The 2009 BMW Z4

The 2009 BMW Z4 is the latest attempt by the company to build a roadster, trying to compete with the Porsche Cayman. They have tried this a few times in the past and have met with mixed results. It is easy to understand their motivation since it will allow them to sell to a new group of buyers. However they still have to prove that they can build a roadster that matches the quality of their sedans.

The 2009 BMW Z4 is a very ambitious project on the part of the company. Basically they are trying to replace four different models with this one model. Obviously that is going to be a big ask and inevitably some compromises will have to be made. For the most part the Z4 has been quite successful in accomplishing its goal. While certainly there will be some people who are dissatisfied but for the vast majority of buyers the 2009 BMW Z4 will more than meet their needs.

For the most part BMW have built their reputation by building sedans that were both practical can high performance. With the Z4 they have build a roadster. This is hardly their first roadster but it is still something of a departure for the company. Like all BMW’s the performance is still outstanding as they have put a powerful V6 engine into a car with a twin clutch and a three mode suspension. From a pure driving standpoint you aren’t going to find a better roadster. This car is probably the most high tech roadster that you are going to encounter. Most of the cars that it is competing with come nowhere near the same level of technology or performance that you can get with the BMW Z4.

The main criticism of the car are the same ones that you would have with any roadster. Space is limited obviously. With a convertible hard top that pretty much takes up all of your trunk space. One of the issues that some people have with the car is that it isn’t really designed for driving in the city. The problem is that the power train is so complicated that it doesn’t really perform all that smoothly at low speeds. In particular it can be a difficult to modulate the power that you need. Where the car really shines and where it is intended to be driven is out on the open road.

The 2009 BMW Z4 is something of an oddity for BMW, they have moved into a category of car that they don’t normally compete in. Clearly this is part of an attempt to increase their sales by appealing to a new breed of customer. How well it works remains to be seen but the car has gotten mostly positive feedback so that is something positive. The car is certainly good the only question is will it appeal to BMW buyers who have come to expect a different type of car from the company.