The all-new 2009 BMW Z4 is improved in every way and now features a sleek retractable hard top, standard. The car ranks 8 out of 9 Luxury Sports Cars and this ranking is based on the analysis of published reviews, test drives of BMW Z4 and analysis of safety and reliability data. This is completely redesigned for the year 2009 model and it is not a huge departure from the past generation. The new model is expected to turn more heads and drop more jaws than ever before especially with its retractable hardtop. With this much-welcomed addition, the Z4 can now double as both a coupe and roadster.
If you have any wish to compare the BMW Z4 with any other sports car, then you can have a test drive of Porsche Boxster which costs the same as Z4 but is more capable than the Z4 in sports performance. The Porsche name exudes an air of exclusiveness that BMW can’t match. The 2009 Z4 is available in two trims, the sDrive30i and turbocharged sDrive35i.
Edmunds writes, “The outgoing BMW Z4, like the Z3 before it, was widely considered to be merely an expensive ‘sporty’ car — a Miata for well-off college coeds. But a full redesign for the 2009 BMW Z4 moves the car into the rarefied realm of true luxury/performance roadsters. The new Z4 is significantly more refined, there’s a little more room inside and it now boasts a power-folding hardtop.”
Test drivers report that the Z4 is fast and satisfying to drive. Edmunds notes: “The Z4 mostly delivers when it comes to performance, the exception being its artificial-feeling electric power steering, and it adds a level of sophistication that few small convertibles can match.” According to reviews the Z4 is powerful and handles like a pro. Its only fault is an uncommunicative steering.
The Z4 sDrive30i is equipped with 3.0-liter I6 engine that produces 255 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 220 pound-feet of torque at 2,600 rpm. The more powerful Z4 sDrive35i features a 3.0-liter turbocharged I6 engine that generates 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 300 pound-feet of torque at 1,400 – 5,000 rpm. Standard on both trims is a six-speed manual transmission. However, a sport automatic transmission with shift paddles is optional. Only available for the sDrive35i is an optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
“The new Z4 sDrive35i may not have the purity of the old M roadster, but it essentially equals its straight-line performance, and its handling is even better.” — Automobile Magazine According to BMW, the Z4 has a top speed of 130 mph. While the sDrive30i can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, the Z4 sDrive35i can do it in 5.1 seconds.
