New BMW Z4 to debut on Jan 11th!
The latest addition to BMW’s Z4 range will make its North American debut at the upcoming 2009 North American International Auto Show on January 11th. This new roadster is 5.8” longer, 0.4” wider and 0.3” lower as well as 0.1” longer in terms of its wheelbase compared to its predecessor.
The aggressive, forward looking front of the roadster is made of a large BMW kidney grille, a wide air intake and the typical dual round headlights. The side profile lines of the new Z4 starts from the very front of the hood, leading towards the rear wheels in a single flow, where a slightly arched curvature meets the three dimensional LED tail lights. The low stance, long hood design of the new Z4 Roadster gives a hint of the classic BMW 507 Roadster’s looks.
The retractable hardtop which is made of a two-piece lightweight aluminum shell takes 20 seconds to fold up or down. The hardtop folds neatly into its own share of the luggage compartment. This partition can be folded when the roof is up to fully utilize the luggage space. The operation of the hardtop can be performed via an optional remote control key, apart from a switch in the centre console.
In the cabin, the contoured surface to the left and right of the three spoke steering wheel incorporates controls for the air conditioning as well as the lights, which remains true to BMW’s nature. The Z4 comes with the latest version of the iDrive system, which is displayed through a 8.8 inch (1,280 x 480 screen resolution) foldable display screen. The dashboard and center console can be finished in Satin Silver matte, Brushed Aluminum or Ash Grain Wood.
The new Z4 will be made available in no less than nine colour tones. The interior gives an airy atmosphere with side windows which are 40% larger, a 52% larger see-through area in the rear window, and an increase in all-round visibility by 14% over the previous generation.
The new Z4 premium roadster will be offered with two engine options; a 255 hp (220 lb-ft of torque) engine in the BMW Z4 sDrive30i and a 300 hp (300 lb-ft of torque) unit in the BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Both inline 6 engines are of the same 3.0 liters displacement.
The sDrive30i features a normally aspirated motor with Valvetronic and double-VANOS, whereas the power plant in the sDrive35i comes with twin turbos and direct injection (High Precision Injection). Both sDrive30i and sDrive35i variants accelerate to 60 mp/h in 5.6 and 5.1 seconds respectively to a limited top speed of 130 mp/h (this can be increased to 150 mp/h with an optional Sport Package).
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6 speed manual transmission offered as standard. Buyers can opt for a 6 speed sport automatic tranny for the sDrive30i and a 7 speed dual-clutch sport automatic transmission for the sDrive35i. Both of these optional transmissions come with steering mounted paddle shifters.
The body shell rests on traditional spring-struts with “double-jointed” front suspension made largely of aluminum, and a constant-geometry rear axle. Buyers can upgrade to the Adaptive M Suspension with Electronic Damping Control, which is part of the Sport Package. Both Z4s feature Dynamic Drive Control which allow drivers to choose the drive characteristics of the car.
In addition to changing damper forces on the Adaptive M Suspension (if fitted), DDC also conditions the responses of the gas pedal, the electric power steering, and the response thresholds of Dynamic Stability Control. If the car is fitted with either of the sport automatic transmission, the adaptive gearshift logarithms are adjusted as well. Both Z4s also come with 17-inch light-alloy wheels and with run flat tires as well as a Tire Pressure Monitor.
Pricing details are yet to be released. Expect a Singaporean debut sometime in 2009.
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