BMW Z4 Car Review - Can it really RIVAL the Porsche?

BMW knows a thing or two about roadsters and this improved second generation Z4 proved to be one of its best. It may not be the sharpest car in its class from this era to drive, but on the right day, in the right mood on the right road, you may not care, providing you're a fan of metal-folding roofs. The engines are efficient and willing, the looks are still stunning and the feeling you get behind the wheel still makes you feel twenty years younger.

BMW has been building roadsters for over 80 years - and that showed with this improved second generation Z4. It was model that matured extremely well, slowly and methodically developing into an all-rounder that's now tough to beat as a used buy if you're looking for a car of this kind from this era. What it all means is that though the Z4 might not be the first car you look at when choosing a sports roadster, look at it you must. It's just too good not to. Four wheels, two seats and a big engine. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Like any classic roadster, more than half the length is given over to the engine, which is one reason why there's only space enough for a couple of passengers. You'd certainly expect the inclusion of a two-piece electro-hydraulic metal-folding roof to have altered this Z4's appearance a good deal more than it has but there are no awkward looks, no tell-tale bulky rear end. BMW's design team could work miracles though and in return for the security of a hard top, you've to accept a couple of significant drawbacks. First, the speed of operation: the top takes around 20s to raise or 21s to lower (about twice as long as the roof on a fabric-topped Audi TT Roadster). At least you can operate it at speeds of up to 20mph though. The overwhelming majority of Z4 buyers in our ownership survey seemed to be extremely happy with their cars. However, inevitably, there were a few issues. One buyer complained of a faulty rear diff, a faulty dual mass flywheel and noisy hydraulic lifters. Another found that a broken roof bracket prevented roof operation. And yet another had initial problems with paint finish and various rattles. There were also scattered reports of minor electrical faults. Look out for all these things on your test drive. Sporting BMWs may have been inseparably associated with six cylinder engines down the years but most of the powerplants on offer in this improved MK2 model Z4 line-up squirt fuel into the quartet of cylinders boasted by a TwinPower Turbo 2.0-litre unit that was offered in three states of tune. The 184bhp sDrive 20i and 245bhp sDrive 28i variants were carried over from the original version of this MK2 model, but in an attempt to snare customers who might otherwise have to settle for cheaper segment rivals like the Mazda MX-5 or the MINI Roadster, BMW introduced a more affordable Z4 starter-variant for this facelifted design, in the form of the 156bhp sDrive 18i. The two 3.0-litre in-line twin turbo six cylinder models, the 306bhp sDrive 35i and the 340bhp sDrive 35is, are respectively able to demolish the 0-62mph sprint in 5.2s and 4.8s.