The Bavarian firm has put a tin top onto its Z4 Roadster and hopes to be a little more successful with this permanently ‘roofed’ sportscar than it was with the Z3 Coupe (so rare it’s probably destined to be a classic!).
BMW tells me the Coupe was designed at the same time as the Z4 Roadster but it only got the green light for production in 2005. The BMW design team wanted to shrink a classic GT (grand tourer) around two occupants in the most compact package possible. It was vital that there was enough room for a long distance trip for two and their luggage. With some planning the 340-litre boot can hold a decent enough amount of cargo.
Underneath the Coupe you’ll find many of the suspension and brake components found in the brilliant M3 CSL so it is fair to say the Z4 M Coupe is a bit of a thrilling car and not for the faint hearted. The exterior features what BMW calls a ‘double bubble’ contoured roof, while the rear end is a more sloped affair compared to the slab-like rear of the old Z3 Coupe. The ‘Marcos’ is the only similar looking car to the new Coupe but thankfully the Beemer is miles prettier.
Inside there is ample headroom and plenty of space for two. The six-speed manual gearbox has a nice short throw and the thickly padded steering wheel feels just right. There is no ‘M’ button found on the steering wheel (as with the M5 & M6) but there is a ‘Sport’ button next to the gear lever. Sneeze with ‘Sport’ engaged and the car will lurch forward with intent. Steering is precise and the body feels extremely stiff.
The four exhaust pipes at the rear of the €87,600 car give a visual clue to the Z4 M’s power output. 343bhp produces an almost motorbike like 0-100km/h sprint of just 5 seconds. Top speed is limited to 250km/h (155mph). The main bit of mechanical trickery that helps keep the power going to the road is the ‘variable M differential’. If either of the rear wheels spin unnecessarily up to 100% of the engine power can be sent to the wheel with more grip.
If you don’t fancy the 3.2-litre M version you can get a less manic 3-litre available for €66,720. It pushes out 265bhp and will do 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds while returning on average 8.9L/100km (31.7mpg). That is considerably better than the M’s average of 12.1L/100km (23.3mpg)! The 3-litre provides such good fuel consumption because it is not only super efficient but incredibly light. The magnesium-alloy unit is officially the lightest six cylinder mass production engine in the world
The Z4 M Coupe is a lively thoroughbred. It has a racy temperament that you must be aware of before you decide to drive enthusiastically. That’s a politically correct way of saying it’s a bit of a hooligan and an absolute barrel of laughs!
Michael Sheridan
