End of production for the BMW Z4… end of an era?

Z1 to Z4

The 1st modern-day BMW roadster was the relatively unknown BMW Z1 of the 90s.  It used the straight-six engine from the BMW 325i, and its small body had doors that dropped into the sills, rather than swing open.

It followed years later with the BMW Z3, as a true roadster with long bonnet and short rear-end, during the same time as the SLK and Boxster revived the compact roadster class.

This was replaced by the 1st Z4, where it kept the soft-top roof, and introduced the edgy slashes and curves which the designer called Flame Surfacing.

For the 2nd Z4, BMW changed the roof to their 1st folding hardtop, and the Z4 developed into a smoother stylish roadster, with curves in all the right places.  The roof also means it could be used as both coupé and roadster in one.

Z4 brief timeline

Shown to the world in December 2008 and introduced in SA in 2009, the 2nd generation BMW Z4 was at launch available with exclusively with straight-6 BMW engines in 3 models, namely sDrive23i, sDrive30i (with 2.5 and 3.0-litre engines, respectively) and the flagship sDrive35i which got the turbo 6 as introduced in the BMW 335i coupé.  The sDrive indicates “standard Drive”, or rear-wheel drive.  All models were available in 6-speed manual or a choice of automatic, with 23i/30i in 6-speed sports automatic, or 7-speed dual-clutch sports automatic for the 35i.

In 2010 a new flagship stepped up, called Z4 sDrive35is (the “is” being a long-used BMW badge for the sportier models, like 325is, 318is and X5 4.8is).  It had the M Sport package as standard, as well as some “is”-specific design in the front and rear bumpers, and Audi S copying silver mirror caps.  Its engine was from the 1 Series M Coupé, meaning a full 250kW and, on overboost, 500Nm.  Unlike other Z4 models with manual or auto choice, this came only with the 7-speed dual-clutch sports-auto.

Nearer the end of 2011, during the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Z4 normally-aspirated straight-6 engines were replaced by 4-cylinder turbo 2-litres, and became sDrive20i and sDrive28i.

In late 2012 (available in SA from early 2013) BMW showed the subtle Z4 facelift, with the front fender getting a sweeping-L shaped chrome line, and the side repeater changing from a block to a double-LED light inset into the chrome line, while corona rings (daytime running lights) were updated to white.

Design Pure packages

During its lifetime BMW offered different interior colour-scheme and material packages, which it called Design Pure packages.

The Ivory White extended leather interior was a launch theme, called the Design Pure White package, which combined with anthracite wood trim.  It looked striking when new, though required great care and regular cleaning to keep looking good.

During 2010 the 2-tone yellow&black suede-cloth interior was introduced on the Design Pure Impulse.

In 2011 (during the engine line-up change) the Design Pure White was replaced by Design Pure Balance, which featured Cohiba Brown (delicious chocolate brown) extended leather for the seats, dashboard and door tops, with contrast white stitching.

The 2013 facelift also brought a swap from the yellow&black to the orange&black suede-cloth with white and orange stripe down the centre of the seat.  It was called Design Pure Traction.

In 2014, the original Ivory leather was brought back, with the Design Pure Balance (brown and white) replaced by Design Pure Fusion, with the Ivory White leather combined with Fineline Brown wood panels.

No Z4 M this time

Could it be that BMW neglected this Z4?  Where the Z3 was available in M Roadster (not in SA) and M Coupé (limited numbers worldwide) and the first Z4 received the high-revving metallic-sounding straight-6 M3 engine to make the Z4 M Coupé and Z4 M Roadster, the 2nd Z4 stopped at the “is” model.  

When BMW started their soft-M cars like the M135i and M50d, there were many rumours that the Z4 would be the ideal candidate for this programme, calling it something like a Z4 M40i… but that never happened.

While BMW focused on churning out consumer products like the 3 Series GT and 2 Series Active Tourer, and with a bigger-than-ever range of M cars (from M2 to X6 M) they seemingly forgot that they have a hot roadster in their product portfolio, which should get the M development.

Rivals were the SLK55 AMG (and now the facelifted Mercedes-AMG SLC43), Porsche Boxster GTS, Audi TT RS and Jaguar F-Type S roadster… but the Z4 sDrive35is had to represent BMW in these rounds, where a full BMW Z4 M (possibly with the new M3/M4 drivetrain?) would have taken the Z4 to a deserving higher status.

BMW failed to deliver here.

Z4 production ends – end of an era?

Now, in 2016, BMW has ended production of the Z4.

Plans are that the next Z4 (rumoured to become Z5) would be a co-op with Toyota… of all companies it could have chosen!  

Also, spy shots have shown that the perfectly drawn-in hardtop on the outgoing Z4 is going back to soft-top, which would leave Mercedes (originator of the roadster hardtop) as the only player with this versatile and elegant solution.

It seems the era of the (pure) BMW roadster sports car has ended…

BMW Z4
2008-2016
R.I.P.