The steering is an electric power-assisted unit with Servotronic, tightening up when needed, while going unnoticed. The response is excellent and feedback is surprisingly good too. The Traction Control light did flicker a lot too, especially when getting back on the power after tackling an ungainly speed-bump or two. Ride quality, not surprisingly, is rather firm. The Z4 is stiffly sprung and while that aids its handling and dynamic ability, it doesn’t make for a very pleasant cruise within the city; with uneven roads and changes of tarmac being the norm, what with the half-hearted road repairs carried out everywhere. Even in the ‘Comfort’ mode, the car feels quite firm and the many undulations of the road surface filter through. I don’t blame BMW, obviously. The mix of road and no-road conditions means that the company offers run-flat tyres and no spare wheel. Add their low profiles to the mix and you begin to see why everything is the way it is. Of course, it goes without saying: find an open road with a reasonably nice surface, switch to the ‘Sport’ mode and reap your rewards for choosing the Z4!
For a car that accelerates as quickly as it does, you would inevitably think about how good the brakes are, and, happily, braking was one of the highlights. The brakes on the Z4 are phenomenal and that shows in the numbers too. The massive ventilated discs, front and rear, help shed speed while barely keeping your face and its expressions together; 100-0 takes 2.6 seconds and just 35.5 metres! That’s outstanding by any standard, more so for a 1,600-kg convertible!
Another thing the weight makes you think about is the fuel efficiency. For a 3.0-litre straight-six, complete with a full-blown induction, you wouldn’t expect the economy to be all that bad. The fuel needle speaks otherwise, however, and then we realised the Z4 does have quite a drinking problem. Our tests confirmed our fears: 5.0 km/l within the city and 8.5 km/l on the highway, or, by our 75-25 calculations, 5.88 kilometres to a litre of petrol overall. With the 55-litre tank, that’s a range of just over 320 km.
In the end, however, the Z4 is a roadster and in 35i guise, the very thought of over 300 horses and the open sky above make it seem worth the money spent. At Rs 69.90 lakh (ex-showroom), it’s not as expensive as you might imagine and is far away from the eight-figure price bracket. If you want to nudge and point, yes, apart from maybe the fuel efficiency, there is literally nothing about this car which doesn’t bring a smile to your face! Joy, as it should be.
