FirstDrive: BMW Z4 MThe new BMW Z4 is a winner says Paddy Comyn, but even among winners there's one that stands out from the crowd - the Z4 M
This article is written under duress. It's not a fear of causing insult - I've no problem with that; it's the fear of gushing forth in prose so waxy it seems I have some romantic fascination with a lump of metal.
Since the Z4 was launched in 2003, I have always kept a special place in my heart for the car, but there was always something gnawing away at the back of my mind.
I always believed the chassis could cope with more power than the growling 3-litre model could provide.
Frustratingly, instead of watching the Z4 engines grow bigger, we saw them get smaller and more and more versions arrived to fill what BMW call the bookends of the Z4 customer.
Sadly, they seemed more interested in offering paperback versions rather than a big heavyweight tome.
The new Z4 arrives next month (see panel) and amongst the new versions there is a rather special one - the Z4 M. BMW's tradition of creating motorsport versions of their standard cars goes back to 1987 with the M6 and the M3 shortly afterwards and since then M before any BMW always adds a little magic (apart from those charlatans with the badge but none of the bhp). As we have seen with the M5 and the new M6, it turns an already good car into something much more awesome.
This new Z4 M will be a car for purists. On paper you might wonder why you would want to spend €21,775 more than the top-spec 3.0-litre Si Z4, which is only 0.5 seconds slower to 100km/h and is capable of the same electronically limited 250km/h. Yet the Z4 M Roadster is not just fast, it is an incredible driver's tool.
Aesthetically, it's difficult to spot any major differences between the standard Z4 and the M version. The main differences are under the skin.
First and foremost, the engine is a masterpiece. BMW don't go for huge capacity or turbo-charging to make their cars powerful, they use engines that can operate at incredibly high-speeds.
The six-cylinder 3.2-litre unit puts out 343bhp and 365Nm of torque and will be familiar to M3 fans as the very same unit that powers that most iconic of cars. And it was a superb choice, because it suits the car perfectly.
The Z4 is such a nicely balanced, agile car that it would have been a mistake to give it anything but this free-revving, lightweight powerplant. The 3.2-litre engine will rev all the way up to 8,000rpm and the power is available instantly, in any gear.
Again, like the rest of the range, the Z4 M comes with a Sports button next to the six-speed gearbox and this makes the electronic throttle butterfly control (EDR) more responsive.
(It does raise the question however: why would you buy this car and not want that responsiveness all the time?)
Perhaps the key difference between standard and M versions is that the chassis and suspension of the Z4 M is based on that of the M3 and the braking system is from the lightweight M3 CSL.
Also, unlike the standard Z4, the Z4 M uses hydraulic - not electric - power steering, as it gives greater feel and is better in high-speed situations. This, combined with a specially developed front axle and a very stable rear axle, makes the car respond with lightning speed.
We tested the car on some winding roads as well as on a racetrack in southern Spain and it is nothing short of incredible.
The Z4 M employs a special differential lock, carried over from the M3, which does a better job of ensuring maximum traction than the standard DTC traction control system. It is also designed to give the more experienced driver a greater degree of freedom.
The same is true of the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), which is less intrusive in the Z4 M and when switched off allows you to drift and slide the car to whatever degree your bravery will allow.
At €91,150 for the Z4 M, it's certainly not going to be bought on a whim.
And its price tag means that it competes against some pretty serious metal.
A Porsche Boxster 3.2 will cost €84,900, but has a 'mere' 280bhp. A Mercedes SLK55 AMG costs more at €100,900, but that has a whopping 360bhp from a V8 unit.
Perhaps its greatest threat, however, comes from the Z4 M Coupé, which will have the same engine, and a fixed roof (making it stiffer). It's also more fetching all round.
For the true enthusiast the M badge is simply too hard to resist. The question then is: hard top coupé or roadster?