FirstDrive: BMW Z4 Coupé Sports fans are in for a treat with the Z4 Coupé, says Daniel Attwood
Two-seat sports car fans are in for a treat with a battle royal due this summer between Porsche's latest hard-topped coupé, the Cayman, and BMW's new Z4 Coupé - the hardtop version of the Z4 Roadster. Throughout its development the new Z4 coupe was intended only to be a product of the Bavarian manufacturer's high-performance M Division.
The Z4 Coupé was designed with just one powertrain in mind - the multi-award winning 343bhp, 3.2-litre, straight-six engine currently powering the Z4 M Roadster and the last generation of M3 saloons.
Although the coupé was developed at the same time as the soft-top Z4, BMW's board only gave approval for production in 2004. And, when the company's bean counters realised the coupé's sales potential, they insisted that a smaller, less frantic engine also be offered.
The compromise is a two-engine line-up consisting of the 3.2-litre and BMW's now familiar 3-litre engine, which, while having 80 fewer horses, is only 0.7 seconds slower on the 0 to 100km/h dash.
There are no plans to offer any smaller engine options, which as BMW Ireland managing director, Sean Green, admitted will severely curtail sales here.
"We could maybe sell another 100 Coupés if we had a smaller engine," he said. "It would be great to get a smaller engine, but there are no plans as yet for one in the coupé."
Ireland was not alone in looking for a more price competitive engine offering. BMW's British management asked for a 2-litre diesel for the new Coupé.
Their request was also refused. As BMW's M Division President, Ulrich Bruhnke, told The Irish Times, this Z4 was always designed to be a performance car and a smaller engine, while increasing sales potential, would dilute that - something he said they were not prepared to do. However, time will tell if that decision will be reversed.
With a starting price of €63,600 for the base 3-litre Si and an extra for €3,100 for the higher spec version with the same engine, and €87,600 for the frantic Z4 Coupé M, this new BMW is kicking rival Porsche right where it hurts.
The Coupé M is more powerful, quicker (although with a lower limited top speed) and benefits from a smaller engine than the Porsche Cayman S, which at €96,875 costs over €9,000 more. Porsche's response is a smaller 2.7-litre 245bhp engine, due for launch later this summer. There are no prices as yet.
Performance and handling of the Z4 Coupé are never going to be in question. Developed by BMW's M division, this rear-wheel drive two-seater benefits from a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. It also borrows many parts from the M3 saloon and Roadster M; indeed the chassis and suspension are nearly identical; as are the 18" brakes that will bring this 1.4-tonne coupé to a controlled stop from 100km/h in just 2.5 seconds. In fact, apart from the fixed steel roof, very little is new, but has rather been borrowed and adapted from current models.
A six-speed manual is standard on the M, with a six-speed auto with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifts only available as an option on the 3.0-litre models. Transferring so much power means the uprated gearbox is not the smoothest, but is satisfyingly short and quick.
The M version also benefits from a variable rear-axle differential lock, while the 3.0-litre models use traction control electronics to ensure grip is maintained. The electronic guardian angels are far from intrusive but can be switched off completely allowing up to 343bhp of unrestricted power.
The downside - as with all sporting two seaters is comfort; always a compromise in such a purist car although, surprisingly, we found the Z4 coupé far from harsh even on rough roads. Practicality is not a priority either; however, the Z4 makes decent use of interior space.
With the first Z4 Coupés not arriving here until August, the real market potential of this car will not be realised until 2007, with predictions of about 50 units for the full year.
With 16 confirmed orders already, a third of which are for the M version, we're set for a real battle of wits between the Z4 coupé and the Porsche Cayman.