Hi all,
The kind folks at PML let me have a go at the new Z4 S3.5 for the past 2 days and man.......... i am really quite impressed with it.
To date, I've owned 2 variants of the previous Z4, one being a roadster and currently my M coupe.
That said, the two cars are a different breed of animals so here's my take on it after putting about 700km on the 2nd generation of the Z4.
Looks
This car is a beauty. Again, design is subjective, however when i first saw the photos of the new Z4 on the internet, my initial thoughts were "damn the rear looks so girly!". I was OK with the front and i was pretty familiar with the side profile of the car. Just a day in, and I really do like the rear curves and more passive design compared to the 1st generation Z4. Seems like the car is more of a wave now, rather than one with a butchy tail-end.
The design flows well and the rear LED lights are very classy. Especially when they turn on as you unlock the car. The front looks great now when you look straight at it. Not like the previous gen which sorta looks like a frog.
The hard top is truly a winner here. It blends well with the entire look and feel of the car and really looks elegant. The design really grows on you.
Interior
The interior feels (and is) more spacious than the previous Z4. There is a tad more headroom, and is quite easy to get in and out of. Compared to the previous Z4, I don't have to struggle to get in. It is very roomy inside.
Featurewise, this Z4 comes with all the latest iDrive systems, knobs, buttons, and enough thingamajigs which are standard in the new 6, 7 series. My current M coupe and all prev Z4 models use the outdated 2003 blue/white/brown platform. Definitely feels light years ahead. A new button layout is definitely different from all the other recent BMWs. Unique.
Handling
The Z4 handles very nicely and has a solid weighted feel to it. It didn't have the issues which plagued the 1st generation Z4 (where the steering feels numb and "blocky" on the highway due to the electric steering servo). Ride comfort is good, feels a little more firmer than a 3 series but that's to be expected of a sporty roadster.
3 modes to select from, Normal, sport and Sport +. Apparantly this adjusts the suspension settings so it goes from comfortable to a slightly more firmer ride. Depending on the settings, your pedal sensitivity and steering changes too. I personally didn't play around with these too much so didn't really feel a lot of difference.
Power and Transmission
Put the engine of the year (the famed 3.0l twin turbo) into a smaller, agile body and you get nothing but gobious amounts of torque. Granted this doesn't have the ferocity and violence of a M, but it is more well described as a creamybutterymovetoOMGimgoingtolosemylicense in 5 seconds.
The power keeps coming long after your fear receptors take over your senses to slow the car down. Brakes feel very good and has plenty of bite. Confidence inspiring.
Did i mention that it does this ever so quietly and classy? Coming from a M coupe, the Z4 doesn't feel like it loses out in the power game, in fact it's in a different league where the power delivery and figures cater to 99% of it's target customers. From the way it handles in twisties (*cough* neo tiew), if you're looking to track the Z4, it won't disappoint you either.
The 7 speed MDCT transmission is spot on and is AMAZING. Shifts are close to instant and you can run up the gears and hear that glorious 'bop' each time you shift the car in manual mode. In auto mode, it goes oh so smoothly. Looking back at the legacy SMG system, MDCT seriously beats the ass out of it and does away with the dumb SMG rocking issues and long gear shift times.
Exhaust note is very nice and sounds great, just the right amount of boom and bass during acceleration.
All in all, it is the perfect car for anyone who derives a luxury lifestyle with power-on-tap. This car makes so much sense as a daily comfortable ride. More importantly, this Z4 has the right length and proportions as a classy roadster form.
Bootspace is compromised due to the folding hard top. If you golf, this may be a huge issue. If not, it should suffice for mostly everything else.
I foresee a lot more Z4s on the road, even more than the SLK in the coming months.
And to be very honest, I want one.
Thanks to the kind folks at Performance Motors for making me realize why I love the Z4 series. The 2009 2nd generation is a simply awesome piece of work and engineering.
Hope you enjoyed my mini review.
The kind folks at PML let me have a go at the new Z4 S3.5 for the past 2 days and man.......... i am really quite impressed with it.
To date, I've owned 2 variants of the previous Z4, one being a roadster and currently my M coupe.
That said, the two cars are a different breed of animals so here's my take on it after putting about 700km on the 2nd generation of the Z4.
Looks
This car is a beauty. Again, design is subjective, however when i first saw the photos of the new Z4 on the internet, my initial thoughts were "damn the rear looks so girly!". I was OK with the front and i was pretty familiar with the side profile of the car. Just a day in, and I really do like the rear curves and more passive design compared to the 1st generation Z4. Seems like the car is more of a wave now, rather than one with a butchy tail-end.
The design flows well and the rear LED lights are very classy. Especially when they turn on as you unlock the car. The front looks great now when you look straight at it. Not like the previous gen which sorta looks like a frog.
The hard top is truly a winner here. It blends well with the entire look and feel of the car and really looks elegant. The design really grows on you.
Interior
The interior feels (and is) more spacious than the previous Z4. There is a tad more headroom, and is quite easy to get in and out of. Compared to the previous Z4, I don't have to struggle to get in. It is very roomy inside.
Featurewise, this Z4 comes with all the latest iDrive systems, knobs, buttons, and enough thingamajigs which are standard in the new 6, 7 series. My current M coupe and all prev Z4 models use the outdated 2003 blue/white/brown platform. Definitely feels light years ahead. A new button layout is definitely different from all the other recent BMWs. Unique.
Handling
The Z4 handles very nicely and has a solid weighted feel to it. It didn't have the issues which plagued the 1st generation Z4 (where the steering feels numb and "blocky" on the highway due to the electric steering servo). Ride comfort is good, feels a little more firmer than a 3 series but that's to be expected of a sporty roadster.
3 modes to select from, Normal, sport and Sport +. Apparantly this adjusts the suspension settings so it goes from comfortable to a slightly more firmer ride. Depending on the settings, your pedal sensitivity and steering changes too. I personally didn't play around with these too much so didn't really feel a lot of difference.
Power and Transmission
Put the engine of the year (the famed 3.0l twin turbo) into a smaller, agile body and you get nothing but gobious amounts of torque. Granted this doesn't have the ferocity and violence of a M, but it is more well described as a creamybutterymovetoOMGimgoingtolosemylicense in 5 seconds.
The power keeps coming long after your fear receptors take over your senses to slow the car down. Brakes feel very good and has plenty of bite. Confidence inspiring.
Did i mention that it does this ever so quietly and classy? Coming from a M coupe, the Z4 doesn't feel like it loses out in the power game, in fact it's in a different league where the power delivery and figures cater to 99% of it's target customers. From the way it handles in twisties (*cough* neo tiew), if you're looking to track the Z4, it won't disappoint you either.
The 7 speed MDCT transmission is spot on and is AMAZING. Shifts are close to instant and you can run up the gears and hear that glorious 'bop' each time you shift the car in manual mode. In auto mode, it goes oh so smoothly. Looking back at the legacy SMG system, MDCT seriously beats the ass out of it and does away with the dumb SMG rocking issues and long gear shift times.
Exhaust note is very nice and sounds great, just the right amount of boom and bass during acceleration.
All in all, it is the perfect car for anyone who derives a luxury lifestyle with power-on-tap. This car makes so much sense as a daily comfortable ride. More importantly, this Z4 has the right length and proportions as a classy roadster form.
Bootspace is compromised due to the folding hard top. If you golf, this may be a huge issue. If not, it should suffice for mostly everything else.
I foresee a lot more Z4s on the road, even more than the SLK in the coming months.
And to be very honest, I want one.
Thanks to the kind folks at Performance Motors for making me realize why I love the Z4 series. The 2009 2nd generation is a simply awesome piece of work and engineering.
Hope you enjoyed my mini review.
