A variety of wheel sizes and finishes are offered, and while the Z4 is light and well-suspended enough that even 19-inch wheels can deliver decent ride quality they might not work well with poor infrastructure (rough roads), and some wheel styles will require more cleaning effort.
From dead-on at either end the top-dropped Z4 has strong resemblance to a scaled-down version of the 6 series and its roadster precursor the Z8. Sections of the taillights look like horizontal light tubes and appear to ramp up like theater lights when the lights are switched on. Adaptive brake lights deliver more red light when you hit the brake pedal hard than when merely slowing mildly. The center brake light is midway between rear window and tail on the trunk lid where it will not interfere with rear vision but will be covered up by an inch of snow. A single side twin-exhaust outlet signals a 30i where the 35i uses a single outlet on each side, a la Z8.
Although front-end shaping is the same, with BMW's trademark corona (programmable) daytime running lights for instant identification, trim varies by model. The 30i has black vanes in its grille and a silver slash across the outer lower grilles, where the 35i has matte silver grille vanes and perimeter frames for the outer grilles. While the Z4 is close to the ground the front overhang is shorter than many and not prone to scraping at every speed bump or mild driveway.
The Z4 is longer than the Audi TT and Mercedes-Benz SLK, shorter than the Boxster, but the difference is a few inches. In height and width, they are much closer so exterior dimensions should not factor in purchase decisions.
The Z4 is now built in Regensburg, Germany. In BMW fashion, many systems on the Z4 have been proven in other recent BMW models, including the higher-output engine, transmissions, and suspension design. Next Page