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

twntrbo03'

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So my buddy messaged me today local dealer has Z4 on the lot. I was on the way into my office and thought Id check it out since Toyota didnt have one at the Pittsburgh Car Show. Its a little smaller in person then pictures show. The interior is very nice lots of room for me Im 6'2" 230lbs. The fit and finish its very nice wheel felt very nice in hand quality is there little nicer then my wifes new Lexus interior. Started it up sounds nice didnt get to drive or rev etc. It was just a quick stop but I plan to go back to test drive.

I have a depsoit down on the Supra at the Toyota dealership five miles up the road. The BMW salesman said I could get a Z4 spec the way I want in 3-4 weeks.

53510652_10216695165443672_4174962121588604928_n.jpg
Toyota FJ cruiser for the win!!
 

scoates

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So I had my test drive today in the Z4 M40i, and overall it was really good. I don't have much to compare it to just yet other than my GT86 so I'll use that as a base for comparison.

Power wise it was really good, plenty of grunt and seemed like a strong engine, lots of torque. For road driving (UK twisty back roads) it was perfect. Even though it "only" has 335hp I felt it was enough.

The car felt stable and I had plenty of confidence in it, however when going back into the 86 I felt I could tell what the car was doing a lot more in it, you get a better feel for the road in the 86. The steering was also better in the 86, it felt more direct than the Z4, although the Z4 definitely firms up at higher speeds and in Sport mode.

The cabin was very nicely done out, seats comfortable with plenty of adjustment but with the roof up felt slightly claustrophobic due to small rear window and a wind deflector behind it too meaning very little rear visibility. I think this would be improved in the Supra with the glass in the rear hatch.

Overall it felt very capable, and the drivetrain (which was the main point of the test-drive) felt great. I hope the areas that I didn't enjoy as much like the steering will be some of the parts that are tweaked by Toyota. In one pre-production review they likened the Supra steering to the 86 so I hope this is the case. Surprisingly I didn't miss the manual too much, it did feel slightly less involved but at the speeds the box can change with the speeds the car can carry on the road I felt to have a manual I would have to slow down much more to drive it confidently. The platform I would agree with some of the comments that it is very easy to drive, and easy to drive fast.

I'm also planning on testing some other cars like the M2, Cayman S and potentially F-Type and GT-R also for more comparisons in the lead up to the Supra test drive so I'll hopefully be able to compare it well to the competition.
 

scoates

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When I drove the M40i it wasn't the loudest or most exciting sound but there were definitely some pops and bangs from the exhaust, although not as loud and obvious as I'd expected.

They were most obvious when downshifting towards junctions but hardly noticeable at all through general driving.
 

Bryster

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They have to be in the right mode. Assuming the Z4 is like other bmws, it will only pop and open the exhaust valves in sport and sport plus.
I just saw an R32, and man talk about an exhaust that calls to your heart
 

johnny_10196

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https://www.readingeagle.com/drivetime/article/personally-driven-the-new-z4-top-down-a-turbo-on

Personally Driven: The new Z4: Top down, a turbo on
It’s a major leap forward from the last generation of BMW Z4 Roadsters.

WRITTEN BY BY ANDY ANDREWS

It's a major leap forward from the last generation of BMW Z4 Roadsters.

That's what Jay Simon, client adviser at Tom Masano Auto Group BMW, 1015 Lancaster Ave., had to say.

Simon calls the new Z4 a “fun, sporty, pure essentialist kind of car that is a huge leap forward” in design and performance.

On its website, BMW calls the new redesigned — at least technologically — Z4 Roadster an “irresistible force embodying everything a roadster should be.”

The tech is boosted. You get the BMW IDrive 7.0 operating system using a 10-1/4 inch touch screen with voice command or new haptic (vibrations, motions or force) controls.

With IDrive 7.0, Simon calls it a “live cockpit” that drivers can personalize. The mission of BMW is to some day push updates to the car. (Yes, your car is going to be more like your smartphone or laptop with regular computer updates.)

OK, so what's cool about the new Z4? It's the next generation from the 2016 redesign. All well and good, but how does the soft-top coupe perform?

It sports a 2-liter, 4-cylinder TwinPower turbo engine that delivers about 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Transmission is an eight-speed automatic. BMW says it delivers an increase of 15 horsepower and 35 pound-feet of torque over the previous generation. As an S Drive, it is rear-wheel drive only.

You can dart from zero to 60 in 5.2 seconds.

Simon noted that later this year, the Z4 will be equipped with an M40I high-performance 6-cylinder turbo with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Sadly, there is no stick shift available.

MSRP was $49,700. The one I tested — with shadow trim, sporting a new exterior color called San Francisco Red and an interior leather called Vernasca ivory white with decor stitching, 19-inch Jet Black wheels and IDrive — costs $59,495, which includes a $995 destination charge.

So what are the thrills of the new Z4 coupe?

My favorite part has to be customizing the ride for my individual preferences. There are settings for Sport, Comfort and Eco-Pro. The car always starts in Comfort setting. Sport provides more of an edge in speed and handling. Comfort is for long-distance, matter-of-fact driving. And Eco-Pro allows you to save gas.

But you can do some things on the fly, including setting the ride mode. I always gravitate toward Sport. It's hard to resist when accelerating the car south on Rt. 222 to the Gouglersville exit and jetting north again to the dealership. Oh how I like a turbocharged car and its ability to fly past awfully slow drivers.

(A side note: If you don't use the turn signals, lane-keep assist will activate and tug on the wheel to bring you back in the lane. That's a little disconcerting, but I'll take it any day.)

If you keep the speed to 30 miles per hour or less, you can roll down the soft top. In fact, that's a way to personalize a car that Simon and I both believe is great for a Sunday warm-weather drive. Late last week, with 75 degree temperatures sprouting up in Berks, it was great to take the Z4 on a memorable spin around town.
Sponsored

 
 




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