DOUBT anyone will argue that the new BMW Z4 Coupé is a more attractive proposition than its Z3 predecessor. The old car’s proportions are still there – long, phallic nose and broad behind – but now the shape seems better balanced. Still far from pretty, mind you, but there’s a purposeful brutality about it that you cannot ignore. Oh, and have you noticed how “Bangle bashing” is all but a distant memory? Anyway, with this range-topping M version, what you see is what you get: a seriously masculine sports coupé with a heavy dose of attitude…
The door aperture is not huge and shaped to follow the contours of the body, and compared with other Z4 Coupés, the M sits 10 mm lower to the ground, so although not quite necessitating an “on your hands and knees” approach, getting in and dropping into the middle of the well-bolstered seat requires some gyrating. Reach for the seatbelt and feel it cut into your neck as it settles somewhat uncomfortably on your shoulder, by virtue of its low-down upper mounting point carried over from the roadster. Twist the key, dip the clutch – and discover why some people prefer automatics: you should get Vitality points for every gearchange… Push the stubby lever into first, and experience the solid engagement. By now the motor is purring in your ears with that characteristic BMW six-pot tone that everyone knows is capable of raising neck hairs when the throttle is squeezed…
Pull out into the traffic and three things soon become evident. First, the steering is nicely geared, so manoeuvrability is excellent, but conscientious use of the mirrors is necessary to counter a small rear three-quarter blind spot. Second, gearchanging becomes laborious because of that heavy clutch action, which makes for jerky progress when crawling along. And third, the ride is rock hard, despite modest tyre pressures in the giant, 18-inch tyres: 225/45s on 8-inch rims up front, 255/40s on 9-inchers at back.
The predominantly dark cockpit is a cocooning place to be, saved from being claustrophobic by (in the test car) a wedge of light-coloured leather running around the black-upholstered interior, and a panel of brushed aluminium that is the frontispiece of the facia – and which causes annoying “hot spot” reflections when the sun is at such an angle that its rays penetrate the glasshouse. Z4 is bigger than Z3, so most people will be able to get comfortable behind the wheel (legroom is still limited for tall persons). The seat has all-electric adjustment, and the multi-function steering wheel has rake- and reach adjustment. And it is comforting to find a conventional ignition key, straightforward instrumentation, and no iDrive, which combine to help give this Beemer a reassuring familiarity.
Break out onto the open blacktop and all the pent-up energy can be exploited. The grip is huge, and the DSC stability control allows considerable freedom for expression before stepping-in to calm down matters. Once in the groove, depressing a Sport button sharpens-up throttle response, quickens the steering, and the cruise control’s “… memorised speed is achieved more quickly when called up”. Mmmm, not sure about the point of that one…
But what is the point of this car is the engine, the classic BMW in-line six culled from the E46-series M3, a Hulk Hogan powerhouse developing 252 kW at a stratospheric 7 900 r/min (100 short of the red line), and a body-slamming 365 N.m of torque at a similarly heady 4 900 – all (and this is the significant part) without the aid of forced induction. Four valves per cylinder, and continuously variable inlet and exhaust cam timing do their thing, and nothing brings home the engine’s outstanding delivery better than when hooked up in third gear and grappling with a mountain pass: the flexibility and response almost beggar belief. It takes less than 10 seconds to accelerate from 40 to 140 km/h, as you are gripped in your seat, experiencing big sideways and longitudinal g-forces, feeling every ripple of the road surface, and revelling in the wail of the engine as it whips from one end of the rev band to the other. And do not be fooled by the high torque peak: this is Muscle with, ah, a capital M! Forget PlayStations: this is proof that there is no substitute for the real thing…
How real? There is a tiny window of revs between bog-down and burnout, but we hit the sweet spot to record a 0-100 km/h run in 5,21 seconds, which is around a quarter of a second quicker than we achieved with the M3 and the M3 CSL SMG, which has an even better power-to-weight ratio than this M Coupé. The top speed is supposedly limited to 250 km/h, but we registered a 258 maximum. Braking is equally impressive, the ex-CSL 345×28 mm ventilated discs all round producing an excellent 2,82-second average in our 10 stops from 100 km/h test routine. No questioning that this is a thoroughly engineered package.
Test summary
The mere fact that the Z4 M Coupé out-performs the iconic M3 with essentially the same engine is, in itself, a praiseworthy achievement. And for the time being, while the next-generation V8-powered M3 is being prepared, this model comfortably carries BMW’s compact performance car mantle with some conviction. It is a hairy-chested bruiser, with in-your-face looks, an uncompromising ride, outstanding grip, and blistering performance, just looking for someone to grapple with…
