You can't not have noticed that BMW has developed this new Z4 together with Toyota, who will be releasing their new Supra soon.
You might think that's a questionable decision for BMW, helping the rivals.
BMW doesn't worry too much. Let Toyota build their sports car, they say. A hardcore coupe with a solid roof,
because BMW will focus on the roadster mainly. At the same time, BMW says,
this new Z4 is a sportier roadster than its direct predecessor.
That's why they've replaced the heavy, steel folding roof with a lighter, fabric folding roof.
That doesn't make this a very light car, because this top-of-the-range model still weighs 1.600 kg.
Of course, BMW first presents the M40i, which is the sportiest version available for now.
It weighs 1.600 kg and that's a lot, but every little bit counts.
If they would've fitted a steel roof, it would've been a lot heavier as well.
So I think it's a nice feature. Also, another advantage of a fabric roof,
it can open in ten seconds. When you're driving, it can open up to 50 km/h.
For Dutch speeds, that's pretty good. No wind, comfortable, there's lots of room for a roadster...
I do have to say that Mercedes has some tricks BMW doesn't have, like a spoiler above the windscreen and an air scarf.
Those make driving it better at lower temperatures and higher speeds,
but it's certainly not bad in here. Everything's adjustable, the seating is good,
and you're able to look at the new BMW-interior. That means that it all looks a lot better than before,
but especially the digital part... BMW is very proud of their 7.0-system,
with a digital display, and it looks very good, better than before, but it's still not as good looking as what Mercedes and Audi have to offer.
And that goes for everything really. It's not an unpleasant working place at all,
but graphically, it can be better and when it comes to materials, they could be better and Audi and Mercedes show that.
Having said that, BMW still sticks to their iDrive, the central control button, which is so much better than touchscreens or pads.
That really is one of the advantages of the BMW. Anyway, that's not what we were talking about.
The drive is the most important. When you drive it, you'll immediately notice it's much more rigid.
It has a shorter wheelbase which means the turning circle is smaller, the track width is bigger so it's more stable in corners...
That makes it, when you leave everything in Comfort, very pleasant to drive. It's sturdy and you can feel what's happening...
underneath the wheels, but not in a way that your sunglasses bounce of your head.
It all feels very under control, comfortable, very well isolated, it doesn't bounce at bad surfaces,
the rear-view mirror doesn't shake... It's all very neat. And the best news is yet to be told.
That's when you put it in Sport. The promise of being a more sporty roadster than its predecessor...
become reality and I have to say, this car does something to me...
The faster you go, the better it feels. Again, it's the top-of-the-range model,
so it's got an adaptive chassis, an electronic LSD, and sport brakes, and that does a lot to a car.
Especially when combined with ultra sticky Michelin-tires, but the limit is very hard to find in this car.
The weight distribution is 50/50 as well, which means you can feel everything it does and is going to do.
There's a lot of confidence when you corner. You've got the stability and when you put your foot down,
you can feel the LSD anchoring the outer wheel in the tarmac. For driving enthusiasts, which I am admittedly,
it's incredibly pleasant. It's an absolute great car to drive quickly.
And then there's the drivetrain. The turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six has been praised enough already,
but it just sounds... I'd like to say that it sounds like a clock,
but I've never listened to a clock with goosebumps on my arms, and I do get goosebumps because of this car.
The automatic 8-speed ZF-gearbox has been sharpened as well, and you can read it very well.
If you start changing gears yourself... I mean it's not as fast as Porsche's PDK,
but it's certainly not too slow. It's never annoying and it's always very smooth.
It really fits all sorts of circumstances. It really forms around you.
That's what makes it incredibly good. It's so much more refined than a Mercedes SLC...
and it's more of a sports car than an F-Type. The only thing that could be better,
depending on your demands, is the Porsche Boxster, which has sharper steering.
Because that's the only things that's too artificial in this total package.
It has a PDK-gearbox which changes gear even quicker, but it also has a 4-cylinder engine which sounds nowhere near as good...
as this or has the same throttle response as this. That said, this Z4 is a car which does very, very well.
I mean, I don't know if it'll beat the Boxster in a comparison, but I know I'll be looking forward to that test. A lot.