MORE THAN ENOUGH Z? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The classical Roadster. This, apparently, is what we have here in the form of the third generation version of BMW's Z4. Jonathan Crouch drives the four cylinder 20i version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 93

BMW knows a thing or two about roadsters and this third generation Z4 is one of its best. It may not be the sharpest car in its class to drive but on the right day, in the right mood on the right road, you may not care. The engines are efficient and willing, the looks are stunning and the feeling you get behind the wheel still makes you feel twenty years younger. This, it seems, is a Z that might be very hard to catch. Let's try the base four cylinder 20i version.

Backgroundword count: 199

Ah yes, the Z4; the model that some said wasn't quite a true BMW sports car in its previous pre-2018-era 'E89'-series form. The head of the company's performance 'M' division didn't think that old MK2 model was quite dynamic enough to get a full 'M' status. Some say it isn't quite a true BMW sports car in this MK3 'G29'-series guise either, but usually for a different reason - the fact that it's shared its development with a Toyota (the GR Supra). We might also mention the fact that it isn't even built by BMW, the Munich maker having farmed production out to Magna Steyr in Austria. Lots of issues then. Affordable modern-era BMW roadster models have always faced them. This time though, with this 'G29'-series model, there are grounds for believing that this Z4 could actually give us the really serious driver's experience its predecessors struggled to deliver. It's grippier, has a lower centre of gravity, a considerably wider track and, because the MK2 model's heavy old metal folding roof has been dispensed with, there's also the promise of perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Let's put this MK3 model Z4 to the test in base four cylinder 20i form.

Driving Experienceword count: 225

Sporting BMWs may have been inseparably associated with six cylinder engines down the years but the key powerplant on offer in this 'G29'-series Z4 line-up squirts fuel into the quartet of cylinders boasted by a TwinPower Turbo 2.0-litre unit that's now only offered in one state of tune. It's the 197hp 20i M Sport variant that I tried - the alternative 258hp 30i version is no longer offered. Like the top six cylinder Z4 M40i, the 20i comes only with an 8-speed Steptronic Sport auto gearbox with gearshift paddles. Rest to 62mph in the '20i' takes 6.6s en route to 149mph. You're probably going to want to pay extra for adaptive damping. The way the suspension interacts with the steering, the throttle and the differential is key to the way this car responds dynamically, so proactive use of the provided drive modes is crucial if you're pressing on. Do that and you'll find that this car lacks the razor-sharp steering responses of a rival Porsche 718 Boxster but the helm is quick and accurate, which in combination with superb front-end traction means that corners can be attacked with surprising confidence. Which is the kind of driving experience you'd want a proper roadster to be able to deliver. Is this one 'fun'? Well it can be - and that's a big step forward in Z4 development.

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