2014 BMW Z4: India review

We are a little late for the orange, open top party which is the revised BMW Z4. But then, the success or failure of this open top sports car isn't going to change the fortunes of its maker, in India or abroad. It isn't even going to earn the company respect among enthusiasts who appreciate properly fast cars. What the BMW Z4 will do, no doubt, is help uplift BMW's image further. And, give its existing clientele a trophy car to go to clubs in and look good doing it.

For us though, an open top sports car can only mean one thing - driving, and driving hard. But, before we go that route, let's see what is actually new in the new BMW Z4.

The new Z4 is not an all-new car but a mild refresh. It gets revised head and tail lamps, new LEDs for its corona rings, a bit more splash of chrome around its turn indicators and a new trim called DPT or Design Pure Traction. DPT gets alcantara trim on door inserts, metallic weave finish on the centre console and a bright orange hue around the dashboard over the regular Z4. But otherwise, the interior design and equipment continues unchanged from the previous model. And it is an interior that looks dated now.

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It is a sound cabin ergonomically, though. A good driving position is easy to find, none of the controls - stereo, climate control, iDrive what have you - is more than an arm's length away and the visibility though not great, isn't bad either; particularly if you choose to sit with the driver's seat at its highest setting. It has cup holders too and door pockets. There's also some storage behind the seats making the Z4 mildly practical.

So, with the cell phone and wallet packed away in the door pocket, a 500ml water bottle stuffed into one of the two cup holders and the iPad put away in the boot (there just wasn't any place in the cabin to leave it), we begin our drive. There's no keyless start on the Z4, and that's a bit of dampener; the new BMW Z4 does retail at Rs 70 lakh ex-showroom. But, it does get a thumb starter, and when pushed, the engine - a straight six petrol - comes alive with no drama whatsoever. And that again, can't be good for a sports car.

But then, the BMW Z4 doesn't have a lot of fire power under that long hood to begin with. The only version on sale in India is the Z4 sDrive 35i. It gets a 3-litre petrol engine with 306PS of max power. The torque rating at 400Nm isn't breathtakingly high either. But, it is a refine engine and one that doesn’t mind sitting close to the redline all day long. It is also packed with technology. It gets twin turbochargers, variable valve lift and direct injection.

So, even though the power output isn’t staggering for a sports car, it isn’t dismal by any stretch either. The least it will have the Z4 do is spin up its rear wheels and create a bit of smoke as the engine itself sits at the redline and then when the tyres find grip, being shot-out-of-the-cannon should feel very real to me. I try it in D, and nothing of the sort happens.

A bit baffled, I shift to 1st in manual mode (the Z4 gets a 7-speed dual clutch automatic unlike the rest of the BMW India range which uses an 8-speed torque convertor auto), toggle up my way to Sport+, step hard on the brake pedal and before I can get on the throttle, a chequered flag icon springs up on the instrument cluster. Oh! So, the Z4 does get launch control! Nice.

Next I floor the throttle and let go off the brakes. After a slight pause, there's wheelspin; no smoke but enough really to get the Z4’s tail wiggling a bit. The engine piles on the revs in a hurry as well. And, eventually, I do feel like I have been shot-out-of-a-cannon, but one that hasn't had its fair share of gunpowder.

BMW claims the Z4 will hit 100kmph from a standing start in 5.1 seconds (not exactly a blistering time). And I don't doubt this claim, not with the Z4 charging hard enough to bring a smile to my face. Neither do I doubt BMW's claim of the Z4 being limited to a top speed of 250kmph, because by the time I have found the time to look down on the speedo, we - the Z4 and I - are already past 200kmph and climbing, and climbing with vigour. The BMW Z4 then, isn't short on performance, but it just isn't awe-inspiringly fast; something you hope, if not expect, every sports car to be.

It's the same with the car's handling. Of course, it turns into corners willingly. And it turns in with precision. It is well balanced and involving, and quite enjoyable on a twisty road. Moreover, when driven at about 80 per cent of the car's, the road's and the driver's potential, the Z4 feels very good, and very likeable. It is only when the envelope is pushed further that things begin to get less hard edged and more nervous. The Z4 stops feeling that intuitive and when subjected to quick direction changes, it leaves you with this underlying feeling of inertia and weight; not something you expect from a sports car.

Even when driven in Sports+, the car's handling characteristics doesn't change much. It is better than Comfort and Sports - the two other driving modes the Z4 comes with as standard - for it allows a hint more slip both while entering and exiting corners managing to bring a smile and more excitement into the drive. Changing to Sport or Sport+ also alters the damping characteristic of the suspension, but the difference is subtle. The ride quality meanwhile, comes as 'extremely uncomfortable' as standard no matter what driving mode you chose.

At Rs 70 lakh, ex-showroom, the Z4 is pricey. And for this price you get a car that draws a lot of eyeballs above all else. The 3-litre straight six engine isn't bad either, so what if it doesn't have the same aural magic as some other open top sports cars. But, the Z4 isn't a car you'd like to buy for pure driving pleasure. As a trophy car though, it works brilliantly. It has street presence and it can make you look good too. Finally, the Z4 might not be an outstanding sports car, but it is still a good and likable one.