Through Ian's Lens: 2009 BMW Z4

When I was 8, I wanted the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. When I turned 14, any Lamborghini would have done. Now, as I slide ever closer to 35, the perfect second car for my family must fit my current set of “midlife” needs. The prerequisites? This car must be nimble and powerful, have four to six cylinders, two seats, cargo space for suitcases and camera bags, and it must look aesthetically refreshing yet classically stylish. A tall order? Maybe...

Enter the completely redesigned 2009 BMW Z4. It may not be my absolute dream car, but it comes as close as any luxury-priced modern roadster can. With a completely new look, the ‘09 Z4 announces its presence quickly with an elongated nose that gives the new Z4 the powerful stance of a performance coupe rather than a roofless roadster. Coupled with this pronounced snout is a flawlessly designed retractable hardtop that’s hidden (when down) by a raised rear end above twin tailpipes under a slight bumper. All these design cues are leaps and bounds from the previous design, which left a lot to be desired aesthetically (and don’t get me started on how ugly the soft-top was on the roadster).

The Z4 can now be called a gracefully balanced car from bumper to bumper. My favorite angle? The profile. From the side, you can see just how perfectly weighted the car really is. And let’s be honest, it would totally look sweet in the garage next to my station wagon. Unless it were white. I’d probably bring it back to the dealer if it were white.

(source : http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires)

Why the BMW Z4 SDrive is the best of the Z-cars

They said the last one was designed by machete. This one's sharper...

The other day I turned 36 and decided it was time for a new look.

Having been recommended a good hair salon in the next town, I whizzed over there, had my barnet washed by a lady (I think there was a lady under all that make-up) and wandered back in my Dracula-style gown to be shown a big Argos catalogue of possible haircuts.

I picked the one that looked most like the one I had already, and walked out half an hour later, happy but £50 poorer. All right, £120 poorer - I had to buy a load of wax, gel and other hair products to go with my new look.

What most impressed me about the BMW Z4 SDrive 35i was its looks. Or rather, the improvement in its looks

Have you noticed they always do that now? Barbers used to sell nothing but combs and contraceptives; now every 'head stylist' thinks he needs to have his own range of products, and you get the hard sell when you're settling up.

You generally say yes, as the receptionists are so sexy - another recent development that's crept up on me. There's even a hair salon in London with a beer garden. I think they need to be careful not to make these places too nice, though: men don't like things to be too nice. What would your mates say if you actually looked forward to your haircuts? Especially if you've recently started using the gym, as I have, and own one or two pink shirts. It doesn't look good, does it?

I was thinking about how men don't like things to be too nice as I drove home in this new two-seat convertible from BMW. When they first tried a 21st-century roadster, in 2003, the result was the Z3, which a lot of people didn't like.

I'm afraid I was one of them - mainly because of its little 1.9-litre engine, but also because it just looked too, well, nice. With its long nose and cool side-vents - a bit like the Batmobile if you chose black - it had easy appeal. My mate bought one of the first ones, and to be fair, he's still got it - loves it - and with 160,000 miles on the clock it's still going strong, complete with mould in the boot. It wasn't for me, though.

The BMW Z4's leather steering wheel and dash

BMW quickly replaced the Z3 with the Z4, and that divided opinion, too. It was one of designer Chris Bangle's weirdest works - someone said it looked like it had been designed with a machete.

Six years down the line, this new one finally gets everything right. In fact, it feels like it belongs to a different, more serious class of sports car. It's six inches longer, has a folding aluminium (not fabric) roof, has better visibility, better storage, and the 1.9 is no longer offered - the range now starts with a decent 2.5-litre capable of 151mph.

I lucked out and was given the range-topping 35i, which does 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds and has double clutch transmission. Let me take back any mean words I've said about BMW's Z-cars, as this is a proper grown-up roadster. On the motorway it feels comfortable (if a bit skittish at high speeds), but it was on the country roads where I really had fun.

Changing the setting on the Drive Dynamic Control button to 'Sport', which quickens the gear change and stiffens the suspension, I let her rip. With 50:50 weight distribution and optional electronically controlled dampers, it's perfectly poised in the corners, although I feel the steering could be sharper.

Automatic gear shift (left) and sports seats in SunReflective leather (right)

I found myself burying the brakes before bends, to get the nose down and help me get round quicker - but pulling away was a blast. The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight six in the 35i was Engine Of The Year twice. It knows what it's doing.

What most impressed me was its looks, though. Or rather, the improvement in its looks. With a V-shaped crease in the bonnet, swept headlights and those relatively huge wheels, it's got a wide, low, predatory stance that just feels more dominating than before. The only remnant of the old Z4 is a funny crease across the doors and a strange wedge-shaped boot - the 'Bangle butt', as they call it.

Then again, folding hard-tops always have weird boots - and they all have pitiful luggage space, this being no exception. But it's made up for by the interior, which has that reassuring BMW feel.

I say reassuring, but I could easily say 'boring', as all BMWs look the same. But it's nicely done here, with most of the controls laid out in four simple circular groups across the dash and everything else is done by the big old iDrive dial down by your thigh.

The Z4's hard drive can store 12GB of songs and can be specified with ConnectedDrive, BMW's in-car internet thing that gives you news, weather and a Google-based search engine for local businesses (yeah, I can get pretty much the same thing by listening to BBC Radio Hampshire). My favourite option, though, is the SunReflective leather: special cooling pigments stop your seats getting too hot, even if you leave them parked in the blazing sun.

All in all, the Bavarians seem to have a success on their hands. It looks fresher now than its chief rival, the Merc SLK, and posh enough to fight off the Nissan 370Z, just launched into this price bracket with a clutch of glowing reviews. (source:dailymail.co.uk)

But would I buy one? Well, put it this way - I drove back from the barbers with the roof down, and when I got home I needed half of the £70-worth of hair gel I'd just bought to fix the greasy, insect-filled, petrol-smelling disaster that my brand new haircut had become. Not everyone needs a fast roadster, no matter how nice it looks.