BMW Z4 M Coupe Coming to Oz

Motoring Channel Staff - 31/Jan/2006

It will be music to ears of the Bavarian faithful - BMW is bringing the go-fast versions of the Z4 to Australia - the Z4 M Coupe and the Z4 M Roadster.

Powered by the 3.2-litre straight six last seen in use on the E46 BMW M3, the new Z4 M models will competing with Porsche's recently revised 2-door duo - the Boxster and Cayman.

BMW Australia says that its classy Z4 models are destined for Australia in the second-half of 2006, enthusing that the new Z4 Coupe is equally at home zinging through mountain passes as it is enjoying comfortable point-to-point long-distance touring.

BMW explains that the Z4 Coupe and Z4 M Coupe were conceived from the start for the highest standards of sports motoring. Both feature a weight-optimised body, with a chassis and suspension that are superbly matched for every situation. In keeping with the BMW philosophy of building cars for drivers, the Z4 Coupe boasts a class-leading 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine while the Z4 M Coupe's beating heart is the above mentioned 3.2-litre 6-cylinder motor.

At this stage, BMW Australia has not put a price tag on the new Z4 Coupe, Z4 M Coupe or Z4 M Roadster, and is expected to announce this closer to the vehicles' launch in the second half of 2006.

As the Z4 Roadster has already been on sale locally for some time, the Z4 Coupe will be the model that generates more interest initially, and with a classic coupe silhouette, the archetypal Hofmeister kick on the rear side windows and a pushed back cockpit sitting on flared rear wheel arches, it'll also turn heads wherever it travels.

The flowing roofline visibly moves the car's centre of gravity to the rear, right above the rear axle, and as BMW states, this impression is then further accentuated by the concave curvature in the middle of the roof. From behind, the Coupe looks low, dynamic and fast, as the tail lights follow a slightly sweeping line that takes in the flowing shape of the rear spoiler.

Under the steeply racked tailgate is a decent amount of luggage room in the large, deep boot, offering more than Roadster due to the lack of a folding roof. With a capacity of up to 340 litres (300 litres in the M Coupe) the BMW Z4 Coupe has luggage space that's above par for a 2-seater, and able to carry the BMW benchmark of two golf bags.

Other storage solutions include a glove box and a useful 10 litre compartment in the rear bulkhead that locks automatically with the central locking. Two further boxes to the left and right of this central compartment offer a capacity of 3.7 litres each.

Strangely, both the Z4 Coupe and Z4 M Coupe are sightly heavier than their open-top sibling - usually the drop-top version of the heavier of the two, as the metal reinforcements needed to stiffen the floorpan and doors add more weight.

Even though they may be heavier than their cloth-roofed cousins, the Z4 Coupe's are far from slow. The entry-level Z4 Coupe gets the 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine (which has won numerous Engine of the Year awards) that enables the car to sprint to 100km/h from standstill in just 5.7 seconds. The engine develops a maximum output of 195kW @ 6600rpm with a torque peak of 315Nm consistently all the way from 2500 to 4000rpm. Importantly, the 3.0-litre also complies with Euro 4 and ULEV II emission standards. 

BMW says that the 3.0-litre engine is not only easy on the environment but also returns good fuel economy; it will return 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the EU test cycle (similar to the highway/city combined cycles).Weighing just 161 kilograms, BMW insists that its engine is the lightest engine in the world in its performance class by virtue of its magnesium-aluminium construction.

And if a WRX-beating 5.7 seconds 0-100km/h sprint doesn't cut it, the Z4 M Coupe makes the same sprint in 5.0 seconds flat, thanks to its high-revving inline 6-cylinder engine. The 3.2-litre 6-cylinder engine is the same straight-six M engine that also features in the BMW M3 and Z4 M Roadster, displacing 3,246cc and producing 252kW of power @ an engine speed of 7900rpm (rev limited to 8000rpm). BMW explains that no less than 80 per cent of the engine's maximum torque of 365Nm is available from just 2000rpm.

The Z4 M Coupe benefits from extra stiffness provided by the design of the fixed roof when compared to the Roadster, and the result is an extremely strong body in terms of both torsional and flexural stiffness. Despite the addition of the roof, rear hatch and extra weight of the rear windows, the BMW Z4 M Coupe is just 5 kilos heavier than the Z4 M Roadster.

Both Z4 Coupe models are rear wheel driven with a well-balanced axle load distribution and low centre of gravity to aid driving performance. Electro-mechanical power steering aids the dynamic set-up of the car, and to complement the superb handling BMW has added DSC Dynamic Stability Control with ASC Automatic Stability Control and CBC Cornering Brake Control.

DSC offers high levels of active safety while ASC is designed to specifically control slip of the drive wheels by reducing engine output when required, applying the brakes selectively on a drive wheel about to spin. CBC, in turn, reduces any oversteer by controlling brake pressure asymmetrically whenever the brakes are applied slightly in a bend.

Added to this trio of safety devices is DTC Dynamic Traction Control, which maximises brake pressure whenever required, for example, in an emergency braking manoeuvre, to keep stopping distances to a minimum.

The BMW Z4 Coupe will be available with either a 6-speed manual transmission, or 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission with paddle shifts, while the higher-spec Z4 M Coupe can only be ordered with the 6-speed manual.

The chassis of both Z4 Coupes has been tuned for performance, but it's the Z4 M Coupe that holds most interest, with BMW stating that on the Nordschleife, the Northern Circuit of Nurburgring in Germany, the Z4 M Coupe outperformed the lap times of both the E46 BMW M3 and the BMW Z4 M Roadster.

With this in mind, it's no shock that the chassis and suspension borrow key elements from the BMW M3. One example is the M differential lock on the rear axle, while the impressive 18-inch compound brake system comes straight from the BMW M3 CSL. 

Visually the BMW Z4 M Coupe offers the now-famous M styling cues. The on-road stance is accentuated by a powerful-looking front air dam with its distinct X-shaped lines and openings, large air intake scoops and the deeply embedded kidney grille, all complemented by 18-inch wheels and exclusive double-spoke light-alloy rims in typical M design that fill out the dynamic wheel arches with purpose.

At the rear there is an extra-wide brake light, distinctive M chrome-plated dual exhausts at the extremities, and a horizontally-arranged diffuser in between. High-performance 225/45 ZR18 tyres live at the ends of the front axle and 255/40 ZR18 tyres adorn the rear.

Inside the more expensive and much quicker Z4 M Coupe are a number of sporty touches, including with red needled dials combined with permanent white illumination. The M logo is also apparent as soon as you open the doors, being not only engraved in the sills but also on the leather headrests, the steering wheel and illuminated gear shift knob. High-quality Anthracite-coloured roof lining fabric adds a touch of class.

First seen at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show under the guise of the Z4 Coupe Concept Car, both Z4 Coupes will join the successful Z4 Roadster, all of which will be built at the BMW Z4 factory in Spartanburg (South Carolina) in the United States of America. BMW Australia says that detailed information on local prices and specifications on both the BMW Z4 Coupe and Z4 M Coupe will be announced closer to the local launch.