3rd gen G29 BMW Z4 (2019-202X)

soundman414

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We drive the new BMW Z4 in prototype form and find that it is already a marked improvement over its predecessor
Verdict

In short the new BMW Z4 goes hard, makes a better noise than a flat four Porsche 718 Boxster, is much more entertaining in its handling, steering and body control than before while maintaining a genuinely decent ride quality. And, to these eyes, it looks the business as well. A credible rival for the Boxster? Oh yes

BMW has an unusually candid way of describing the key difference between the old Z4, and the new. The old car, they now admit, was one to drive on a Sunday afternoon, maybe when the sun was shining – because it wasn’t really a true-blue sports car.

But the new Z4 – which we drive here in Z40i prototype form – is a car to drive early on a Sunday morning, they say, before the sun has come up and when there’s no one else around, the inference being that the old car was a bit of a softie at heart whereas this new one has become a proper, red-blooded driver’s car.

And do you know what? They’re not fibbing. Having driven this all-but production-ready Z40i prototype on both road and track, with its new lightweight electric canvas hood up and down, and at all sorts of different speeds it is abundantly clear that, this time, the Z4 has got serious

This time it really has become a proper sports car, with a much stiffer chassis, much sweeter steering, stronger performance from its 340bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine (think 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds) and a level of feel and precision to its chassis that absolutely wasn’t there last time round.

And there’s one very simple reason why BMW has altered the Z4’s personality so drastically; the unceasing success of the Porsche 718 Boxster.

BMW wants a piece of the Boxster’s action, basically, having seen sales of the Z4 drop by almost 30 per cent since its birth in 2002; and the only way to achieve this is to build a car that’s at least as compelling to drive as the Porsche. Hence the far more thrusting dynamics of the new Z4.

You can’t see what it looks like here, not from these disguised images. But, trust us, we’ve seen the production car undisguised now and it looks pretty tasty, even though it doesn’t feature the twin buttresses of the Z4 Concept car that was shown at Pebble Beach last summer. Despite this, however, it is much more aggressively styled than the previous Z4, and much better looking as a result..

“In every way the new Z4 is a more masculine car than its predecessor, a more dynamic car” says Andreas Ederer, Product Manager for the new Z4. “Not just to look at but to drive, to listen to, in everything it does. But this doesn’t mean its appeal will be narrower” says Ederer, admitting that – Boxster apart – sales in this sector have fallen by over 30 per cent since it was created two decades ago.

Whatever the market’s trend, BMW has thrown the kitchen sink at the new Z4’s dynamics. The Z40i driven here gets adaptive dampers, an electronically managed differential and bespoke Michelin Pilot Supersport tyres as standard, and the results are clear to see from behind the wheel.

Weight is down by 50kg, partly because the new canvass roof – which raises in just 10 seconds – is lighter but also because the underpinnings are lighter, too. The boot is also over 70 litres bigger this time thanks to the canvass roof, up or down; it makes no difference to the space on offer. But it’s the extra dynamic agility of the new Z4 that distinguishes it most clearly.

Key specs
Model: BMW Z40i
Price: £37,500 (est)
Engine: 3.0-litre straight six, twin-turbo, petrol
Power/torque: 340bhp/500Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
0-62mph: 4.5 seconds (est)
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Economy/CO2: N/A
On sale: March 2019
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/z4/103643/new-bmw-z4-prototype-review
 

Jdmuscle

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340hp and the 8spd trans... I guess the Supra will be the same.
 

Guff

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Sweet! Sounds about right.

Highlights for me:

-"Quick as an M2, maybe quicker"
-Adaptive damping
-50KG lighter than the outgoing model (E89 was 1,420–1,525 kg (3,131–3,362 lb)
-340hp
-ZF Auto, but an M version later with a DCT
-eLSD
-"Feels like a proper, old school, involving BMW"
-"Definitely under 5s to 60" (well duh)
-"You'll see it (the exterior) in a few weeks time"
-"For Sale in March"
 
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mkivalex

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Sounds pretty good to me! 340 seems a little low. But we will see what the final numbers are
 

Jdmuscle

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I guess the hardtop version (Supra) will be that 100-200lbs lighter.

What I was surprised was.. I thought the bimmer was going to be a GT car rather than a proper track weapon which the SUpra was slated to be. If this one is good.. seems promising for the supra.
 

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Btw Sutcliffe said "just under 40 grand", so lets assume that means 39,995 GBP. The Boxster in the UK stars at 44700 GBP, so let's call that a 10% difference. The US Boxster starts at $59k, so 10% off of that is roughly $53k.

So, maybe we'll see a 50k Supra and a 55k Z4? That's just a guess though.
 

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https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2020-bmw-z4-m40i-prototype-drive-review

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/bmw-z4-m40i-prototype-driven/38129

BMW will be launching the Z4 with a pared-back engine range. The Z30i will use a four-cylinder motor producing around 250hp, while the M40i version has the twin-turbo straight-six that's already offered in other 40-badged cars. Outside Europe this has been given a power boost to 382hp, but EU spec cars will come with a petrol particulate filter - yes, that's a thing now - limiting output to the 335hp of the M240i. All versions will share the same 369lb ft peak torque output, with drive dispatched exclusively through the rear axle and an eight-speed ZF autobox, the Z40i also getting an electronically controlled limited-slip differential as standard. A manual would have been nice, but BMW admits there isn't enough demand in any of the likely big Z4 markets to justify the development cost.
 
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MA617M

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Does the Z4 use the B58? Or will it use the Supra engine? (As we know, insiders confirmed it is a new head design and a different engine block to B58)
Sponsored

 
 




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