Edmunds writes for BMW Z4, “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.”
According to Auto Press the 2009 BMW Z4 ranks 8 out of 9 Luxury Sports Cars. This ranking is based on published reviews and test drives of the BMW Z4, and analysis of reliability, performance and safety data. The new BMW Z4 is an improved car and has new features like sleek retractable hard top. This is a completely redesigned model and though there is no huge departure from the previous models but the new had some good features in it. The Z4 now comes both as coupe as well as a roadster.
It is a competitor of sports cars like class-leading Porsche Boxster. It costs approximately the same as the Z4, but is a much more capable sports performer. Plus the Porsche name exudes an air of exclusiveness that BMW can’t match. Various reviews report that the Z4 is a powerful performer and handles like a pro. Automobile Magazine writes, “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.”
The reviewers and critics are pleased with the Z4’s strong and smooth operating powertrain options and the Z4 is equipped with powerful engine features. 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.
On the other hand 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.
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. The fuel efficiency record of BMW is available from EPA as well as from BMW. According to Popular Mechanics, “The base sDrive 30i comes with a capable inline-6 that’s good for 255 hp, while the sDrive35i ups the ante with a 300-hp twin-turbocharged inline-6 that gets the roadster from zero to 60 in an estimated 5 seconds flat — about as quick as last year’s hard-core M version of the Z4.”
