The BMW Z3 is no more with the final vehicle on display in a museum. We take a look at its replacement, the Z4, due in South Africa next year. What do you think?
As BMW prepares to launch the all-new Z4 roadster, the car it will replace, the Z3, is no more. The final Z3 was built last week.
The new Z4 will debut at the Paris Motor Show in September and will go on sale in 2003. Production begins next year.
According to BMW South Africa, if all goes according to plan, its next public outing will be at the Auto Africa show, in Johannesburg, in October. There will, however, be a wait until the middle of next year before the Z4 is officially launched locally.
The final Z3, a six-cylinder roadster, was built at the Greer, South Carolina assembly plant on Friday. It will go on display in the factory’s museum and visitor centre. BMW built 297 087 Z3s over seven years. The first Z3 rolled off the line on September 20 1995 and distributed to more than 130 countries.
The roadster has a new name as part of the carmaker’s new strategy whereby the future mainstream models will use odd numbers, as in the 1-Series, 3-Series and 7-Series, while sports cars will have even numbers, as in 2-Series, 6-Series. It is for this reason that the Z3’s replacement will be called the Z4.
The new roadster has a totally new look. It has a sleek elongated engine compartment, a long wheelbase, short overhangs and a low seating position moved far to the back. The design is further enhanced by the intriguing interplay of convex and concave surfaces, hard edges and gentle curves.
The sculptured sides meet the swooping sill line and BMW designers claim this gives the appearance of flames. The Z4 also has a high bootlid and squared-off rear, while the front features angular headlamps and a low-cut grille.
In terms of the interior, the new Z4 offers sports-contoured seats and improved luggage space, reports say. The soft roof (electrically operated) folds in a Z-shaped configuration and comes with a heated rear window made of glass.
It will be available at launch with two six-cylinder power units, the Z4 3,0i (producing 170 kW with a claimed top speed of 250 km/h) and the Z4 2,5i (141 kW and 235 km/h).
The flagship Z4’s is fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox and the 2,5i a standard five-speed transmission. Both models feature the Dynamic Drive Control (DDC) system and a five-speed automatic transmission will be available as an option.
It is claimed that a wide track, an extremely low centre of gravity, optimum 50:50 axle load distribution and very precise electric power steering help to give the new Z4 outstanding agility. Fade-free high-performance brakes, run-flat tyres and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC III) with an on-demand traction mode all feature on the standard active safety menu.
The BMW Z4 also “offers excellent crash safety, backed up by a full compliment of passive features including a plethora of airbags and a rollover safety system”, reports say.
Dials and instruments housed beneath sporting hoods on the dashboard allow the driver of the Z4 to keep a close eye at all times on all the functions of this car.
Options available at extra cost include a sophisticated navigation system with 16:9 display retracting fully into the instrument panel, a top stereo system in carver technology for powerful bass reproduction, and a car telephone. Standard features of the new Z4 include all the usual executive toys such as wall-to-wall leather, air conditioning, electric windows/mirrors and remote central locking.
The BMW Z4 roadster will be entering the US market in October of this year, then making its appearance in Europe in spring 2003. By that time SMG, BMW’s sequential six-speed gearbox, will be available on both engine variants.
What do you think of the new Z4? Would you be in the market for this vehicle?
