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BMW Z4 Roadster
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Blazing into Australia toting 252 kW and no less than 365 Nm of torque, the sleek, astronomically powerful 3.2-litre BMW M Roadster arrives in unison with new, fresh-faced and agile 2.5si and 3.0si Z4 models that rewrite the rules on how to build a muscular, confident, front-engined two-seat sports convertible.
“The expanded Z4 range offers the unique opportunity to choose the sports car you want,” says Franz Sauter, Managing Director of BMW Australia. “With its overtly purposeful style, near-perfect weight balance and the choice of three powerful BMW in-line six-cylinder engines, the Z4 Roadster captures the very essence of what a sports car should be. “It is underwritten by the BMW reputation for building cars with a distinctly sporty emphasis. “In fact the Z4 is the distillation of what the company is all about. And the arrival of the Z4 M Roadster version establishes it as the most exciting sports car in its segment. “It is the epitome of the BMW slogan: the Ultimate driving Machine,” Dr Sauter said. BMW Z4 Roadster- What’s new. Top of the range 3.2-litre Z4 M Roadster introduced in Australia New, more powerful 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre straight-six cylinder engines New front bumper design with rectangular fog lights for 2.5si and 3.0si Modified kidney grille New front air dam with more pronounced edges Modified tail light cluster New rear bumper design Ruthenium inlays on 3.0si climate control, air vents and roll bars New interior trims BMW Z4 M Roadster – aggressive style, searing performance, peerless dynamics. The Z4 M Roadster resoundingly confirms BMW as the world’s leading maker of high-performance cars, ranging from the compact 1 Series through to the monumentally powerful, V10-engined, 373 kW M6 Coupé. And it continues a BMW tradition of Roadsters that, for 70 years, has always embraced the same essential elements: sportiness, elegance and purism. The structural elements – front engine, long wheelbase and bonnet, low seating position and short overhangs front and rear, can be found in BMW sports cars dating back to the minimalist BMW 3/15 PS Wartburg Roadster of 1931 and continuing through the 328 in 1936 and 507 in 1956, to the more recent Z1 in 1988 and Z8 in 2000. Distinguished visually from the Z4 2.5si and 3.0si Roadsters by a more aggressive front air dam with three air intakes, and a rear bumper featuring a wide diffuser below the number plate as well as outlets for the twin dual-pipe exhausts, the Z4 M Roadster is fitted with exclusive, mixed double-spoke 18-inch M alloy wheels measuring 8x18 at the front and 9x18 at the rear. The high-performance tyres are also mixed, measuring 225/45 ZR18 at the front and 255/40 ZR18 at the rear. Inside, the M Roadster is identified by an M gearshift knob, an M leather steering wheel, with its distinctive profile incorporating thumb contours on either side, and nappa leather M sports seats for optimum passenger location and comfort. The M logo appears on the aluminium doorsill, on the headrests, steering wheel and the illuminated gearshift knob. The Z4 M Roadster uses a Tyre Pressure Control (TPC) system that advises if pressure in any tyre drops by more than 50 per cent. In the event of a puncture, the driver is able to seal holes up to 6 mm across via the M Mobility System (MMS), which uses a mini compressor and a fast-acting sealant. The car can then be driven to the nearest workshop without the need to change the wheel. BMW M Power: The force behind the Z4 M Roadster. Rarely has a two-seat sports car been charged with energy levels as high as those of the Z4 M Roadster. The power-packed, high-revving 3.2-litre in-line six-cylinder engine, already proven in the BMW M3 Coupé and convertible, is able to propel the M Roadster from zero to 100km/h in a blindingly-fast 5.0 seconds, and on to an electronically speed-limited maximum of 250km/h. It produces its soaring 252 kW at 7,900 rpm, along with a turbine-like 365 Nm of torque at 4,900 rpm – 80 percent of which is available from engine speeds as low as 2,000 rpm and contributes to the M Roadster’s driver-friendly flexibility. These figures are exceptional for a normally aspirated powerplant, and rate among the highest specific outputs of any production engine in the world. This engine won the overall Engine of the Year Award (Engine Oscar) on debut, and such is its appeal to enthusiasts, it has won its category each year for the past five years. The BMW Z4 M Roadster’s engine uses a crossflow-cooled, light alloy cylinder head cast at the BMW Landshut plant in Germany, a perlite cast crankshaft, graphite-coated aluminium pistons cooled by oil injection and forged cracked steel connecting rods. The engine management system employs a 32-bit micro-controller and operates at a mind-boggling 64 million calculations per second, while the M Roadster’s high-pressure double-VANOS system infinitely varies the camshaft timing according to control maps in the engine management system. BMW M: Athleticism equals more than just muscle. Underlying the BMW Z4 M Roadster’s highly energetic powerplant is a perfectly-matched six-speed manual transmission, a finely tuned suspension system, enormously powerful brakes and an almost 50-50 weight distribution - all combining to extract the very best from the engine’s sensational accelerative abilities. And, putting an even firmer stamp on this pure sports car specification, are leading-edge BMW technologies that further refine the interaction between driver and car, and car and road. The speed-sensitive, variable M differential lock, for example, allows optimum traction, particularly when accelerating out of a corner with a different coefficient of friction on either side of the car. The M differential lock used in the BMW Z4 M Roadster works in conjunction with a specially configured DSC system. The Z4 M Roadster also utilises the high performance braking system that was conceived for the BMW M3 CSL. With its extra-large ventilated discs it is able to stop in just 34 metres from 100 km/h. To extract the most from the capabilities of the 252 kW engine, the M Roadster utilises a 10 mm lower riding suspension with more negative camber, as well as a specially developed single-joint front axle with forged aluminium track control arms. At the rear, the central arm axle uses two track control rods, the upper one made of aluminium, and one longitudinal arm mounted on a central support on the body. A V-bar extending from the rear axle to the body floor provides an additional stiffening effect. Unlike the Z4 2.5si and 3.0si Roadsters, the M Roadster uses hydraulic power steering with a faster 15.4:1 ratio, giving even sportier, more rapid response to driver input. BMW Z4 2.5si and 3.0si: Powered by the latest BMW six. The razor-sharp BMW Z4 becomes more than ever a true expression of the essential two-seat sports car with the arrival of the new Z4 M Roadster. Toting a blazing 252 kW of power and a dizzying 365 Nm of torque, the M Roadster compliments the now even sharper-looking, even harder performing 2.5si and 3.0si Z4 models. But while the Z4 M Roadster shoulders its way to the head of the two-seat, open-top sports car pack, the 2.5si and 3.0si models introduce improvements that enhance the already captivating Z4 style, while adding to performance and improving fuel economy. All this comes via the adoption of the same light-weight aluminium-magnesium engine technology used in 1 Series, 3 Series and 5 Series BMW models, with the use of Bi-VANOS and VALVETRONIC to unleash more power and torque, while meeting strict European EU4 emission requirements and returning even better fuel economy. The result is that the Z4 3.0si slingshots to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds, yet is able to return a frugal average fuel consumption of 8.6 litres/100km. This comes from a rise in power output, compared with the previous 3.0-litre engine, from 170 kW to 195 kW, and a torque increase from 300 Nm to 315 Nm. The BMW Z4 2.5si, which uses the same VANOS and VALVETRONIC technologies, produces 160 kW and 250 Nm compared with 141 kW and 245 Nm from the previous 2.5-litre engine. This model will reach 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, while averaging a meagre fuel consumption figure of 8.4 litres/100km. Enhancing the athletic look. While the power-laden Z4 M Roadster, with its hunched, low-slung stance, distinctive 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, purposeful front spoiler and quad-pack exhausts, might barely disguise its readiness to spring into action, the Z4 2.5si and 3.0si look even sharper and more poised than ever. The aggressive, long-bonnet profile, low-slung driving position, short overhangs and crisp, edgy styling are established hallmarks of the BMW Z4 Roadster. A crisp new front end with a modified, more flush-mounted BMW grille and a re-shaped, cleanly-sculpted air dam containing rectangular fog lights and a wider, reshaped air intake all serve to further accentuate the powerful, long-bonneted Z4 look. At the back, the wide stance of the Z4 is further dramatised by a new bumper with a sharply-defined line running below the boot lid across the width of the car, as well as cleaner, reshaped mouldings below the new taillights and, on the 3.0si, a larger, chrome-plated tailpipe. Inside, the Z4 cabin, with its signature horizontal dashboard and twin circular instruments complimented by the stylish leather-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, speaks of pure sports car function combined with traditional BMW style and luxury. The white on black instruments feature a tachometer that responds to the oil temperature, advising the maximum upshift points as the engine warms up. The leather seats are designed to offer the best possible comfort and offer a wide range of fore-aft adjustment to suit all drivers. The Z4 also provides generous headroom (with the roof up), while the steering column enables the driver to find a comfortable seating position with its ability adjust for both reach and height. On the 3.0si, pearl gloss ruthenium inlays on the climate control, air vents and roll bars add to the Z4’s sense of individuality, while revised interior trims help impart a fresh new look. Storage space is especially generous for a sports car, and includes, in addition to the glovebox, several storage boxes as well as a large, lockable 8-litre compartment in the rear bulkhead. With the fast-acting, power-operated folding roof in the closed position, boot space in the Z4 2.5si and 3.0si models increases from an already generous 240 litres to 260 litres, sufficient to store two sets of golf clubs. Music aficionados will also experience the aural delight of the high-quality HiFi systems available in the Z4. Whether it’s the multi-speaker, 10-channel system with four 40-Watt woofers and six 25-Watt subwoofers, or the BMW Professional HiFi system with a digital 10-channel amplifier complete with sound processor and 100-Watt subwoofers on the rear bulkhead, the Z4 provides a genuine symphony of sound. The Z4 is also available with either DVD-based Business radio navigation, or Professional navigation with a retractable 16:9 colour monitor located in the centre of the instrument panel. Bi-Xenon headlights are standard on the Z4 M Roadster and optional on the Z4 3.0si Roadster delivering maximum high and low beam intensity, while also adopting the BMW signature “halo” rings around the circular reflectors. 
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