2020 BMW Z4
A BMW-Toyota partnership creates two vehicles so dramatically different that they’re impossible to compare
Three years isn’t an overly long time to wait for a new or renewed model to arrive. It must have felt like an eternity, however, for diehardBMWfans awaiting a new Z4 sports car. They went cold turkey frommodel years 2017 to 2019 after the previous Z4 retired.
Worse still, fans of the Toyota Supra sport coupe have spent more than two decades wondering if and when their favorite nameplate would reemerge.
Well, the wait for both models has ended, thanks to a new platform jointly engineered by both automakers.
For Toyota, a modern interpretation of the Supra coupe was the goal, while BMW’s stylists crafted a two-seatconvertible shape that’s particularly stunning. The upsweep of the Z4’s bodyside creases flair out just above the taillight lenses, while the rocker panels are cut upward in the same fashion. Add an aggressive-looking nose with dominating air intakes, and the new Z4 makes a bold statement.
The roadster also projects a more substantial stance. It’s nearly four inches longer than the previous convertible (most of that increase is ahead of the engine bay) although the distance between the front and rear wheels is reduced by about an inch.
The distance between the left and right tires — called the track width — has been upped by nearly four inches in the front and 2.5 inches at the rear.
According toBMW, the overall design of the Z4 achieves a 50:50 front-rear weight distribution, which is considered ideal for handling control and ride comfort.
The Z4’s power soft-top deviates from the previous version’s rather complex folding setup. The new top weighs less, which helps lower the car’s center of gravity, and takes up less room when folded, which means increased (by 50 percent) trunk space. The top can also be opened and closed at vehicle speeds of up to 31 mph.
The aluminum-trimmed dashboard is elegant and the controls are straightforward. There’s a 12.3-inch gauge display plus a 10.25-inch information/navigation screen controlled byBMW’s iDrive rotary dial on the center console, just to the right of the shifter.
The sDrive30i runs with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that’s rated at 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The more performance-oriented M40i is equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder that puts out 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet.
Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes — optional with the sDrive30i and standard with the M40i— adjust engine, transmission and steering responses according to driver preferences. A locking differential maintains equal torque split between the rear wheels, which BMWsays makes for greater cornering precision.
Those who prefer to shift for themselves will be saddened that amanual gearbox is not offered. Your only transmission choice is an eight-speed automatic with manual controls.
The four-cylinder model will accelerate to 60 mph from rest in aBMW-recorded 5.2 seconds, while the six-cylinder cuts that time to 3.9 seconds.
The sDrive30i obviously wins out for fuel economy, with 24 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg combined. Premium fuel is required.
For $50,700 (including destination charges), the base Z4 comes with a 10-speaker audio system plus some active-safety technologies such as forward-collision warning (with lowspeed braking), pedestrian detection and lane-departure warning. A Driver Assistance Package with dynamic cruise control, blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert is optional, as are Msport seats (more side bolstering), premiumHarmon Kardon-brand audio and 19-inch wheels (18 inchers are standard).
Also available is a back-up assistant that will automatically steer the Z4 into a parking spot while the driver controls only the accelerator and brakes.
TheBMW/Toyota collaboration has clearly benefitted both brands, but if opentop fun in an attractive wrapper is what you seek, the Z4 makes a great choice.