Autocar UK – 28 August 2019

he Z 4 w a s i n h i g h

demand around the

Autocar office last

month thanks to July’s

sweltering weather – and because

the onslaught of rain that would

inevitably follow would instantly

thwart any roof-down driving.

My turn behind the wheel had

been booked well in advance, less to

take advantage of the sun, more to

coincide with our annual affordable

performance car test (reverentially

known as Junior Handling Day here

in the office, see p42). It meant a

chance to experience the BMW on

track at Llandow Circuit in south

Wales, and to find out whether a

selection of the best hot hatchbacks

going would give it cause for concern.

It seemed a reasonable comparison,

seeing how our Z4 30i shared both

cubic capacity and cylinder count

w it h muc h of t h i s y e a r ’s f ie ld.

T

Motorways, B-roads or race track? We go in search of our roadster’s spiritual home

BMW Z4

Cabin is well insulated from the

wind with the roof up or down

The outward journey mixed

more engaging A-roads with longer

motorway stretches, while stormy

skies (and the new absence of toll

booths, meaning there’s no longer

an enforced stop) meant crossing the

Severn was done with the roof firmly

up. Happily, the mysterious door card

rattle first heard by Lawrence Allan

(Our Cars, 14 August) vanished just

a s qu ic k l y a s it app e a r e d , m a k i n g for

relaxing progress all round.

There’s some fun to be had at legal

speeds, but push harder and the car’s

weight becomes more noticeable.

Things begin to get fidgety as the

steering rack quickens off-centre,

and this new-generation Z’s growth

spurt means you pay more attention

to the width of a narrow road than

you might in a more playful Mazda

MX-5. Longer stretches are where

it feels most comfortable, with the

fabric hood providing impressive

isolation and the driving position

ide a l l y s u it e d t o e at i n g up t he m i le s.

With the roof down, the cabin is so

well insulated from the wind that

there was rarely a dry moment that I

didn’t have it stowed away. I couldn’t

match the 40mpg other staffers have

seen on a cruise, though, but a figure

in the high 30s by the time I reached

the circuit was still respectable.

Was the Z4 transformed once

on the track at Llandow? I’m not

sure you’d call a circuit its natural

environment (even if it did prove

useful as an open-top camera car),

but it generally delivered great pace

and came alive when given the

chance to use its entire rev range.

Even the racier driving modes

t e nd t o sh i f t up s o one r t h a n y ou’d

expect in automatic, but there’s

none of t h at onc e y ou t a k e c ont r ol

of the ratios.

The wider margin for error

granted by an empty track brought

out a level of playfulness I hadn’t

experienced on the road. Even

without deactivating the stability

control completely, BMW’s Dynamic

Traction Control mode allows for

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE

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BMW Z4 SDRIVE30i M SPORT

Price £41,450 Price as tested £46,900

Faults None Expenses None

Economy 37.6mpg Last seen 14.8.19

TEST DATA

a lot more wheel slip and a more

entertaining, rear-driven balance

than any of the attendant front-

driven hot hatches could muster.

It largely sounds the part at full

chat, too, with Sport Plus mode

eliciting exhaust burbles on the

overrun – although they seemed

t o c ome f r om t he s p e a k e r s b e h i nd

t he d r i v e r ’s s e at a s muc h a s f r om

the rear of the car. BMW’s turbo

four didn’t sound nearly as throaty

as some of the gathered crowd but,

given the 30i’s place in the middle of

the Z4 line-up and lack of M division

badging, that’s hardly a surprise.

Those after an angrier note would

need the six-cylinder M40i.

On the return journey from south

Wales, a pit stop in rural Wiltshire

revealed quite how practical a two-

seater convertible could be. The roof

doesn’t impede on boot space at all,

and there’s more than enough room

there for a couple of overnight bags.

I even managed to squeeze in a coffee

table without moving our bags onto

my passenger’s lap. Scoot those seats

forward a bit and there’s a decent

amount of space behind them, too.

The Z4’s cabin isn’t truly expansive,

but it feels a lot roomier than those

of rival two-seaters.

TOM MORGAN

THICK-RIMMED WHEEL

Like most modern BMWs, the Z4’s

steering wheel feels a little on the

chunky side. Fine for cruising, less

so for any meaningful feedback.

SENSIBLE SOFT-TOP

Folding roof doesn’t eat into boot

space at all, leaving plenty of room

for luggage (and furniture).

LOATHE IT

LOVE IT

MILEAGE 4343

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT

The sporting appeal of BMW’s roadster

has diminished over the generations.

We want to find out if it’s back

OOUURR C CAARRSS

28 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67