BMW Z4

Striking a balance between posing and power sliding, the Z4 is ready to stage a coup against the reign of the Boxster this spring

‘Zim zimma who got the key to my Bimma?’ as someone once rapped, extolling the virtues of owning one of Munich’s finest automobiles. And who could blame them for defining their success in life by telling the world they own a BMW?
 
BMW has been a byword for success since the 1980s (some would say for arrogance too – Break My Windows!) and it is a brand so deeply ingrained in well heeled, aspirational society that its name does not even need to be mentioned, so familiar are we with their ‘series’ - or what mere mortals would call 'range'. Everyone knows having a basic 3 Series is better than a top of the range Ford Mondeo - despite it having less equipment and a smaller engine - because saying you have a BMW means you’re somebody.
 
But then we have the BMW Z4, the oddball stepchild of the range. The original version's blunt looks scared off the WAGS, its jarring ride ruled out the over 40s and potential customers openly gasped at having to pay thousands for luxurious extras like an… erm radio. So everyone bought a Porsche Boxster instead and BMW suddenly wasn’t the benchmark. In fact, with the revvy Honda S2000 and luxurious Mercedes SLK the Z4 barely registered a mark at all.

But in 2009 all that is about to change. BMW has given the Z4 some plastic surgery and a nice new top to make everything look a whole lot better. Its curves now catch the eye rather than offend it and the shiny two-piece folding metal roof will please those whose nails were in danger with the old soft top. BMW also reckons the new Z4 is more comfortable with ‘Adaptive M Suspension', which allows you to raise or lower the ride height. The hardest setting, ‘Sport+’, is apparently comparable to the outgoing Z4's standard ride - so you can have your track day fun and survive speed bumps on the way home.

But the really good news is in the engine department with a marked increase in performance that puts it within striking distance of supercar territory. The meaty three-litre twin turbo option (from the staff car park king 335i no less) will fire the Z4 from 0 to 60 in five seconds, and that’s before you even get near a planned M version.

And in these economically testing times it’s also good to know that another option on the Z4, the ‘DCT gearbox’ will see this monster return 31 mpg. And every penny counts as the new Z4 will maintain the tradition of expensive extras - but when the best noise is the engine, who needs a fancy radio?