BMW Z4 Roadster Upgraded

BMW just updated the Z4 roadster with some fresh design accents for its exterior, improved standard equipment, and more options for clients. The new features builds on the success of the company’s long history of open-top sports cars by emphasizing the sporting character of the BMW Z4.

The new BMW Z4 is engineered to give maximum agility, steering precision, and dynamism with its powerful engines, rear-wheel drive, and its classic fabric stop-top roof. It was given a driver-focused cockpit layout with contemporary high-class interior. Its sportiness is further highlighted in its exterior design especially with the M Sport package which now comes as standard for the four-cylinder models.

The BMW Z4 now had an expanded standard specification, more exterior paint finish options which have added three new variants. It was also equipped with M light-19-inch alloy wheels and M Lights Shadow Line for additional personalization of the BMW Z4.

Third generation: Six-cylinder In-line Engine

The BMW Z4 has been an important part of the open-top lineup of BMW for the last 20 years. In 2018, built by BMW Group production partner Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik in Graz, Austria, the third generation was offered on sale. The latest model will be launched in November 2022.

For the UK, the engine lineup has a four-cylinder and a six-cylinder in-line option, giving the BMW Z4 M40i (fuel consumption combined: 34.9 – 35.8 mpg; CO2 emissions combined: 184 – 179 g/km in the WLTP cycle) a truly unique selling point for their segment. In recent times, the BMW M model has taken up more than 30 percent of their worldwide sales figures for the roadster. In Germany, the BMW Z4 M40i has reached as high as 48 percent.

To date, more than 55,000 units of the third-generation BMW Z4 has been sold worldwide. Germany has been pointed as its most important individual market where roughly 26 percent of all cars from the current model generation has been sold. The USA follows Germany with 17 percent, and its followed by China, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

The BMW Z4 has impressively maintained their consistent sales numbers since it was offered for sale despite the generally declining vehicle segment. Since the beginning, it has been the highest-selling model in a hotly contested class which is seemingly exclusively has German premium brands. Since then, its market share has also consistently grown.

More Dynamic Z4

The exterior design of the BMW Z4 is a modern interpretation of the classic open-top sports car. It has muscular proportions and aesthetic influenced by the current design language of BMW.

BMW has kept the typical design features like the large air intakes in the front end, the LED headlights with vertically arranged lights placed on the outer edges, and the long bonnet which stretches to the wheel arches. One of the design upgrades include the brighter spotlight on the width and powerful stance of the roadster.

The new Z4 now has the M Sport trim as standard. Like the other M models, there is now three-section air intakes in the front apron, unique side sill contouring, and a rear apron with bold edging on both sides. They also remodeled the side air intakes, which helps guide the incoming air to the air curtains, lowering turbulence in the wheel arches.

The BMW kidney grille also got some design changes as it was given a horizontal inner structure and emphasizes the impression of a wide front end. Other exterior features include mirror caps in Cerium Grey, and trapezoidal tailpipe trims for the exhaust system. The classic fabric soft-top of the Z4 is electronically operated and in just 10 seconds, it can be opened and closed with a single touch of a button even while the car is moving at speeds of up to 31 mph.

Light-alloy Wheels and New Exterior Finishes

Another feature added as standard is the 18-inch M light-alloy wheels with a double-spoke design. The wheels have two colors and are wrapped in mixed-size tires, 225/45 R18 at the front while it has 255/40 R18 at the rear.

Customers now have additional options including M light-alloy wheels in 19-inch format which was exclusively designed for the BMW Z4. It has a V-spoke design, Jet Black matte finish and diamond polished rim edges that gives the sideview of the roadster a striking and sophisticated look. The 19-inch M light-alloy wheels are wrapped in 255/35 ZR19 front tires and 275/35 ZR19 rear tires.

As for paint finishes, BMW has carefully updated the color variants as they added new and bold finishes. Body color options include Thundernight metallic, Skyscraper Grey metallic, Portimao Blue metallic which are now made available for the roadster for the first time. Four other variants are also available with colors ranging from white, gray, red, and black, and it includes the shimmering matt BMW individual paint finish Frozen Grey metallic. For the fabric soft-top, it will still be offered in Anthracite Silver effect as an option to the standard black.

New options also include the M lights Shadow Line which can be ordered along with the optional Adaptive LED Headlights. The dark inserts of the headlights give the front end of the car a unique sporting aura. It goes perfectly with the M high-gloss Shadowline exterior trim with extended elements.

Classic Sports Car Cockpit

A driver-focused cockpit layout spurs the design of the BMW Z4 interior, with sport seats with integral head restraints, clear, forward-facing lines, with the decorative surfaces limited to a small number of areas. For the BMW Z4 sDrive20i (fuel consumption combined: 38.2 – 40.9 mpg; CO2 emissions combined: 166 – 157 g/km in the WLTP cycle), the Vernasca leather – which can be specified in either Black, Cognac, Magma Red, or White – comes as standard.

It has a Sensatec instrument panel, seat heating, extended storage, wind deflector, through-loading system, automatic dimming rear-view mirror, Park Distance Control with front and rear sensors, two-zone automatic climate control as standard in all model variants. Ambient lighting and M door sill finishers are also included as standard in the BMW Z4 M40i.

Engine and Chassis Technology

The new edition of the BMW Z4 comes in three variants of the petrol engine and they brings with them signature characteristics of the brand like enthusiastic appetite for revs, instantaneous power delivery, and exemplary efficiency and smoothness.

Powering the BMW Z4 sDrive20i is a four-cylinder engine matched with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission. This Steptronic Sport transmission comes with shift paddles on the steering wheel and for traction-optimized acceleration off the line, it has a Launch Control function.

Showcasing its exceptional powertrain technology is the top-of-the-range variant of the Z4 with its six-cylinder in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology which is unmatched by their rival as it showcases its outstanding performance attributes.

The BMW Z4 M40i is a 3.0-liter variant that has a 340 hp output has a peak torque of 500 Nm (369 lb-ft), it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Powering the BMW Z4 sDrive20i is a four-cylinder engine with a 2.0-liter displacement and BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. It has a maximum output of 197 hp, peak torque of 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.6 seconds.

The BMW Z4 provides sporty handling and a delightful driving experience due to its compact proportions, minimized weight, low center of gravity, and almost perfect 50 : 50 weight distribution, with a chassis structure and immense rigidity of the body, giving it extremely effective aerodynamics. Its chassis technology has a unique mix of agility and ride comfort through a two-joint spring strut front axle and a five-link rear axle. As standard all model variants come with variable sport steering.

Another standard equipment is the M Sport suspension which optimizes driving dynamics through its firm damper and spring tuning. The BMW Z4 M40i is also equipped with adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers and M Sport brakes with an option between blue- or red-painter calipers. The top-of-the-line model is also equipped with an M Sport differential at the rear axle.

Intelligent Connectivity and Cutting-edge Driver Assistance Systems

A number of state-of-the-art driver assistance systems in the BMW Z4 improves both the comfort and safety of the model. As standard, it comes with Front Collision Warning with brake intervention, Speed Limit info function with no-overtaking indicator, Lane Departure Warning including lane return. In the options list, clients can also add the Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go function, rear collision warning, Lane Change Warning, crossing traffic warning, Reversing Assist Camera, and Parking Assistant. The BMW Head-Up Display projects driving information onto the windscreen and it is also available as an option.

The BMW Live Cockpit Professional guarantees intelligent connectivity and intuitive operation. It has customizable screens for the fully digital instrument cluster and control display. Both screens are 10.25 inches with functionalities that include hard-drive-based multimedia system, BMW Maps navigation system, BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, Wi-Fi hotspot, smartphone integration, and an alarm system.

Model	Power (hp)*	Torque (Nm)*	0-62 mph (s)*	Top Speed (mph)*	Fuel economy (mpg)*	CO2 emissions (g/km)*	RRP
Z 20i M Sport	197	320	6.6	149	38.2 – 40.9	166 – 157	£42,305
Z4 M40i	340	500	4.5	155**	34.9 – 35.8	187 – 179	£53,720