VTECS GALORE

The fastest of the tuned type 2 City VTECs in the country

SPECIFICATION

Power Torque Weight 0-100kmph Top speed Price On sale 335bhp @ 5500rpm 499Nm @ 1520rpm TBC

4.6sec 250kmph (limited) TBC

2019 Only the M40i M Performance variant has been revealed so far, featuring BMW’s 3-litre TwinPower turbocharged straightsix with 335bhp. Thus equipped, a 0-100kmph time of 4.6sec is claimed, with top speed limited to 250kmph. An eightspeed automatic gearbox will send power to the rear wheels. Four-cylinder engines and manual ’boxes are expected, too. Despite Toyota’s influence in the new Z4, BMW’s core chassis elements have very much been adhered to. As a result the car has a 50:50 weight distribution and a wide stance and should weigh less than the outgoing model thanks to a fabric roof and more compact dimensions. This M40i M Performance model will also get larger performance brakes, adaptive dampers and an M Sport differential. As with the chassis, the interior consists of a combination of new-generation BMW components, sharing most of its switchgear and tech with larger models such as the new X5 and 8-series. There’s a major upgrade in tech, too, with the latest iDrive and a head-up display. A driver focus is still apparent, albeit toned down compared to the previous model’s steeply angled dash.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE’VE WAITED AN AGE for a new Z4, but finally BMW has rolled out its all-new roadster – so far only in flagship M40i M Performance form.This is the third-generation Z4 and by now you’ll no doubt know that it has been twinned in development with the incoming Toyota Supra. Spreading the cost of developing a niche model has meant that the previous Z4’s pseudoGT vibe has been replaced with a more aggressive, back-to-basics approach, which we’re hoping will have a positive effect on the driving dynamics.The new Z4 goes on sale next year. Here’s everything you need to know. Top: Head-up display among tech. Above: Folding hard-top has been swapped for lighter fabric roof Where once there was a pert, short tail and long, extending bonnet, there is now an awkward combination of a short wheelbase and long overhangs. The styling takes inspiration from the Z4 Concept revealed at Pebble Beach last year, but when grafted onto a less extreme set of proportions, it’s obvious there have been compromises.