2009 BMW Z4

The new top obviates the need for a fixed-roof BMW Z4 coupe. M Division chief Ludwig Willisch says he has no plans at this time for a new Z4 M. The 35i's 300-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.0L inline six is deemed perfectly adequate for the third-generation roadster. And it is a great engine, one of the best. As in the 135i, 335i and 535i, the turbos spool up quickly and smoothly, and in this car it's easily the match for its rivals, now counted as the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class, Audi TT and in the U.S., the coming Nissan 370Z convertible.

BMW estimates the sDrive 35i with the automatic scoots from zero to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, 0.1-second more quickly than the 35i with six-speed manual. And the 2009 BMW Z4 automatic gets slightly better fuel mileage and thus CO2 numbers, BMW says.

BMW says that the new 2009 BMW Z4 has vastly increased visibility and interior space. All-around visibility is up 14% over the outgoing model, with 40% larger side windows and 52% more see-through area out the glass rear window. Inside, the increased size gives you 0.2 in. more headroom, 0.79 in. more shoulder room and 1.69 in. more elbowroom. The door openings have even increased by 1.02 in. for easier entrance and egress.

Tucked into the 2009 Z4's dash is an 80-gigabyte hard drive for the optional navigation system. Fifteen gigabytes of the hard drive's memory can also be allocated to music storage so you can keep your music library loaded in your car at all times. If you don't need all that, the 14-speaker, 650-watt stereo comes with an auxiliary input jack for connecting your iPod or other portable device.

BMW promises that Z4 will still be practical in addition to being sporty. With the roof up, the trunk can reportedly swallow two golf bags. With the roof down and a special partition in place, it can still hold a medium-size hard-shell suitcase. An optional pass through-loading system allows larger items, such as skis, to be passed through into the passenger compartment.

While the 2009 BMW Z4's new duds are striking, its performance will really get your attention. Gone is the old 2.5L engine, replaced with the same inline sixes found under the hood of the new 1 Series. Standard on the sDrive30i is a 3.0L with Valvetronic variable valve timing laying down 255 hp and 220 lb-ft, enough to hustle the 2009 Z4 to 60 in 5.6 sec, according to BMW.

A six-speed manual gearbox serves as standard equipment for both the BMW Z4 sDrive30i and sDrive35i. For sDrive30i customers who don't want to row their own gears, they can opt for a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

The new 2009 Z4, sumptuously equipped with BMW's famously supple and nicely scented high-quality leather-seated interior, starts at $46,575 for the 30i and $52,475 for the 35i, including destination.

The suspension doesn't skitter over bumps as easily. Drive it on anything but the most potholed streets, though, and you'll want to engage the Sport setting, if for no other reason than its quicker steering, which is already among the most direct you'll find in a sports car, belying its electromechanical roots. The Sport setting's springs, shocks and dampers are calibrated to match the last Z4's, but with better suspension travel.

The previous entry-level 215-hp in-line six is history, and the old car's more powerful 255-hp, 3.0-liter offering is now found in the base Z4 sDrive30i.

The base 2009 BMW Z4 offers a conventional, six-speed automatic (with shift paddles) and both Z4 models come standard with a six-speed manual.

Flexibility is a hallmark elsewhere in the Z4 as well. A console-mounted switch toggles among three settings: normal, sport, and sport-plus, effecting changes in the steering effort, in throttle mapping, in the shift logic of the automatic transmission, and in damper firmness. (The latter is only for cars equipped with M Adaptive damping, part of the sport package, which also includes sport seats, eighteen-inch wheels, and a more generous electronically limited top speed of 150 rather than 130 mph.) This is a further evolution of the optional Sport button in the previous BMW Z4, which affected throttle, steering effort, and automatic transmission shift control.

The other plainly clear difference is the absence of a cloth top. In lieu of separate convertible and coupe variants, the new Z4 features a retractable hardtop that disappears at the touch of a button within 20 seconds. Less clear from the pictures are the Z4's stretched dimensions. The new car is nearly 6 inches longer and a half an inch wider than its predecessor. BMW says this growth affords passengers more comfort and space inside. The larger size, coupled with the addition of the power-operated hardtop, contribute to a weight increase of roughly 500 lbs in a fully loaded, automatic model, to a claimed curb weight of 3494 lbs.

The biggest news is the availability of iDrive for the first time in a Z4. Overall, the interior appears to have moved decidedly more upscale, especially when equipped with the optional leather-wrapped dash.

Little has changed in the roadster's suspension, which retains the traditional strut front, multi-link rear configuration. 2009 BMW Z4s equipped with the optional Sport Package get electronically adjustable dampers. Drivers will also be able to configure throttle and steering response, stability control, and the shift points on the automatic transmission.

The previous entry-level 215-hp in-line six is history, and the old car's more powerful 255-hp, 3.0-liter offering is now found in the base Z4 sDrive30i.

The base Z4 offers a conventional, six-speed automatic (with shift paddles) and both Z4 models come standard with a six-speed manual.

Flexibility is a hallmark elsewhere in the Z4 as well. A console-mounted switch toggles among three settings: normal, sport, and sport-plus, effecting changes in the steering effort, in throttle mapping, in the shift logic of the automatic transmission, and in damper firmness. (The latter is only for cars equipped with M Adaptive damping, part of the sport package, which also includes sport seats, eighteen-inch wheels, and a more generous electronically limited top speed of 150 rather than 130 mph.) This is a further evolution of the optional Sport button in the previous Z4, which affected throttle, steering effort, and automatic transmission shift control.

Meanwhile, the twin-turbocharged six that we know and love from the 335i and the 135i puts 300 hp under the hood of the 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i. We had a chance to sample the latter model, equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a variant of the BMW M3's M-DCT gearbox. Appearing in the BMW Z4 for the first time, the dual-clutch transmission is exclusive to the turbocharged car.

With thirty fewer horses than the old M Roadster - which used the 330-hp six from the previous-generation M3 - the sDrive35i can't match that car's frenetic persona. With an additional 38 lb-ft of torque, however acceleration isn't far off. The factory-measured 0-to-60-mph time is 5.0 seconds, versus 4.9 for the old M Roadster (add 0.1 second for the manual gearbox). The blown six is pretty sweet in its own right, its turbos so seamlessly integrated, its torque band so wide, and its power delivery so linear that a driver might never suspect it was turbocharged.

The other plainly clear difference is the absence of a cloth top. In lieu of separate convertible and coupe variants, the new Z4 features a retractable hardtop that disappears at the touch of a button within 20 seconds. Less clear from the pictures are the Z4's stretched dimensions. The new car is nearly 6 inches longer and a half an inch wider than its predecessor. BMW says this growth affords passengers more comfort and space inside. The larger size, coupled with the addition of the power-operated hardtop, contribute to a weight increase of roughly 500 lbs in a fully loaded, automatic model, to a claimed curb weight of 3494 lbs.

The biggest news is the availability of iDrive for the first time in a Z4. Overall, the interior appears to have moved decidedly more upscale, especially when equipped with the optional leather-wrapped dash.

Little has changed in the roadster's suspension, which retains the traditional strut front, multi-link rear configuration. Z4s equipped with the optional Sport Package get electronically adjustable dampers. Drivers will also be able to configure throttle and steering response, stability control, and the shift points on the automatic transmission.

Its biggest drawback is overall visibility. The rearward and lateral rear views are fairly terrible (although not non-existent, as with the Exige S 240). Forward visibility is the worst in the group as the driver tries to peer past that long nose, making apex navigation a chancy proposition at times. The best thing is the 2009 BMW Z4 seating position. The cockpit really wraps around you in a way the others don't. I can adjust the seat and steering wheel so that both elbows are supported on comfortable pads on the center console and door insert with hands placed at three and nine, allowing steering input with minimal effort.

The new 2009 BMW Z4 is the first to come with a two-piece, electro-hydraulically operated Retractable Hard-Top roof that can be raised or lowered in 20 seconds. The new roadster is also the first vehicle to be offered with Adaptive M Suspension - electronically controlled dampers offer three different configurations and lower the ride height by up to 10mm for a more dynamic drive. By way of comparison, the Sport+ setting of the 2009 BMW Z4 is comparable to the outgoing Z4's standard ride comfort level. The standard Drive Dynamic Control function is another first and allows the driver to alter, depending on model specification, the throttle and steering response, ride comfort, Dynamic Stability Control and gear change times on automatic or Double Clutch Transmission cars.