2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i Review & Road Test
Frugal, fast and feisty. There’s no other Z4.
Model Tested:
- 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i Roadster; 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, six-cylinder; seven-speed dual-clutch transmission; two-door roadster: $116,900*
Options (As Fitted):
- Character package $2600; Seven-speed sports automatic transmission $3500; Metallic paint (Orion Silver) $1840; Lumbar support $640; BMW 18-inch light alloy wheels $NCO.
Go-kart like agility; fuel use; exhaust note; styling.
Option pricing (lumbar support $640?!); lack of storage spaces.
CarAdvice Rating: 
By Paul Maric
Second gear, 6000rpm heading toward the 7000rpm redline with the roof off, the noise is simply epic. A flick of the steering wheel paddleshift near-instantly activates third gear, emitting a Golf GTI like pop on the up-shift.
If you hadn’t picked it already, this is BMW’s all new Z4 and without a shadow of a doubt, it’s ferocious, menacing and borderline crazy at the limits. The noises, the smells and the attention it seeks leave you gagging for more.
Let’s go back to the beginning though, where the Z4 was simply a figment of the imagination of two BMW designers, Juliane Blasi, exterior designer, and Nadya Arnaout, interior designer.
The first thing you will notice is that they are both females, that’s got to say something about car design!
From whatever angle you catch a glimpse of the BMW Z4; it’s bound to stun you.
The phallic front end features lines that flow to the rear of the passenger segment, at which point they continue with a break to the end of the car.
It’s these crazy and unorthodox traits that make the Z4 such a stunning piece of machinery to gawk at. Mind the aerial at the rear though which stands out like dog’s, err, breath.
Then there’s the attention it seeks anywhere and everywhere it goes.
The Z4 is the type of car that looks amazing with the roof on or off. With the roof off, the brushed aluminium rollover bars are exposed, as is the impressive Ivory White interior – especially with the $2000 Character Package fitted to the test vehicle. Yes, you can buy character when you purchase a BMW!
With the roof on, driver and passenger are cocooned in an aluminium two-stage folding hardtop. The airy cabin offers ample headroom for occupants of all sizes, even taller ones like me!
The driving position, as you would expect, is superb. The driver is hunkered down close to the ground and is positioned slightly south of the centre.
Visibility is good out of all sides, even with the roof on, but if you’re like me and enjoy having the driver’s seat as low as it will go, you will find seeing the bottom screen of the cluster a bit difficult as it’s shrouded by the top of the steering wheel.
In addition to the screen being invisible, the front end is a bit hard to judge due to its length and the peak the bonnet has close to the windscreen.
The bonnet comes up from the front of the car, reaches a peak near the windscreen and comes back down again. The peak is there to ensure the inline six-cylinder fits in the engine bay.
The driver and passenger doors open slightly upward, much like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and DB9, to ensure no gutter rash occurs due to clumsy passengers – and girlfriends!
A revised version of iDrive helps clumsy drivers cope with the technology behind the Z4. A host of features, such as satellite navigation, CD player, vehicle options and settings make it the backbone to the vehicle’s communications system.
Storage space is at an absolute premium in the cabin. The glove-box is tiny and the only cup holder is located beneath the centre armrest. Side pockets and a clever multi-tiered tray do make the storage of odds and ends a bit easier though.
Boot space is impressive for such a small convertible, and with the roof on, you have the option of expanding boot space by lifting the boot’s cargo barrier.
With the roof off, the cargo barrier needs to be lowered to allow storage room for the roof. The downside to this arrangement is that cargo is inaccessible once it has been stored and the roof is off.
One of the vehicle’s real letdowns was the stereo. Labeled as the ‘Hi-Fi 11-speaker’ sound system, it totally lacks bass and produces unacceptable rattles before it reaches even the slightest levels of low frequency.
On the other hand though, the intuitive iDrive gives tech junkies like yours truly something to play with. The interface allows you to program features into the numbered buttons. Simply touching these with your finger brings up the selection on screen, then allows 0.0you to confirm it by pressing the button.
For example, you could program an AM station on preset 1 and an FM station on preset 2.
Fitted to our test vehicle was high beam assist, using technology which can sense oncoming vehicles and will dip the lights accordingly. The problem is that it often leaves it too late, or the oncoming vehicle has lights that aren’t very bright and as a result the high beams stay on too long, annoying the oncoming driver.
While the interior, the design and the rest of the usual stuff is all well and good, this car needs to be an engaging drive, the Z4 is just that – and more.
Under the SDrive35i’s bonnet is BMW’s award winning 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged, inline, six-cylinder, producing 225kW at 5800rpm and 400Nm of torque at a measly 1300rpm.
Fitted as a $3500 option to our test vehicle, BMW’s seven-speed, double clutch gearbox is the latest creation from the German manufacturer. It works much the same way Volkswagen’s DSG gearboxes work, except BMW’s gearbox can handle much more torque.
First, third, fifth and seventh all have their own clutch, while second, fourth and sixth are serviced by an alternate clutch. As the driver prepares to switch between gears, the next gear is preselected and ready to go, allowing for near instant gear shifts.
In a car like the BMW Z4 SDrive35i, which uses twin-turbochargers, it makes the perfect solution to the age old issue of turbo lag due to slow gear shifts. Of course, you’ll still have the zealots who refuse to dump a manual gearbox in favour of the double clutch arrangement, but they’re the same people who think men can get away with wearing pink shirts!
Moving off from a standing start is effortless. It doesn’t stutter anything like the dual clutch setup in Volkswagens or Audis, which is testament to the amount of effort BMW has put into its gearbox.
Then again, the real effect of this gearbox isn’t felt until you are pushing the car at its limits and moving through gears at pace, we’ll touch on that a little more later.
BMW certainly hasn’t held back with the engine note. Although the Z4 uses the same twin-turbo six-cylinder engine that’s fitted to many other BMW vehicles, the Z4 is substantially feistier than its siblings. Pops and burps are not uncommon at low speeds, likewise there’s a menacing induction howl when you really get stuck into it.
The activation of the first and subsequently second turbocharger is totally seamless. The engine is so responsive that you wouldn’t know it was turbocharged unless you had a peek under the bonnet. Caress the throttle in any gear and the engine responds with haste, ready for your next movement.
The acceleration from a standing start can only be described as relentless. As soon as you near the redline, a quick tug of either steering wheel mounted gear lever will bring on the following gear with a loud pop during the gearshift. It then just continues to pull until you either run out of road or guts.
While the Z4 is rear-wheel-drive and uses a 255/235 rear/front tyre combination, grip is never an issue. The chassis is so perfectly balanced that seldom do you have to consider what the rear end will do.
The test route included an uphill mountain stretch which really tested the BMW’s ability to corner under throttle. There was also some light drizzle thrown in for, err, fun.
Steering response is unquestionable, as is steering feel. If the tyres grab even a skerrick of moss on the road, the driver will know about it.
While the steering is heavy, it’s light enough to keep hold of it through tight and wide bends. The superb steering ratio also means that there’s never a situation when you don’t have enough lock.
The Z4 uses Electric Power Steering (EPS) which allows the vehicle to vary steering weight and in turn reduce fuel consumption as the system doesn’t require an engine driven motor to operate and only operates in instances where steering assistance is required.
Pedalling on the throttle at the exit of a corner simply buries the Z4’s bum further into the ground. The limits seem simply endless and certainly weren’t reached on this rather dreary winter’s day.
The Z4 uses what BMW terms as Dynamic Drive Control (DDC) which allows the driver to select between three different driving modes – Comfort, Sport and Sport+.
While the Comfort mode is great for city driving and highway cruising, the Sport mode on the other hand gives the Z4 a totally new driving feel.
Sport mode increases steering response and also dramatically sharpens throttle response, meaning the already responsive engine becomes even more responsive at the press of a button.
The Sport+ mode on the other hand is identical to the Sport mode, but places the vehicle’s Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) into a limited traction mode. The limited traction mode allows the vehicle to step out slightly before the car intervenes.
Although the Sport+ mode adds a bit of excitement, it doesn’t work well enough with the driver in my opinion. It steps in too early and holds the vehicle from going back to full torque for longer than necessary.
While the rest of the package was nothing short of perfect during the mountain run, the Z4’s brakes left a bit to be desired on the run back down the mountain.
The double clutch gearbox doesn’t offer enough engine braking during downhill stretches, which meant that the brakes were working overtime to slow the Bavarian missile.
After a short period, the pedal started feeling a bit spongy and lacked the initial bite on offer going up the hill. An upgraded set of rotors would be on my wish list if I owned a Z4 and was interested in taking the car to the track.
Although the 1525kg kerb weight of the Z4 could come into play with braking potential, it certainly doesn’t affect the vehicle’s ability to be thrown around like a go-kart.
The driving experience is second to none when compared to other vehicles in this price range. The way it remains composed – even during the tightest of corners – is very impressive to say the least.
Roof-less driving – as fun as it looks – was a bit of a problem in the Z4. Although my passengers were generally fine, my head would be struck by wind most of the time, because of my height.
Smaller passengers were fine, but it seems the taller you are, the most wind you’re going to receive. Sure, it’s a minor quibble, but something that could become frustrating over time if you were of a tall stature.
The roof operates relatively quickly, but as with all convertibles it requires the driver to hold the roof button until the roof has completed its travel. It’s a bit frustrating because you need to curl your hand around the gear lever in order to get to the button. BMW claims the roof completes the entire operation in 20-seconds, not bad for a hard top.
Although the roof lacks the speed of an equivalent soft-top, a hard top is the sleekest and least cheap looking option in my opinion.
Living with the Z4 day to day would be a comfortable option for those looking for a weekly commuter. Although the suspension is stiffer than that of a 3 Series convertible, the Z4’s brilliant visibility and ample rear storage space means it wouldn’t be an uneasy task.
And, if you’re like me and you enjoy driving – the Z4 will simply amplify your love for some of Australia’s best roads.
This is without doubt the most exciting car I’ve driven this year – hands down. While I won’t normally say this, BMW has produced a car that entices all the senses. It’s also a car that looks absolutely stunning with both the roof on and off and to top it off, it goes like a bat out of hell.
The asking price of $116,900 is also perfectly valid. The closest performance rival is the Porsche Boxster S Roadster, which is a rather wholesome $140,400. If you’re happy to stick with a hard top though, the closest rival is the Cayman S, priced at $155,300.
If you’re in the market for a seriously fast convertible, look no further than the Z4.
You’ve got Juliane and Nadya to thank for the beautiful design, BMW engineers to thank for the sublime ride and handling and me to thank for recommending the car.
Ratings:
CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:
Specifications:
- Engine: 2979cc inline six-cylinder
- Power: 225kW @ 5800rpm
- Torque: 400Nm @ 1300rpm
- Induction: Twin turbocharged
- Transmission: Seven-speed dual clutch
- Driven Wheels: Rear wheel drive
- Brakes: Four wheel discs
- Top Speed: 250km/h
- 0-100km/h: 5.1-seconds
- CO2 Emissions: 219g/km
- Fuel Consumption: 9.4-litres/100km (ADR combined)
- Fuel Consumption: 9.1-litres/100km (as tested)
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 55-litres
- Fuel Type: 95RON petrol (minimum)
- ANCAP Rating: N/A
- Airbags: Four airbags
- Safety: ABS brakes with EBD and BA. ESP.
- Spare Wheel: Run flat
- Suspension: Front and rear independent with strut braces.
- Cargo Capacity: 180-litres (roof on)
- Tow Capacity: N/A
- Turning Circle: 10.7-metres
- Warranty: 24-month/unlimited-km
- Weight: 1525kg
- Wheels: 18-inch alloys with 255/35R18 tyres
A very beautiful piece of machine!
A little expensive – but very good car. Much better looking than the previous generation as well.
Is that the biggest review for s ingle car ever o.0.
BMW seems to have nearly perfected their Z4, merecedes your turn to produce a decent convertible.
I agree – one of the most beautiful designs I’ve seen in a long time
C.A how about a comparison between Honda S2000, B.M.W Z4 and the MX5?
love the car… hope they don’t have dodgy quality like some other BMWs. Do these come from USA, Germany or S Africa?
friend just traded his 2007 cayman s for a 2009 boxster s… so tempting to buy a midlife crisis car… not sure about iffy BMW build quality though… colleague’s 120i had so many problems, he couldn’t wait to sell it. I can vouch for dodgy VW build quality after owning my S African Golf GTI for 1 year… squeaks, rattles, plastic bits breaking, minor dodgy electrics… but love the drivetrain/car in general.
Prefered the look of the previous generation
Riceboy the new Z4′s all come out of Germany.
Such a stunning car, just does everything well. Although I would still love a Z4M with the 4.0L V8.
Great car and very nice review Paul. Couple of points; a) you don’t necessarily need to be a zealot to opt for the regular manual – you may prefer to spend your $3.5 large on other things (week on a warm pacific island anyone ?) and b) i’m pretty sure that guys that opt for the automated manual would be more likely to wear a pink shirt than a those that opt for the traditional one ! ;D
I’m very relieved I stuck to my guns and bought a 2008 Z4 Coupe. The new one has lost all the hadnling prowess of the previous one, and the rear styling is very disapointing. This will sell to more people, but to those who buy Boxsters, Caymans, Lotuses, and the previous Z4 (both convertable and coupe), this drop top cruiser won’t even be on the radar.
The 2013 Z2 convertable and coupe are going to be the spiritual successors to the current Z4 twins, so I’m waiting for those. Until then, I’m very comfortable in knowing I’ve bought the better car, and the 2008 Coupe looks much better than this thing. The response from people on the street say the same.
I have always loved the Z4. Amazing to drive, great to look at. Its the type of car which makes you smile, just thinking about it.
I don’t see why you’re so impressed with being able to set 1 station present as AM and the next as FM when even a $20k Holden Cruze can do this.
I must say the look of this car is something else. I love it!
Bob Says:
August 11th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
“I don’t see why you’re so impressed with being able to set 1 station present as AM and the next as FM when even a $20k Holden Cruze can do this.”
He should have commented a little more on how the presets are touch sensitive and can hold navigation info, entertainment info, etc. I believe almost all bimmers with I-Drive now have this feature.
Frugal, how so?
Speaking of which, where is F-0?
The issue this vehicle has its around the same price as a SLK from Benz, and a Benz is a Benz is a Benz.
How many races did BMW win in F1 again? :-)
White leather seats won’t be white for very long either!
“Character package” says it all. I know this is a car for enthusiasts – attested by Paul’s obviously passionate and lengthy review – and I won’t deny it probably does well what it’s intended to do, but it also stands for everything that’s wrong with the world today. And, no, money cannot buy character. Just lumbar support in a 100K+ car! It’s irrelevant and obscene.
I can’t forget the last generation Z4 coupe: a modern day classic. It will make a great second-hand purchase.
You’re right in saying the vehicle isn’t as ‘sharp’ as the older Z4′s. But still quite the engaging driving. But considering the highest selling and most expensive car in the class is the SLK. And it doesn’t touch the Z4 on handling, this car will put a big dent in SLK sales. Because it looks better and is a better drive. Having driven the SLK 350 and Z4 35i, I wouldn’t even think about the slk for another second.
And guys don’t forget, not everyone takes their cars on the track. Accept the car for what it is, something that makes you smile when you see it in the garage and when you start the engine.
finally a BMW interior that doesnt look like well….. a BMW interior i hope more get his type of design than the X% interior seen in practically ever model
Matty B your just a horsepower gutz like me :) Im sure the twin turbo 3.0 litre is fab but the 4.0 litre V8 would be handfulls of fun.
Paul, I havent heard the 3.0 litre twin turbo full noise.Is it noisy when its up and arking .
Visually I havent like them that much and did agree with Hammond on that they looked like at Parrot Fish……still you dont look at the mantel piece when your poking the fire do you ?
Would still rather the current Z4M for that money. I think it’s over priced as per usual.
“The closest performance rival is the Porsche Boxster S Roadster, which is a rather wholesome $140,400. If you’re happy to stick with a hard top though, the closest rival is the Cayman S, priced at $155,300″
370Z convertible any time soon? For 70-80k, you would have to be insane to buy this (or really rich).
What a beautiful car, BMW, you’ve got it spot on!
Don’t forget guys, BMW has high prices for a reason. They give us extremely well done cars with barely any sharing with all the other manufacturers around the world. Everyone else swaps everything to keep costs down, destroys uniqueness (though i’d still prefer my car was cheaper…)
But to be honest… can they possibly start swapping a bit? I would love a 50k 325i… or even 45k….. stuff the gear.
Back to the topic…:
They need to make a super version with 100-200kg cut out of it (try a drop top, race seats, buhbye insulation etc.) to pick up a bit from the lost last-gen Z4′ers.
Never before have I seen the ‘as tested’ fuel economy result actually less than the ADR fuel economy! Amazing. What a fantastic car.
Paul Maric: ‘Of course, you’ll still have the zealots who refuse to dump a manual gearbox in favour of the double clutch arrangement, but they’re the same people who think men can get away with wearing pink shirts!
You are kidding right? If it comes down to that, the double clutch posers are the same pansies wearing pink underpants.
And great as they are purported to be, I haven’t seen a double clutch used in a rally car yet. And nope, not likely to any time soon.
Flying High:
I’m yet to see a rally car used on the road. I’m thinking I’m unlikely to see one any time soon, too.
People who refuse to accept advances in technology tend to irritate me.
Have you actually driven the Z4 sDrive35i with the BMW dual clutch gearbox? If not, I’d highly recommend reserving your judgement.
Paul I have not driven the Z4 sDrive35i with the BMW dual clutch gearbox as I am unlikely to purchase such a car at this time, do not often have an opportunity to drive such a car even for pleasure, and do not tend to waste a dealers time pretending that I am in the market for such a car to gain access to such a drive. There is no question the Z4 would be a great drive, I have however driven a dual clutch VW but was not left breathless with the ‘advanced gearbox’. Nothing about it made me want to sell up and switch over.
I do not refuse to accept ‘advances in technology’ – actually the industry in which I work requires me to embrace it everyday. I also believe that within a relatively short time, sadly, all manufacturers will only offer such a transmission, doing away with the need to offer both auto and manual.
I am sorry to hear you get irritated by such small things, however when you make pink shirt comments, you are clearly seeking to aggravate. Or possibly compensate. I am not sure which.
Whichever way you cut it, the new manumatic dual clutch blah blah gear boxes are yet another reason the driver needs to know less about driving and pay that much less attention to what they are doing.
New technology, yes. Advances? Debatable.
I just couldn’t take this over a Boxster. Everybody goes on about the Boxster not being a “real Porsche”; what does that even mean? It’s engineered, designed, built and powered by Porsche so that makes it a real Porsche. At the end of the day, the Boxster is the best roadster on the market. It handles better than this and it’s far more focussed and all without being harsh. An all round better drive. I agree with other commenters though, the SLK350 doesn’t even compare anymore.
When I drove the Z4, it didn’t feel like a roadster to me so much as a sporty convertible. It didn’t feel like a roadster should and that disappointed me because the last one did. To me, Porsche have nailed it with the Boxster so I would get that, but this would be a good car to live with day to day. The BMW would also be better if you live in the city as I remember having an old Audi Cabriolet that had it’s roof slashed more than once. Hard tops are good for stopping this, as they would be.
The Z4 is just a bit soulless to me. I thought it was a very good car, but I couldn’t find anything particularly remarkable about it. I drove it, I thought it was excellent, I walked away and I didn’t find myself wanting one. I only buy a car when I can feel myself wanting it. I don’t get this feeling with the Boxster either, but it gets a lot closer.
I do think it looks good though. I just think it could use some more colour choices for the purpose of individuality (you only get about six choices and one of them is brown) and some more driver involvement.
This is the first review I’ve read that’s truly praised the Z4. All the others (and I’m talking about ten or twelve reviews) have simply said that it’s good, but not too exciting and the last one was better. After driving it, I concur and I too will be waiting for the Z2, hoping they make a proper roadster.
I don’t want to sound like I don’t like it, because I really do, I just think they could have done better. The Ultimate Driving Machine just doesn’t stand up in a world with Porsche and I think BMW have softened a bit lately. I look forward to seeing them come back to true form.
Flying High:
I couldn’t disagree any more.
The BMW dual-clutch gearbox in comparison to the Volkswagen DSG is literally like comparing apples to oranges. They are totally different. That’s why I suggest you drive the car prior to commenting, as you obviously don’t have much of a clue regarding the gearbox.
I’m not quite sure how you’ve deduced that people who drive manuals know more about driving, it seems like an absurd statement.
It really sounds like you’re clutching at straws.
And apologies for the pink shirt comment – wear whatever you feel matches your palette, even if it is a pink shirt.
That review was epic.
Firstly perhaps the author should read the Terms & Conditons again about ‘personal’ comments.
SLK has been arond since 2004 and is pretty long in the tooth but it is to be replaced late 2010 with a twin turbo job. I admit the Z4 reviewed is a better car over the SLK 350 but they have had the previous Z4 to get it right and now this model. Given the time from 2004 SLK release it is hardly a massive stride forward.
A boxster will smoke this thing
Coupe + Convertible + Fun
I’m going to swim against the current. I don’t like the looks. The Tech is fantastic, the driving experience is probably among the best for the legal blacktop but I just don’t see any beauty in the thing. It reminds me of a dog sticking it’s head through a hole in the fence. All distorted and eyes pulled back.
For mine it’s like a WRX – goes exceptionally well but couldn’t be happy with the looks, irrespective of the badge.
This is an exellent ride oh my I would love to have a test drive and own one when possible.
My test drive didn’t leave me as amazed as I thought it should. I like the sound of the engine as it gets revved and the revs climb higher and higher.
Other than the noise there wasn’t much else that would make me want to purchase this car.