BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
BMW Z4 Forums (G29) BMW Z4 (G29) General Forum New BMW Z40i preproduction first drive reviews

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      06-03-2018, 05:43 PM   #1
AKRAPOVICOWNS
Captain
565
Rep
635
Posts

Drives: bmw 335i
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: brazil

iTrader: (0)

New BMW Z40i preproduction first drive reviews

BIMMERPOST
     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com
Updated with review video (by Thomas Geiger):






Review by Autoexpress (Steve Sutcliffe)



We drive the new BMW Z4 in prototype form and find that it is already a marked improvement over its predecessor

Verdict

In short the new BMW Z4 goes hard, makes a better noise than a flat four Porsche 718 Boxster, is much more entertaining in its handling, steering and body control than before while maintaining a genuinely decent ride quality. And, to these eyes, it looks the business as well. A credible rival for the Boxster? Oh yes


Verdict
In short the new BMW Z4 goes hard, makes a better noise than a flat four Porsche 718 Boxster, is much more entertaining in its handling, steering and body control than before while maintaining a genuinely decent ride quality. And, to these eyes, it looks the business as well. A credible rival for the Boxster? Oh yes
BMW has an unusually candid way of describing the key difference between the old Z4, and the new. The old car, they now admit, was one to drive on a Sunday afternoon, maybe when the sun was shining – because it wasn’t really a true-blue sports car.

But the new Z4 – which we drive here in Z40i prototype form – is a car to drive early on a Sunday morning, they say, before the sun has come up and when there’s no one else around, the inference being that the old car was a bit of a softie at heart whereas this new one has become a proper, red-blooded driver’s car.

And do you know what? They’re not fibbing. Having driven this all-but production-ready Z40i prototype on both road and track, with its new lightweight electric canvas hood up and down, and at all sorts of different speeds it is abundantly clear that, this time, the Z4 has got serious.

This time it really has become a proper sports car, with a much stiffer chassis, much sweeter steering, stronger performance from its 340bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine (think 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds) and a level of feel and precision to its chassis that absolutely wasn’t there last time round.

And there’s one very simple reason why BMW has altered the Z4’s personality so drastically; the unceasing success of the Porsche 718 Boxster.

BMW wants a piece of the Boxster’s action, basically, having seen sales of the Z4 drop by almost 30 per cent since its birth in 2002; and the only way to achieve this is to build a car that’s at least as compelling to drive as the Porsche. Hence the far more thrusting dynamics of the new Z4.

You can’t see what it looks like here, not from these disguised images. But, trust us, we’ve seen the production car undisguised now and it looks pretty tasty, even though it doesn’t feature the twin buttresses of the Z4 Concept car that was shown at Pebble Beach last summer. Despite this, however, it is much more aggressively styled than the previous Z4, and much better looking as a result.

“In every way the new Z4 is a more masculine car than its predecessor, a more dynamic car” says Andreas Ederer, Product Manager for the new Z4. “Not just to look at but to drive, to listen to, in everything it does. But this doesn’t mean its appeal will be narrower” says Ederer, admitting that – Boxster apart – sales in this sector have fallen by over 30 per cent since it was created two decades ago.

Whatever the market’s trend, BMW has thrown the kitchen sink at the new Z4’s dynamics. The Z40i driven here gets adaptive dampers, an electronically managed differential and bespoke Michelin Pilot Supersport tyres as standard, and the results are clear to see from behind the wheel.

Weight is down by 50kg, partly because the new canvass roof – which raises in just 10 seconds – is lighter but also because the underpinnings are lighter, too. The boot is also over 70 litres bigger this time thanks to the canvass roof, up or down; it makes no difference to the space on offer. But it’s the extra dynamic agility of the new Z4 that distinguishes it most clearly.

Key specs
Model: BMW Z40i
Price: £37,500 (est)
Engine: 3.0-litre straight six, twin-turbo, petrol
Power/torque: 340bhp/500Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
0-62mph: 4.5 seconds (est)
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Economy/CO2: N/A
On sale: March 2019
Appreciate 8
supra932474.00
rich8566608.50
DeeKay553.00
jts1981209.50
mcc3456332.00
1M Tex240.00
      06-03-2018, 06:05 PM   #2
DocWeatherington
Brigadier General
DocWeatherington's Avatar
United_States
2894
Rep
4,072
Posts

Drives: F90 CP
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: US

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
23 Bmw M3  [0.00]
Awesome find... I like the comment of best BMW, Old School...
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 06:52 PM   #3
supra93
Colonel
2474
Rep
2,334
Posts

Drives: Z4, E500, Supra, RX7
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: TX

iTrader: (0)

New BMW Z4 (G29) preproduction first drive reviews

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...e-drive-review

Quote:
The death of some cars has us in full mourning regalia and delivering teary eulogies, sometimes even pouring liquor onto a curb. But the passage of others triggers nothing more than the nodded acknowledgement given to a distant acquaintance. So it proved with the previous-generation BMW Z4, with many of us struggling to remember when it had last been on sale in the United States. (That was the 2016 model year, for the record.) It was a car that always felt more like a lifestyle accessory than a driving device, a roadster with a cumbersome retractable hard top that added weight and volume in what were pretty much exactly the wrong places. We would guess it was a sparsely attended funeral.

Creating something better, or at least more memorable, would not seem to be a particularly onerous task. Yet the development team behind the new Z4 has been working on it for five years and report that it has effectively zero in common with its lackluster predecessor. The pride the company’s engineers take in the car was plainly evident as we drove the almost-finished prototype at BMW’s Miramas test track and the surrounding roads. The team also seemed happy to have worked on a proper sports car, an increasingly marginal activity within BMW as the company expands its offering of the SUVs and crossovers fueling its growth.

Just getting the Z4 project approved took some high-level politics. The segment’s declining sales meant that BMW could not justify the considerable outlay of making an all-new car by itself, which is why a deal was struck with Toyota. In exchange for access to the Japanese giant’s hybrid technology, BMW has developed a platform that will also underpin the upcoming Supra, with both cars set to be assembled by contract builder Magna Steyr in Austria. Although it previously has been reported as a co-development, all of the core engineering comes from BMW, with the big differentiator being the headgear: The Supra is a coupe, and the Z4 is a fabric-roofed roadster.

A Concept Resemblance
The cars we got to drive were hard-thrashed development mules wearing lens-defying dazzle camouflage. We also were shown the finished car, although we weren’t allowed to take pictures of it. No matter—between last year’s Concept Z4 and the disguise-clad prototypes you can see all the important details. The production version sticks to the show car’s stacked headlight arrangement—this is the first four-wheeled BMW in recent history not to have twin side-by-side elements—and inside the kidney grilles there is a mesh finish instead of the traditional bars.

Viewed from the front or the rear, or from a narrow acute angle at each end, the Z4 looks appropriately low and muscular. Yet in profile view the ungainly length of the front overhang can’t be hidden; it was dictated by the need to meet pedestrian-impact standards without making the hood too tall. Overall length has grown by 3.2 inches over the second-generation Z4x, to 170.1 inches, but the 97.2-inch wheelbase is an inch shorter than before. The undisguised car also revealed the presence of a large and inelegant fuel-filler flap on the right-hand side.

There are no negative surprises in the cabin, where all is as expected. The Z4 gets the latest generation of BMW switchgear and infotainment, including a large touch-sensitive control screen and digital instruments. The seating position feels suitably low and offers a good range of adjustment, and taller drivers will find sufficient headroom with the fabric roof in place. The top motors up and down in about 10 seconds and stows neatly behind the seats; it can be operated at speeds of up to 30 mph.

Excitement in Hiding
We were sent out to learn the handling track at Miramas in a BMW M2. That was a brave call given that rorty coupe’s enthusiasm for the high lateral loads offered by the circuit’s selection of corners and the amusing battle for its rear wheels to find traction. After such a spicy starter there was the risk that the Z4 would seem more like a palate cleanser than a worthy entrée.

Not that the range-topping Z lacks firepower. When the car launches next year, there will be a choice between a four-cylinder 30i and a six-cylinder M40i, the latter sharing the same turbocharged engine as the M240i. This was the car we got to drive in France, although in its lesser European state of tune—apparently the presence of a gasoline particulate filter limits output to 335 horsepower, while in the States it should make 382 horses, according to BMW engineers. Both versions produce the same 369 lb-ft of torque. There will be no manual gearbox, as the engineering costs were too high given the likely low take rate, so a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic will be the only transmission choice. The Z4 M40i will get an electronically controlled limited-slip differential as standard. BMW’s provisional numbers say it should run the Euro-spec zero-to-62-mph benchmark in 4.4 seconds.

With an engineer chaperone in the passenger seat, our first laps were conducted in Comfort mode, meaning the softest setting for the M40i’s adaptive dampers and the gentlest maps for the engine, gearbox, and electrically assisted steering. As such, the Z4 felt predictably supple, even when asked to digest chunks of the circuit’s striped curbing, with clean front-end reactions and crisp-feeling steering. But there was also noticeable front-end push in the slower turns. Even with the roof up, the engine sounded good, with a rasp to the exhaust note that’s in marked contrast to the sometimes flatulent noises produced by the four-cylinder Porsche 718 Boxster. But, on first impressions, excitement was lacking.

It turned out it was just hiding. Once we switched to the Sport setting, the Z4 transformed into something far more interesting. The steering gained heft, but not through simply adding weight—there was still a decent impression of what the front axle’s Michelin Pilot Super Sports were up to. The dampers firmed up noticeably, and the Z4 felt better lashed down and more direct in its responses, while the throttle pedal lost the elasticity of Comfort and gained an almost surgical precision.

But the popped spinach can was the electronically controlled limited-slip differential, which used the switch to Sport to declare its own personal war on understeer. Heading into corners it stayed open, the Z4’s individual rear brakes nipping at the rear axle to apply a torque-vectoring effort to help the car turn. When we got on the gas, the diff locked aggressively, maximizing traction and powering the car to a hunkered-down stance on the edge of oversteer. It felt fun and just the right amount of crude, in a way that no Z4 since the E46 M3*–engined Z4 M has.

Not that many Z4s are likely to live on track, which is why a drive on some of the local roads surrounding the test track was more telling. In the real world, the aggressive differential made its presence felt only in tight turns or during particularly spirited sprints away from intersections, but the engine’s snappy responses and the transmission’s happy knack of being in the right gear pretty much all the time continued to impress.

Rougher surfaces also gave a chance to assess how the damping coped with real roads, the answer being without too much slop in Comfort and without too much harshness in Sport. Even the roughest pavement we could find revealed no hint of cowl shake. We’re told this Z4 is about 20 percent more torsionally rigid than the last one and that it is the stiffest open-topped road car the company has ever built. Refinement with the roof up impressed as well; there’s less wind noise than we remember coming through the last Z4’s stowable hardtop. At higher speeds with the top down there is a fair amount of buffeting, though, even with a clip-in wind deflector between the seats.

Will Better Than before Suffice?
The definitive verdict will have to wait until we get the chance to drive finished cars, but even on the basis of a brief spin almost a full year ahead of U.S. sales, we can already confidently predict that this Z4 is going to be a heap better than the last one. Sales of the four-cylinder 30i will start in March 2019, with the M40i arriving in April. There’s no official word on pricing, but we’re told to expect that the 30i will be in the low-$50,000 range and the M40i in the mid-to-high-$60Ks, right in the heart of its tightly fought part of the market. We eagerly await the chance to get the whole segment together to determine whether the new BMW tilts more toward the involving end of the spectrum occupied by the 718 Boxster.
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 07:00 PM   #4
BugsBunny
Private First Class
United_States
19
Rep
125
Posts

Drives: 2009 Z4 3.5i, 2022 Macan S
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Seattle, WA

iTrader: (0)

Automobile Mag review

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/pr...m40i-roadster/

The BMW Z4 is dead. Did you notice? Looking over the sales from the last few years, I’m not sure you did. In 2016, the final year of production, BMW moved only 1,187 examples of the shapely little roadster in the U.S., a significant drop from the previous year’s 1,829 units. The two-seater was snuffed out without the usual fanfare reserved for final runs, BMW instead cutting the fourteen-year-old model from its lineup with a clinical and calculated swipe.

The BMW Z4 is alive. Well, almost alive–look for the debut of the third-gen roadster either later this year or early next year. While the E89 suffered, the forthcoming G29 Z4 thrived under heavy camouflage as it underwent the Nürburgring crucible, cold-weather testing, and accrued real-world miles around the world. This world tour included critical endurance and track testing at BMW’s Miramas test track in the south of France, the venue where I joined a group of BMW’s brightest and some camouflaged Z4 mules for some test miles of my own.

Located on France’s southern coast between Marseille and Avignon, the Miramas circuit is a sprawling proving ground for BMWs of all shapes, sizes, and character. The main attraction is the large banked oval wrapping around the facility that’s visible from air while approaching the Marseille airport. Clusters of tarmac squiggles hide inside its borders, giving off the distinct appearance of a cellular structure when viewed from above. Despite serving as the location for the French Grand Prix some 90 years ago, the oval isn’t used for high-speed testing. Instead, four- and two-wheeled test mules put down thousands of endurance miles. When it gets dark, an array of streetlights pops on to illuminate the circuit.

I’m not here for endurance. Our small group met four Z4 mules at one of the many handling circuits, cutting through a scythed field of tall, dense grass. We’re nervous—this is an exciting moment for everyone involved, and not just for the small cadre of journalists assembled in the tidy trackside garage. We’re among the first outsiders to sample the new roadster and engineers are eager for feedback.

If you’ve followed the Z4 saga up to this point, you know this platform doesn’t end with the white and blue roundel up front. Through a technical partnership, BMW and Toyota co-developed this next-gen sports car for both brands, kinda-sorta like the Toyota/Subaru partnership that begat the BRZ and FR-S/GT86. Only in this case, the forthcoming twins aren’t quite identical twins–think more fraternal.

BMW gets the roadster and Toyota gets the fixed-roof coupe, ostensibly resurrecting the Supra nameplate. Even in this access-heavy program, details on the partnership are scant. All we’re told is we’re not going to see a drop-top “Supra,” and no matter how much you want it, there are no plans for a Z4 coupe. You won’t be able to meet halfway with a folding hardtop, either—the Z4 will arrive only in soft-top form.

Before we sample the black-and-white mules, we’re given a surprise treat. Covers are thrown off of two cars in the garage, revealing a pair of production-ready Z4s. BWM isn’t ready to show off the new car just yet, but I can do my best to paint a picture. Start with the Z4 Concept that premiered last year at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and scale back some of the more conceptual components. Drape that shape over the last-gen Z4, and enlarge it to a three-fourths scale Mercedes-SL. The front grille is similar to the concept, as is the rear decklid. The interior is remarkably similar to the concept as well, just with less wacky showcar bits.

It’s noticeably larger, sitting somewhere between the old Z4 and the current 6 Series Cabriolet. It’s not our imagination, either. Compared to the old car, the new Z4 is 3.2 inches longer, 2.8 inches wider, and 0.5 inches taller. Underneath the skin, it grows (and shrinks) in the right ways, cutting one inch from the wheelbase but widening the front and rear track by 3.6 inches and 2.2 inches, respectively. On a see-saw with older six-cylinder model, the new European-spec Z4 is lighter by around 143 pounds, spinning the scales at 3,384 pounds.

Inside, it’s a much nicer place to be. Loaded out, it’s a requisitely techy environment, packing digital gauges and for the first time on a Z model, a HUD. With the larger threads on the outside, the interior gets a size boost as well, with enough shoulder and legroom to satisfy those rare birds who will use the Z4 on a daily basis. No real surprises here – expect leather, aluminum, wood, and carbon fiber trim with BMW’s ever-present soft-touch plastic.

Both the sneak-peak models and the test mules were kitted-out with the M40i trim, the sportiest of the two available trims at launch. As equipped, the M40i is powered by the same 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six as the M240i, albeit with a sharper tune. When the Z4 M40i hits our shores, power is an M2-beating 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, surprisingly more than the Euro-spec, which is choked by a particulate filter that saps the sixer by around 50 hp.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through the trusty eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. U.S.-spec performance figures weren’t provided, but the less-potent Euro-spec M40i dispatches the 0-62 mph sprint in 4.4 seconds, topping out at a predictable 155 mph.

Even in the lo-po Euro-spec, the Z4 testers were fast. Aside from a worrying lack of edge definition, there weren’t many surprises out on the test track. Wide, sweeping curves gave way to short straights, culminating in a kinked straight where the best among us saw a little over 130 mph. From the first turn, it’s clear where the development priorities lay. Forget the heavy, numb boulevard cruiser Z4s of the past – this is the real-deal. It’s physically bigger than any prior Z, but it’s incredibly agile. Even in 2018, 3,400 pounds isn’t light, but variable electro-boosted steering and a trick e-diff in the rear means it’s extremely confident and very responsive.

For the first time, the Z feels cohesive. It’s wide, and square, thanks in part to the extended front and rear track, along with the beefy 255/275 tires in the front and rear, respectively. Nestled next to the upright shifter, a stack of driving mode buttons is a familiar sight, ranging from soft Comfort to the most hardcore Sport Plus.

On the track, Sport and Sport Plus were ideal. Setting it to the most aggressive setting dials in the adaptive suspension to its stiffest setting, agitates the throttle for quick response, modifies shift points, adds weight to the steering, and loosens up the rear differential. It’s not a weapon in the same way as the M2 or M5, but it’s more than capable for the odd trackday, should you find time between Sunday drives and beachside cruises.

Escaping the test facility spit me out onto the narrow roads of Miramas. The optional road route was a roughly hour-long round trip that wound its way through tight, blind 1.5-lane cross-town roads in and down shaded coastal paths. It’s a much more palatable package than we’ve come to expect from BMW’s roadster. It’s comfortable, easy to drive, and makes an excellent six-cylinder growl, accentuated by the aire libre functionality.

With its new size inside and out, the roadster is more consumer friendly than ever, and that’s rather important when faced with a rapidly shrinking small convertible market. Pricing isn’t official, but BMW expects pricing for the base Z4 30i to start in the 50s, with the M40i stickering somewhere in the mid- to high-60s. Now, for the first time in quite a long time, perhaps since the first six-cylinder Z3, the BMW Z is one of the better ways to muss your hair and get a nasty sunburn, with or without camouflage.
Appreciate 2
1M Tex240.00
BMWRL596.00
      06-03-2018, 07:17 PM   #5
supra93
Colonel
2474
Rep
2,334
Posts

Drives: Z4, E500, Supra, RX7
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: TX

iTrader: (0)

BMW Z4 M40i prototype: Driven

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-...e-driven/38129

Quote:
We'll have to wait nearly a year for the finished version, but first impressions of BMW's new roadster are positive

The car industry falls prey to collective hysteria occasionally, never more so than when it came to the strange cult of the retractable hard-top. With a decade of hindsight since this regrettable trend peaked it's hard to think of a single car that was made better by the need to carry a complex, heavy and likely-to-fail folding roof mechanism, but easy to create a list of those that were made worse. A list with the last generation BMW Z4 right at the top, its name heavily ringed in red.

The first Z4, the 2003 one, was amusingly raw and offered simple thrills, qualities reflected in the minimalist fabric hood worn in roadster guise. But its 2009 successor, the E89, was permanently compromised by the decision to launch it wearing fashionable headgear. The line from marketing was that the Z4's power operated hardtop meant it was both a roadster and a coupe at the same time. Technically this was correct, but only in the sense that it was a lardy, ungainly roadster lugging necessary mass far too high - or a strange looking coupe with wind noise issues and a frequently obvious lack of torsional rigidity. When the E89 quietly died last year, most people didn't even notice that it had gone.

The lesson has been learned; the new Z4 returns to a fabric roof and - on first impressions - is a much better car for it. Indeed on the basis of our drive of a prototype version nearly a year ahead of UK sales starting, the Z4 also looks set to become a proper sports car again.

First, let's get the question of the Z4's parentage out of the way. The internet has been frothing about the exact mixture of the partnership between Toyota and BMW to build the Z4 and what, until proved wrong, I'm going to carry on calling the new Supra. Some reckoned it would be a 50:50 effort, others were even hoping that BMW was basically going to stick its badge onto a full-engineered Toyota with the modern-day equivalent of a 2JZ engine in it. But the reality is that the engineering is almost all Munich, with both cars set to sit on the same BMW-designed platform, being assembled together by contract spanner house Magna Steya in Austria. The big difference is up top, the Z4 being a roadster and the Nu-Supra a coupe.

BMW will be launching the Z4 with a pared-back engine range. The Z30i will use a four-cylinder motor producing around 250hp, while the M40i version has the twin-turbo straight-six that's already offered in other 40-badged cars. Outside Europe this has been given a power boost to 382hp, but EU spec cars will come with a petrol particulate filter - yes, that's a thing now - limiting output to the 335hp of the M240i. All versions will share the same 369lb ft peak torque output, with drive dispatched exclusively through the rear axle and an eight-speed ZF autobox, the Z40i also getting an electronically controlled limited-slip differential as standard. A manual would have been nice, but BMW admits there isn't enough demand in any of the likely big Z4 markets to justify the development cost.

Sorry about the dazzle disguise; BMW was happy to show me what the finished car will look like, but we weren't allowed to take any pictures of it. The cars I got to drive on the Miramas test track in Provence, and some of the local roads surrounding it, were all hard-beaten development mules designed to demonstrate chassis attributes rather that fit and finish. Having seen the (visually) finished version I can report that it has a huge clamshell front bonnet, the twin headlight elements are now stacked on top of each other and that the front overhang is as ungainly as it looks on the prototypes; apparently it is mostly the result of the need to meet various pedestrian impact standards without a significant increase in the height of the car. Tellingly, although this Z4 is 82mm longer than the last one, its 2470mm wheelbase is actually 26mm shorter.

BMW sends me out to learn the Miramas handling track in a BMW M2; a brave call given the risk that the less-focussed Z4 might seem lacking by comparison. The coupe relishes the circuit's mix of low and medium-speed corners, stability control struggling - and sometimes failing - to maintain rear axle discipline. A not-quite-M version of the Z4 is going to feel pretty tame by comparison, surely?

First impressions are that yes, it does. I've got an engineer riding shotgun and instructions to set off in the car's softer Comfort mode, meaning the gentlest settings for the active dampers, powertrain and electrically assisted steering. As such, the Z4 feels predictably comfortable, riding out crests and occasional chunks of kerb with respectable suppleness but with noticeable understeer behind the initially crisp front-end responses. The engine and gearbox work well together, left in Drive the ZF has a happy knack of being in the right gear at the right time, and even under lower-intensity use the engine's purposeful rasp sounds better than the Porsche 718.

Yet it soon transpires that this has been a subtle ruse to demonstrate the breadth of the Z4's ability. Once the dynamic mode is switched to Sport the Z4 practically chugs a can of spinach, the M40i's standard active dampers firming up noticeably, the steering gaining heft without losing feel and the throttle response instantly shedding the elasticity of the gentler setting. The really clever bit is the electronically controlled LSD, which doesn't play much of an obvious role in Comfort, but which now starts to intervene hard as it wages a personal war against front-end push. On the way into corners the diff stays open, with torque biasing through the brakes helping to get it turned, but once on the throttle the differential can be felt locking aggressively to help deliver traction and - as the engineers put it - over-rotate the car.

In longer turns the Z4 hunkers down to an exciting-feeling edge-of-oversteer stance. In truth, it's not quite as heroic as it first feels, with experimentation proving that even stamping the accelerator doesn't create the sort of lurid powerslide the car seems to be threatening. Turning the stability control off does turn it properly lairy, although most will struggle to get it as close to the limit as nanny manages.

Other stuff is good, too. Despite being a torque converter the gearbox changes impressively fast under manual control, although the plastic steering wheel paddles feel insubstantial and the wheel itself follows BMW's recent trend of making rims needlessly thick. (Here's an idea: copy the almost unimproveable wheel from an E46 M3.) The brake pedal has good resistance and feel, with the standard iron discs doing a decent enough job on track to more than justify the decision not to offer carbon discs as an option and the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres withstood hard use with a similar lack of complaint. You'd be unlikely to buy a Z4 for regular circuit work, but it feels like it can certainly cope with a proper pasting.

Time for a brief turn outside the confines of the test track. Some of Provence's quieter roads give a more realistic test of how new Z4 will cope with a typical duty cycle. At normal speeds the clever differential is less obvious, but the engine's strong across-the-board responses and the gearbox's refined manners make it effortlessly quick without becoming dull. The motor revs happily to 6500rpm, and will touch the 7000rpm limiter in Sport and Sport Plus mode; there is a sound symposer in the cabin but all the noise heard with the roof down is produced naturally.

Rougher surfaces also give the chance to put the clever damping to the test but also to test the core strength of the Z4's structure. BMW's engineering team say it is around 20 percent more torsionally rigid than the last Z4, and even corrugated surfaces didn't produce any sensation of scuttle shake. The adaptive dampers don't feel sloppy in Comfort, nor do they get excessively harsh in Sport. Refinement with the roof up is impressive as well, although with the roof down there's a fair bit of buffeting at the sort of higher cruising speeds the car encourages.

The signs then are encouraging. The previous BMW Z4 felt like a bit of a half-hearted effort; many people wouldn't have been surprised if it had been the manufacturer's last roadster. But the Toyota partnership has given both the budget and the engineering effort to do a considerably more proper job. We'll have to wait to see how the finished version feels, and to see how it copes with the unique challenge of the UK, so don't cancel that 718 Boxster quite yet. But, on first impressions, this is a welcome return to form.

SPECIFICATION - BMW Z4 M40i (prototype)
Engine: 2,998cc, straight six, twin turbocharged
Transmission: 8-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 335@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@1520rpm
0-62mph: 4.4sec (provisional)
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 1,500kg (DIN, without driver)
MPG: TBC
CO2: n/a
Price new: TBC
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 07:52 PM   #6
Red Bread
Major General
United_States
4462
Rep
9,160
Posts

Drives: Smog machines
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Austin, TX

iTrader: (0)

So any rumor of it being light was just false. Still a porky thing that a 718 will sweep the floor with. I'd also say the odds of a sub 3k pound Supra are also a pipe dream.
Appreciate 2
mkoesel7505.50
      06-03-2018, 08:03 PM   #7
DieGrüneHölle
Colonel
1309
Rep
2,787
Posts

Drives: M
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: bmw

iTrader: (0)

He seemed to enjoy it, good sign for the Supra.
Appreciate 1
supra932474.00
      06-03-2018, 08:04 PM   #8
DieGrüneHölle
Colonel
1309
Rep
2,787
Posts

Drives: M
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: bmw

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
So any rumor of it being light was just false. Still a porky thing that a 718 will sweep the floor with. I'd also say the odds of a sub 3k pound Supra are also a pipe dream.
How are you sure a 718 will “sweep the floor with”?

One thing is for sure it doesnt sound like complete ass, like the 718.
Appreciate 3
Powaup1252.00
CruzM3284.00
      06-03-2018, 08:06 PM   #9
supra93
Colonel
2474
Rep
2,334
Posts

Drives: Z4, E500, Supra, RX7
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: TX

iTrader: (0)

Links to more reviews. To lazy to post them all out.

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-re...4-2019-review/

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/06/03/...rive-roadster/

https://www.caradvice.com.au/654398/...rs-production/

http://www.evo.co.uk/bmw/z4/21305/ne...f-z4-prototype

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...e-new-roadster
Appreciate 1
1M Tex240.00
      06-03-2018, 08:10 PM   #10
RPiM5
Major General
RPiM5's Avatar
2856
Rep
7,883
Posts

Drives: Mexico Blue F10 M5(Mika)
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego

iTrader: (0)

Wait, so there's going to be a new Z4///M in the future too? That's what he says in the video.
__________________


Appreciate 1
ice31145.50
      06-03-2018, 08:11 PM   #11
georgere
Lieutenant Colonel
georgere's Avatar
United_States
585
Rep
1,935
Posts

Drives: 2016 M3 BSM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Stamford CT

iTrader: (1)

No manual? Hmmm manual is dead it now seems...
__________________
My 1st love was 2006 BMW 325i Sport + Prem 6MT but I married the 2016 M3 BSM MDCT.
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 08:16 PM   #12
Red Bread
Major General
United_States
4462
Rep
9,160
Posts

Drives: Smog machines
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Austin, TX

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blipit_ View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
So any rumor of it being light was just false. Still a porky thing that a 718 will sweep the floor with. I'd also say the odds of a sub 3k pound Supra are also a pipe dream.
How are you sure a 718 will "sweep the floor with"?

One thing is for sure it doesnt sound like complete ass, like the 718.
It's 300 pounds lighter, has a better weight balance, is a chassis that's been refined for 20 years now, has the best dual clutch in the market and it makes more power than the B58. Is there a way it won't be significantly quicker?

Yeah, it doesn't sound great. But if that's what we're basing wins on now, what does that mean for the S55?
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 08:53 PM   #13
F85Matt
Private First Class
F85Matt's Avatar
217
Rep
114
Posts

Drives: 2020 X3M / 2018 M3 / 2002 M3
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Lake Forest

iTrader: (0)

Fingers crossed for an M
__________________
2016 x5m | IND | Dinan | *GoneNotForgotten*
2002 M3 | ESS S/C w/ Meth | IND 1x1 Cf roof | Homemade Street/Track
2018 M3 | ZCP | 6 speed | IND
2020 X3M Comp | IND | Autoteckic | ?
Appreciate 2
supra932474.00
Germanauto9665.50
      06-03-2018, 09:20 PM   #14
ynguldyn
Brigadier General
7576
Rep
3,423
Posts

Drives: battery powered tv on wheels
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Boston

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
It's 300 pounds lighter, has a better weight balance, is a chassis that's been refined for 20 years now, has the best dual clutch in the market and it makes more power than the B58. Is there a way it won't be significantly quicker?
The North American M40i will have 10% more power than 718 S, which is enough for it to have a better power/weight ratio.
Appreciate 2
supra932474.00
mkoesel7505.50
      06-03-2018, 09:43 PM   #15
kyleb350
Brigadier General
kyleb350's Avatar
United_States
422
Rep
4,709
Posts

Drives: '21 X3MC
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Milwaukee

iTrader: (6)

So, it sounds like the reveal is just weeks away. Can't wait to see the camo come off.
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 10:06 PM   #16
BMWRL
Captain
BMWRL's Avatar
United_States
596
Rep
617
Posts

Drives: 528xi
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA

iTrader: (0)

One car segment BMW always hits out of the park is the roadster, from the 507 to the current Z cars, they are the most beautiful they make IMO. I have high hopes for this new Z and it looks like it won't disappoint
__________________
Is there really anything besides a BMW?
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 10:33 PM   #17
supra93
Colonel
2474
Rep
2,334
Posts

Drives: Z4, E500, Supra, RX7
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: TX

iTrader: (0)

http://www.autobild.de/artikel/bmw-z...t-5257988.html

Quote:
Driving: The Z4 is a genuine Roadster (UPDATE!)

Our test drive in a prototype of the M40i took place on the BMW racetrack in Miramas, southern France. There it immediately noticed that the new Z4 is spurt-strong and curvy, without overdoing it. This is also due to its first-class Reihensechser. There is hardly a competitive engine that combines speed and smoothness so well. This fits the eight-speed automatic, which is the first BMW automatic transmission in terms of timing and pace on par with the previously unattained Porsche PDK. In other words, even a good driver does not do much better. In the driving mode "Sport Plus" the six-cylinder is even more toxic and the Z4 rear has significantly more freedom of movement. To give better feedback, steering requires more effort in this mode. Although the handling of the 1490-kilogram (3285-lbs) Z4 is addictive, it also has a few minor weaknesses: The front-axle grip when turning leaves something to be desired, and when braking the Roadster has too strong a tendency to understeer. BMW could give the open athlete a little more of the known from the M2 jaggedness. Nevertheless, the new Z4 is not a soft-washed cruiser, but a real roadster.
Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 11:00 PM   #18
GMe90
Captain
GMe90's Avatar
355
Rep
928
Posts

Drives: 2007 328i Coupe, ZSP, Premium
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Knoxville

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i  [6.00]
2007 BMW 328i  [10.00]
I wonder how the new Z4 compares to the e85 Z4. The e85 Z4 is raw and fun to drive. At 2900 lbs, stiff suspension, good gearbox, and awesome NA in-line 6 roar, it was definitely a sports car.
Appreciate 1
      06-03-2018, 11:04 PM   #19
supra93
Colonel
2474
Rep
2,334
Posts

Drives: Z4, E500, Supra, RX7
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: TX

iTrader: (0)

Not much to see, but Autocaruk had posted this photo of the interior.

Appreciate 0
      06-03-2018, 11:36 PM   #20
adc
Major General
United_States
2725
Rep
6,750
Posts

Drives: 2018 F80 M3 ED
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: MD/DC

iTrader: (12)

Quote:
Originally Posted by GMe90 View Post
I wonder how the new Z4 compares to the e85 Z4. The e85 Z4 is raw and fun to drive. At 2900 lbs, stiff suspension, good gearbox, and awesome NA in-line 6 roar, it was definitely a sports car.
Yep, still enjoying mine... Paid $7.5k 3 years ago for a solid, fun, raw, wind in your hair roadster experience. Couldn’t be more pleased with myself.

Maybe I’ll be interested in the new one after the first 2 owners take the depreciation sting away...
__________________

2018 F80 Santorini
2019 Z4 3.0i
2022 X2 M35i
Appreciate 3
Powaup1252.00
GMe90355.00
      06-04-2018, 01:58 AM   #21
ron_jeremy
Captain
ron_jeremy's Avatar
Norway
513
Rep
985
Posts

Drives: 13' F25 X3 20d & 16' i3
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Norway

iTrader: (0)

I have high hopes for this Z, more so than BMW latest releases. Sounds to me like more of a sportscar than the E89, more like the E85, which was great.
The E89 was to feminin and soft.
__________________
3 series: E30: 89 325i, E36: 92 325iC, 94 320iC, 96 320i Convertible, 94 320iaC, E46: 99 320ia, E90: 06 318i Le mans, E91: 07 318dt
5 series: E39: 97 520ia, 01 530Dat, E61: 09 520Dat
X series: E83 05 X3 2.0d, E84 10' X1 2.0 X-drive DA, F25 13' 2.0da X-drive.
Appreciate 2
Germanauto9665.50
supra932474.00
      06-04-2018, 02:15 AM   #22
Saphirschwarz
Major
Saphirschwarz's Avatar
Belgium
1066
Rep
1,366
Posts

Drives: M2
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Belgium

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by supra93 View Post
Not much to see, but Autocaruk had posted this photo of the interior.

Mildly impressive German Sportscar Prototype

Strongly impressive German Engineer Stereotype
Appreciate 8
Vervain396.50
Roundown575.50
DeeKay553.00
Germanauto9665.50
AngryBaby344.50
155MPH60.50
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:52 PM.




bmw
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST