Shipkiller
Shipkiller
7/13/13 7:56 p.m.
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As the owner of a 2008 Z4M Coupe and a 2003 Z4 Roadster, some of your comments are right one. But the E89 Z4 is really not to compete with the Boxster, but the Merc CLK

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pinchvalve
pinchvalve GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
7/19/13 7:39 a.m.

The Z4 has always been a bit of an odd duck to me in the BMW lineup Being a 2-seat roadster, it should be the most sporting of all BMW's, the one with the most driver involvement. But it never is.

The X5 is the BMW of SUV's, and comes in M flavor if you wish. But the Z4 is the Buick of roadsters, and no M package is available.

BMW: The Ultimate Profit Machine.

racerdave600
racerdave600 SuperDork
8/5/13 11:50 a.m.

Interesting. I too like the looks, but could never see myself in one. My dad bought a new 3 series a few months back with this engine, and is due to replace my mom's car in Sept. with another BMW. But his comment was that it will not be with this motor. While it gets decent fuel mileage, he believes it takes away from any driving enjoyment, and used the term "soulless" when describing his experiences with it. The next will definitely be the 6cyl.

200mph
200mph New Reader
11/3/13 4:42 p.m.

(headslap) You coulda had a turbo 6! . Yes, the 4 cylinder is the econo engine; my 35is version is a far different car to drive. Its not the "pure" sports car my M Roadster was, but I'm no kid anymore either. I chose it over the Boxster and I'm not disappointed except for... the damn run-flats. I had hoped with the folding hardtop the Zed 4 would be quieter inside than a softtop, but I can't tell over all the tire noise!

Alan Cesar
Alan Cesar SuperDork
12/10/13 12:00 a.m.

The Z roadster has been around for nearly two decades now—can you believe it? It strives to be the upscale option for those who want wind-in-the-hair style and a sporting demeanor. Its natural competitor is the Porsche Boxster, which starts just a few thousand dollars higher.

The particular version we got was optioned quite a bit higher—but mostly in looks. We got BMW’s new 2.0-liter turbo mill, not the brand's familiar inline 6. It's worth a 10-mpg advantage (34 highway), but gives up nearly 100 horsepower to the top of the alphabet-soup spec sDrive35is. All the extra dollars in this build went to the M Sport package, which is $3650-worth of door sills and badges in a car that has no actual M equivalent.

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