Poised to lead its market segment once again, the 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster will make its North American debuts at the 2009 North American International Auto Show on January 11.
The classic roadster is back - more powerful and more stylish than ever before. It is the BMW Z4, the only car in its segment combining classic roadster proportions with a seating position moved close to the rear axle, rear-wheel drive, with a retractable hardtop.
The new BMW Z4 offers all the driving pleasure of a BMW Roadster with particularly refined and stylish flair. Driving with the roof down, this two-seater offers a refreshingly intense experience of the sunshine and the wind rushing by - and driving with the hardtop closed it provides all the comfort of a sporting coupe in the premium segment. So through this diversity and wide range of qualities, the new BMW Z4 is the re-birth of the roadster.
The design of the new Z4 comes out through classic details interpreted in new, up-to-date style. This outstanding two-seater offers a unique combination of elegance, agility, and supreme comfort. The aluminium shells of the two-piece lightweight hardtop come to rest in the roof compartment, saving maximum space in the process. Even with the roof closed, the new Z4 retains the proportions typical of a genuine roadster.
To ensure driving pleasure, the new BMW Z4 is offered with two inline-6 engine displacing 3.0 liters: 300 hp in the BMW Z4 sDrive35i and 255 hp in the BMW Z4 sDrive30i ensure truly outstanding acceleration and response at all times.
Comprehensive use of BMW's EfficientDynamics technologies serves to provide an unparalleled balance of driving pleasure and fuel efficiency. While both models are available with a manual six-speed gearbox, the Z4 sDrive35i is available also with a dual-clutch sport automatic transmission featuring seven gears. The six-speed sport automatic is available on the Z4 sDrive30i. Both sport automatic transmissions feature steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Featuring Dynamic Drive Control as standard, the BMW Z4 enables the driver to choose between three drivetrain and suspension settings at the touch of a button.
Company press release, last updated on December 15, 2008
Everything in front of the 'A' pillar appears to have been penned by a different team of designers than the rear without much coordination either.
Quirky and heavy frontal treatment and conflicting bodywork creases around the front wheel arch areas.
Now beauty is as they say in the eyes of the beholder meaning its a personal thing. However, BMW's to me have always been about well defined objectives of solid engineering, great handling and simple understated elegance of design even conservative.
Chris Bangle, the designer and originator of this 'flame surface' look was made the Chief Designer of BMW and its an appointment of real merit as anyone who can sell this monstrous travesty of car design philosophy to hard-nosed directors has to be an outstanding negotiator and executive.
The earlier Z8 - penned by Bangle - makes this contender look extremely ugly and I wonder when BMW is going to advance by returning to its roots, essence and well proven values as beautifully presented in that car?.
This new car reminds me of the ugly SAABs of the 1950's-80's and should never have been made.
BMW is just not a vehicle for Banglesque meanderings and change in itself does not guarantee progress.
Simply put, Bangle has bastardised BMW with confused products like the Z4 and the bargelike, bloated and bulky Series 6 coupes and I cannot wait for his reign and influence at BMW to end.
Another love-or-hate work of design
Chingy42007 12-16-2008
Much like the newly facelifted 7-series, this car will undoubtedly turn as many stomachs as it will heads. Personally, I'm not quite sure what they were thinking with this incarnation of the Z4. 3-series, 6-series and the profile of the old Z4 merged into one? Probably not the best design chemistry formula ever constructed, it must be said.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a great fan of the current, outgoing Z4 and the 6 series individually. And the 3 series isn't that shabby either. But when you try to infuse the three to conform to the Z4's profile, it's not a very good idea. From many angles, the car looks disproportionately elegant, when elegance is meant to be the exact opposite - perfect. The hard tops have never looked good on BMWs, dating right back to the 2005 E46 M3 convertible. What's the matter with the good, old-fashioned soft-top?
However, the interior is much more attractive. It resembles a beach-type atmosphere, and just by looking at the interior you get the feeling that it will definitely feel open and airy despite its small size, even with the roof up.
If I were to buy this car, it had better impress me mechanically, because on terms of design the only place where it exceeds spectacularly is in the interior. The exterior is a shambles, and unlike the X6 I have a strong suspicion it won't grow on me.
How does Porsche respond?
Canam fan 12-16-2008
I think that with the Mercedes and now BMW both being hardtop convertibles it puts Porsche in a tough position. They market the Boxster and Cayman as different vehicles when in reality most people view the Cayman as nothing more than the coupe version of the Boxster. If Porsche comes out with a convertible/hardtop Boxster then there is no longer a point in building the Cayman. Maybe Porsche will come out with a convertible hardtop Cayman and then move the Boxster way down-market as the rumored low end convertible. Should be interesting to see what if anything they come up with.
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E89 Z4 sDrive35i
Poised to lead its market segment once again, the 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster will make its North American debuts at the 2009 North American International Auto Show on January 11.
