Pros
- Awesome acceleration in Sport+ mode
- Lenient traction control that allows a little cornering fun
- Retractable drop top cool factor
- No room for baby
Cons
- Tight luggage room with top down
- Improved styling still lacking in some ways
- Marathon name – takes forever to say but you want to make sure everyone knows it’s not just the pedestrian Z4 sDrive30i because you spent $15k more
I have come to expect family-friendly test cars from my editor lately now that I have a baby and diaper changing has become a fact of life, so when the Z4 sDrive35is (Warning: I will make every effort to call the car by its full name throughout this review, BMW Marketing guys would be proud) showed up instead of the BMW 550is Gran Turismo, I was, shall we say, pleasantly surprised. It was most unfortunate that the two-seater is not so useful in carrying the entire family around, so our weekend plans of driving the wife, the baby, and the mother-in –law around town visiting other parents with babies and mother-in-laws had to be postponed. Bummer, I was so looking forward to it too. But hey, duty calls, I must test drive the Bimmer this weekend. “What, hon? Oh no, the baby seat can’t go in the front seat, so you will have to drive the baby separately in your Passat. And yeah, the trunk is useless on the Z4, so I won’t be able to pick up milk on the way home either. You want me to do what? I’m sorry, hon, I can’t hear you with the top down, there’s too much wind noise, I’ll have to call you back later.”
Driving Impressions
The 335 HP and 332 lb.-ft. of torque from the bi-turbo 3.0 liter in-line 6 is no joke. The Z4 sDrive35is is capable of 0-60 in less than 4.8 seconds. And you definitely feel it too. The acceleration G force actually pins you back against the seat as you engage the Sport+ mode (higher shift points for the 7-speed dual clutch automatic and turns off traction control) and sink that accelerator. There’s no noticeable turbo lag, thanks to the twin turbo set up that covers almost the entire rev range. You’re at the next stop light before you can say, “fahrvergnügen.”
The coolest part about driving the Z4 sDrive35is (tired of reading this long-derriere name yet? I’m tired of even just copying and pasting it) is actually rounding corners. The fact that your derriere is sitting right on top of the rear axle definitely helps. But the fact that the BMW engineers tuned the Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) just so that you get to kick out the rear of the car out just enough around the corner is simply awesome. It even flashes the traction control warning light on the dash at you a few times just to prove that the DTC has given you some leniency to have some German-controlled fun.
Build Quality
The Z4 sDrive35is feels like a German-engineered and built car. Probably because it is, unlike the first gen Z4, which was manufactured in Spartanburg, North Carolina. The materials all feel expensive and the panels fit really nicely. All the interior controls feel rich to the touch and the Aluminum Carbon Shadow trim (aluminum with a carbon fiber weave pattern) panels provide a nice way to light up the small cabin. There’s no noticeable creak while driving, but that’s probably because I had the top down pretty much the entire time. But seriously, the body felt really solid despite the fact that it’s got no roof over your head most of the time. Of course with the fully-automated folding hard top up, the Z4 sDrive35is feels as solid and quiet (enough) as a coupe. The folding hard top is a joy to watch, I spent a lot of time in the garage just putting it up and down using the remote control. I should’ve video-taped it now that I think about it. That way I can watch it over and over again.
Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
First of all, if you bought this two-seater roadster, you’re not exactly optimizing for interior comfort. The cabin on the Z4 is not big by any means, but surprisingly offers a mile of leg room if you push the seats all the way back. I’m not tall by any means (5’11”) but I think fitting in a 6-footer would not be a tall order (pun intended). The tester Z4 sDrive35is does not have power seats, but there are enough manual levers to adjust the seats a million different ways. The lumbar support, thankfully, is electronically controlled via a handy button placed near the front of the seat.
Our tester does not have iDrive or navigation, which simplifies the controls a lot. The paddle shifters take a little getting used to, because I’m used to the usual set-up with right paddle upshift, left paddle downshift instead of the both-paddle pull upshift and push downshift design.
The climate control buttons are nicely laid out and easy to learn and use. I hate the cruise control lever on Bimmers. I hit it every time I want to use the turn signals. Everything else works well and the seats, as mentioned before, can be adjusted to fit just about any body type. All this said, however, the Z4 sDrive35is is not the car you want to take on that road trip to the Grand Canyon this summer.
Performance
Exhilarating! Someone from my office actually said that after riding in the Z4 sDrive35is to lunch one day. Indeed, the Z4 sDrive35is is one of the fastest cars I’ve driven and I guess the double-clutch 7 speed automatic transmission beats my manual shifting speeds. Putting the car in Sport+ mode gives you much higher shift points than the standard mode. The twin-turbo 3.0 liter in-line 6 pumps out 335 horses at 5900 RPM, but 332 lb-ft of torque at 1500 RPM. That results in the sudden jolt you feel as you floor the gas pedal in Sport+ mode. Plus the Z4 sDrive35is benefits from an additional 37 lb-ft of temporary torque delivered with a standard overboost function. How do you unlock this extra torque, you ask? By flooring the gas pedal, of course! It’s smart enough to know that if you’re flooring it, you probably need the extra boost. It reminds me of the “turbo boost” K.I.T.T. had in Knight Rider. Highway acceleration is also good, I went easily from 65 to 85 when I needed to pass up some drivers who don’t know their gas pedal from their brake pedal.
Handling
As I mentioned previously, cornering in the Z4 sDrive35is is lots of fun. With its adaptive M suspension and Dynamic Stability Control with a whole slew of features like Brake Fade Compensation and Start-off Assistant, the Z4 sDrive35is sticks to the road like glue. I must admit, though, that most of the time when I drove the car I was in Sport+ mode with the traction control turned off. Doing so will give you more of a go cart experience which, needless to say, offers you a much more rewarding driving experience. But don’t be too worried, this is a German car after all, and the computers are ALWAYS on, even if you think it’s off. The traction control still kicks in when necessary so stupid test drivers don’t wrap themselves around a light pole. Maybe that’s why BMW chose to use a bright red Z4 sDrive35is for the tester, so these auto journalists are a little more careful on the road.
Styling
I liked the styling of the original Z3 back in the day, it had a sort of retro feel to it with the 507-ish side vents and the lines were fairly clean. Then along came the first gen Z4 with the then-standard BMW flame surface styling. Hideous. I’m glad BMW got some of their sense back and went more conservative and reasonable with the second gen design. It’s still no looker, with too much front overhang and non-descript headlights. The rear deck looks good, with 6 series-like taillights but much smoother looking. They’re much better than the weird first-gen tail lights. The folding hardtop looks quite good in place, the car can pass for a coupe, no problem. It also folds nicely out of the way for a clean drop top look. The optional 19” alloy V-spoke wheels give the tester Z4 sDrive35is an aggressive stance.
Value
At $64,225 with options like keyless entry, heated seats, iPod adapter and satellite radio, the Z4 sDrive35is is certainly not cheap. It costs over $15,000 more than the standard Z4 sDrive30i but it’s hard to tell the difference from the outside. Not everyone will notice the subtle M markings on the car or the 35is marking on the sides. But you wouldn’t buy this car just so people will notice, right? You bought it for the performance, of course.
So can you get another two-seater roadster with similar performance at similar prices? Actually, yes, there are a few options out there. There’s the Mercedes-Benz SLK350 that starts at $53,300 and offers almost as much performance with 300 hp. The SLK55 AMG MSRPs for $66,650 and offers you the insane 5.5L V8 with 355 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque, although it’s 0.1 sec slower to 60. But at least when you see the AMG, you know it’s an AMG. The most interesting comparison is the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder PDK(Porsche Doppelkupplung, or dual-clutch automatic), which MSRPs at $64,620 and offers almost identical performance numbers as the Z4 sDrive35is. It definitely looks markedly different than the more pedestrian Porsche Boxster S, and is a mid-engined sports car. In other words, the Z4 sDrive35is has competition that is serious and does not a great value make.
Who should buy it?
The styling is what sets the Z4 sDrive35is apart from the other German competitors. The SLK looks like a midget with a nose that’s supposed to resemble a jet airplane intake. The Porsche Boxster Spyder is a mid-engined sports coupe with a soft drop top. The Z4 sDrive35is is the only one with the traditional short backend, long-nose phallic shape and not overly raked windscreen. So if you’re more nostalgic and love to say you drive a “Bimmer,” the Z4 sDrive35is is for you.
Conclusion
The Z4 sDrive35is was a breath of fresh air into my diaper-soaked life. It is very fast and fun in the corners, and I actually really enjoyed the open air with the top down. I had the throttle fully open almost the entire time I was in the car, and the experience was definitely memorable. At over $61,000, though, the Z4 sDrive35is faces a lot of formidable competition. But it definitely wins the longest name award.
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