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NEWBURY PARK, CA – Just in time for a summer of weekend getaways, golf outings and top-down meandering, BMW AG delivers the all-new ’09 Z4 sDrive roadster.
With a retractable hardtop as its most dramatic upgrade, the zippy convertible will calm a mid-life crisis while fulfilling a vain desire to one-up drivers stuck in minivans and practical sedans.
Whether the Z4’s iterative styling is enough to retain leadership among luxury roadsters is the big question.
Mechanically superb, the Z4 meets every challenge thrown its way, delivering a thrilling ride with more power and BMW’s sharp chassis dynamics, thanks to a near 50/50 weight distribution.
This despite tipping the scales some 300 lbs. (136 kg) above the previous-generation Z4 due to the extensive hardware associated with the retractable hardtop, as well as a longer rear overhang to accommodate the top when stowed, while still allowing limited cargo space.
Still, the new Z4 seriously outguns its predecessor, which offered one engine: the 255-hp 3.0L inline-6 with magnesium-aluminum block that won Ward’s 10 Best Engines honors in 2006 and 2007.
That marvelously smooth powerplant remains the base engine in the new roadster, but the 300-hp direct-injection 3.0L twin-turbo (a 3-time 10 Best Engines winner) is a delectable addition.
