Long-Term Road Test
The word "strange" comes instantly to mind when you look at the BMW Z4. What else could anyone think of the odd collection of lines, bumps, and creases woven throughout the body of this roadster? It's not pretty, nor is it ugly.
BMW did a complete redo of its simple Z3 roadster in 2003. Along with the sheetmetal changes came a new multilink rear suspension from the 3-series that made the sports car a much nimbler handler in the corners than the skittish Z3 it replaced. We decided a long-term test would be a good way to see if the Z4, unlike the retro Z3, was a true premium sports car, and if we might grow fonder of its unconventionally designed exterior.
To maximize the sportiness of our test car, we asked BMW for the 225-hp, 3.0-liter six rather than the base 184-hp, 2.5-liter six. The rest of the package we left to BMW, and we were sent a heavily optioned tester with a base price of $40,945. Optional equipment included a navigation system ($1800); the Premium package with power top and seats ($1500); the SMG automated manual gearbox ($1500)--BMW wanted to show off its latest high-tech gizmo that we would quickly come to regret; the Sport package with 18-inch wheels, sport suspension, and Dynamic Driving Control ($1200); the Convenience package with automatic climate and headlight controls, rain-sensing wipers, and auto-dimming mirrors ($850); bixenon headlights ($700); heated seats ($500); and Titanium Silver metallic paint ($475). The total was a pricey $49,470.
It didn't take anyone here more than five minutes behind the wheel of this Z4 to begin squawking about the car's confounded gearbox. The SMG is basically a manual with an electrohydraulically actuated clutch and gearshifts. You shift gears by flipping small "paddles" mounted on the steering wheel or by jockeying the curious gearshift lever on the center console. There is also an automatic mode in which the transmission shifts gears on its own like a traditional automatic. The SMG is supposed to combine the sportiness of a manual gearbox with the convenience of an automatic. Nothing personal, but in our case we decided it failed miserably at both tasks.
Gearshifts were slow and awkward in either of the system's two modes (the M3 comes with a more sophisticated SMG with six shift programs). Activating the sport mode, which is supposed to shorten shift times, didn't help much. The clutch was slow to engage, and this led to lots of lurching and head wagging when shifting up through the gears. Although you could smooth the action with very carefully timed throttle modulation during shifts, many drivers whined that the SMG made it appear as if they were back in high school and just learning to drive a manual transmission.
