
The Z4 2.5si and Z4 2.5i Roadsters offer two outputs from the same six-cylinder engine. The 2.5si delivers 218hp and 250Nm of torque and records a zero to 62mph time of 6.5 seconds before going on to a top speed of 149mph. Meanwhile, the Z4 2.5i with its 177hp and 230Nm engine achieves a zero to 62mph acceleration time of 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 142mph.
Transmission:
All the new Z4’s come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox and this short-shifting ‘box is the sole transmission available on the M Roadster. A new ‘Sport Automatic’ gearbox, optional on 2.5si and 3.0si six-cylinder Z4’s, offers a full auto mode or the option to change gear using the gear stick or paddles located behind the steering wheel. A ‘Sport Automatic’-equipped car not only changes gear faster compared to the previous automatic gearbox offered on the original Z4 but blips the throttle on down-changes for a smoother transition between gears.
This is the first use of paddles on a BMW automatic transmission system. All previous Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) systems, as the name suggests, were based on a manual ‘box. Drivers of the Z4 2.5i can also specify the same automatic transmission offered previously in the original Z4.
Chassis:
One of the stiffest chassis in its class provides the Z4 with the perfect basis on which to engineer a sportscar with supreme on-road dynamics. With kerb weights in the range between 1,295kgs and 1,485kgs - lighter than comparable cars from Audi, and Mercedes - and a low centre of gravity, the Z4 range offers true driving pleasure.
The Z4 Roadster’s front suspension is a spring strut structure with forged aluminium track control arms and twin-sleeve gas-pressure spring struts. The rear suspension features reinforcement bars and thrust plates in the underfloor, connecting the front of the rear bulkhead onto the body under sills on both sides. The central arm rear axle also features twin-sleeve gas pressure dampers for optimum road holding and comfort.
An optional Sport Suspension package lowers the ride height of the car by 15mm and offers more focused ride characteristics for the enthusiast. The same suspension arrangement is part of the standard equipment for Sport models.
The Z4 M Roadster has its own unique suspension ride height with spring and damper compliance based on the ‘standard’ car. It also uses the same powerful braking system of drilled and vented discs from the legendary BMW M3 CSL.
Safety and Technology:
The Z4 has the most advanced form of traction control system currently available in the world - Dynamic Stability Control+ (DSC+). Building on the already accomplished DSC system, DSC+ offers five further safety enhancements:
... Brake Pre-tensioning shortens stopping distances by priming the brakes if the driver instinctively lifts off the accelerator in preparation for an emergency stop.
... Brake Drying improves braking performance in the wet by periodically gently applying the pads to the discs. In wet weather conditions, a film of water can build up on the disc hindering stopping power but this slight braking action removes this film and ensures optimum retardation.
... Hill Start Assistant allows the driver of a manual transmission car to pull away smoothly on a gradient without having to balance the clutch and the throttle. Brake pressure is maintained for the time it takes to move the foot from brake to accelerator, preventing the car from rolling backwards.
... Fade Compensation can apply additional braking without any extra effort from the driver. Following very spirited driving the brakes may experience some fade due to excessive heat build up. However, Fade Compensation means the pads still bite the disc for optimum stopping power.
... Soft Stop contributes to a smoother journey for all occupants. A small proportion of braking pressure is released as the car comes to a standstill, minimising the potential for a sharp, halting stop.
Other safety and technology benefits fitted as standard to the new (non-M) Z4 include Run-flat tyres and a Tyre Puncture Warning System (TPWS). The Z4 M Roadster uses a combination of TPWS and M Mobility system. BMW’s M division remains committed to ‘standard’ tyres that contribute to the extreme performance levels preferred by its customers.
BMW Assist comes as standard for a BMW Z4 specified with the optional Professional navigation system and Bluetooth phone preparation. In the event of an accident, the driver can use BMW Assist to make contact with the emergency services. The system also broadcasts a pinpoint map location via satellite to aid recovery. In the unfortunate event of an accident resulting in airbag deployment, BMW Assist automatically contacts the emergency services. BMW Assist also provides a similar level of assistance with regards to breakdown cover courtesy of the automatic vehicle locator function.
Market and Marketing:
Research into Z4 owners shows the car is enjoyed as more of a performance roadster than the Z3 it replaced. BMW’s own customer research, based on buyers of the original Z4, has shown that the two main purchasing drivers were style and on-road performance.
To underscore the more masculine nature of the Z4, men account for more than two thirds of buyers, while the biggest age group of Z4 owners falls into the 30-39-year-old category. The average annual income of a Z4 owner’s household is £72,000.
Sport models are also available for the first time on a Z4 and feature 18-inch M Double spoke or optional 18-inch composite alloy wheels, M Sports seats, Active Sports part leather/cloth upholstery seats (leather upholstery for 3.0si models), three-spoke M leather steering wheel and M Sports Suspension.
Design:
The Z4 follows the classic design traits displayed by much-loved BMW roadsters of the past such as the 328, 507, Z1, Z3 and Z8. With its rear-wheel-drive, 50:50 weight distribution, long bonnet and a driver seated towards the rear of the car, the new Z4 is every inch a typical BMW roadster.
Subtle differences make the new Z4 stand out from the car it replaces. A revised front spoiler and air intake enhance its distinctive look while also improving the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. The front bumper replicates the sharp Z motifs found on the side profile of the car. The headlights have been redesigned and now include corona light rings as standard when cars are specified with Xenon lamps.
The front wheel arches incorporate side reflectors for improved on-road visibility while, at the rear, all-new tail lamps feature BMW Z8-style horizontal light conductor rods. The rear bumper has also been reprofiled. The Z4 Roadster comes with a revised range of light alloy wheels and retains its crown of still having the world’s fastest electronically-operated hood. Open-top driving can be enjoyed in just 10 seconds.
The Z4 M Roadster comes with an even more distinctive front spoiler arrangement than the standard car. A larger air intake and two smaller ducts, one to each side in place of foglights, play a key role in brake cooling and induction. Two crease lines in the bonnet are manufactured through a new ‘rapid-forming’ process introduced on the Spartanburg production line and visually emphasise the power of the engine below. Four chrome exhaust pipes – a BMW ‘M’ hallmark - leave no doubt about the car’s performance. The Z4 M Roadster comes with unique 18-inch light alloy wheels running on 225/45 tyres at the front and 255/40 tyres at the rear.
Source: Automotoportal.com
