The Z4 is a traditional Sports car that delivers fun by the bucketful. The 3 litre uses a front mounted six-cylinder engine, power is delivered to the rear wheels via a six speed manual gearbox. It is easy to let the back of the car do what nature intended – ‘wag on demand’.
The Z4 is an effortless car to drive quickly thanks to a massively flexible and powerful engine that pushes out 231 bhp. From a standing start, 60 mph comes up in under 6 seconds and top speed is limited to 155 mph.
Of course the fact that the BMW Z4 is convertible (a hard top is a future option) simply puts the icing on the cake as far as I’m concerned. The electric roof operation is fast and simple.
The Z4 has a price that makes a Porsche Boxster look ridiculously expensive. My test car looks and sounds really impressive (more so in the flesh) but a word of warning - those huge, stunning, beautifully big alloys don’t like potholed Irish roads. I hit an innocuous looking one in Lucan village and thought the suspension was going to go up through the bonnet.
One niggle that got on my wick was the seat belt. The belts are mounted in the seats (clever) but on the days I wasn’t wearing a shirt with a collar the belt stuck into my neck. The Z4 is practical too with room for two sets of golf clubs in the boot.
The interior is not as adventurous as it could be. There are conventional BMW dials/switchgear plus some hard wearing plastics used in the dash. I averaged over 30 miles to the gallon, which wasn’t bad considering I gunned it at every legal opportunity.
The Z4 makes a gorgeous growl when you press on and as for the noise the optional SMG (sequential manual gearbox) versions make simply has to be heard. The BMW Z4 3 litre is great despite needing a suspension tweak or two for our roads and I want one.
Prices start at €51,485 for the 2.2 litre that is due here later in the year. €53,890 is the starting price for the 2.5 while the 3 litre starts at €63,910. All models have SE (special equipment) specification as standard.
- Michael Sheridan
RTÉ Guide
