Nobody needs a roadster, just like no one needs a jetboat or a dirty weekend in Las Vegas.
But Mazda was onto something when it released the Miata in 1989. The diminutive sports car, which faithfully traced the Lotus Elan template hewn almost three decades earlier, had tapped into some societal zeitgeist that blossomed into genuine sports-car love.The Miata single-handedly revived a long-neglected market segment and remained unrivalled until 1996 when BMW, seeing how much fun and money Mazda was generating, unveiled its Z3 roadster.That a “serious” automaker had dipped its toe in the sports-car pool was a good omen. It sparked a deluge of topless cars, including the Porsche Boxster, Nissan 350Z, Audi TT and Honda S2000.
The good times were upon us.
Configuration
BMW refashioned its two-seater sports car for 2003, making it slightly longer and wider, and wrapped it in coachwork seemingly sketched by Picasso. Unlike the outgoing Z3, which had recycled old 3-Series components, the Z4 benefited from up-to-the-minute technology.The rear-drive Z4 employed the same basic suspension of the latest 3 sedans, tweaked for sports-car duty on a wider track. There were struts up front and an aluminum-intensive multi-link suspension out back, tied together by a rigid trestlelike chassis.The Z4 offered occupants a little more shoulder room in its nicely appointed cockpit. One unusual feature was a plastic pipe running between the engine’s intake system and the firewall, acting like a subwoofer to transmit more engine noise into the cabin.
Standard features included a manual soft top with heated glass rear window, run-flat tires, antilock four-wheel disc brakes and an antiskid system. A power-assisted soft top was optional. With no spare tire to carry, the Z4 had a decent-sized trunk.The Z3’s two inline six-cylinder engines enjoyed a return engagement in the Z4. The 184-hp 2.5L came with a five-speed manual transmission, while the 225-hp 3.0L used a six-speed manual. Both could be mated to an optional five-speed automatic with a manual shift gate.
A six-speed sequential manual gearbox became available mid-year. The computer-controlled SMG had no clutch pedal and could emulate a conventional automatic, but quicker.The Z4 received more powerful engines, fresh styling and a new hatchback coupe for 2006. A 215-hp 3.0i replaced the 2.5i as the base model; new was the 255-hp 3.0si in both convertible and coupe form. The vaunted M versions, which used a high-performance 3.2L six making 330 horses, came in 2007.The second-generation Z4 arrived for 2009, complete with new powertrains and a standard retractable aluminum hardtop to move BMW’s roadster further upmarket.
The sDrive30i inline six developed 255 horsepower, while the sDrive35i employed a twin-turbocharged version that made 300 hp. Both used a standard six-speed manual transmission or available six- or seven-speed automatics.
Significantly, production of the new-generation Z4 shifted from South Carolina to Germany.
On the road
Equipped with the torquey 3.0L six, the 2003 Z4 could sprint to 96 km/h in 5.3 seconds with the stick shift; 5.6 if buyers opted for the fast-acting SMG tranny. The entry-level 2.5i could do it in less than seven seconds. The turbocharged 3.5i scorched the earth on the way to highway velocity in 4.8 seconds.
The Z4 could generate 0.92 of lateral acceleration (grip) on smooth asphalt, but surface imperfections were magnified by the car’s electric steering and run-flat tires, making the Z4 feel nervous and dirty. Ride quality was old-school sporty.
“Ride is extremely harsh. On anything other than perfect roads you can feel everything down to the road paint,” one Z4 owner posted.In a published comparo of five 2003-model roadsters, the Z4 finished fourth, done in by its light, twitchy steering and droning engine noise.
What owners say
The Z4 made friends easily among the sports car set, who recognized the low-slung chassis and inline six cylinders as good breeding.
“Still a thrill to drive every time. Switched from a motorcycle to Z4. No regrets!” one convert exclaimed online.Fortunately, the Z4 hasn’t displayed many of the maladies that plagued the old-time roadsters from the garages of Morris, Triumph and the other checkered marquees.
The most common gripe described a troublesome electric motor for the soft top, which would die early after drowning in runoff from the roof. The top itself may be prone to leaking.Other electrical glitches are not unknown, along with some squeaks and rattles, and expensive run-flat tires that don’t last long. Be sure to test drive at length, including some highway time, to see if the punishing ride is tolerable.
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