Discontinued Z4 [2019-2023] M 40i [2019-2023] on road Price | BMW Z4 [2019-2023] M 40i [2019-2023] Features & Specs (2024)

Finally! To indulge in a car like the Z4, you’d agree that it needs a spanking. I swiftly toggle the driving mode into ‘Sport Plus’, floor the brakes, and rev her up. The devil within instantly awakens, begging you to let go of the brakes by wagging its booty, and spinning the rear wheels feverishly.

Provocatively, I release the brakes, only to hear that extravagant bass-enriched acoustics scream away in the background! As I’m shoved into the seat, the Z4 simply takes-off, piercing the troposphere. It’s not as deafening as an R8, you’d say. But the decibels are enough to keep my parched levels of adrenaline pumping like there’s no tomorrow.

In a spilt-second, time travel seems possible as streetlight poles begin to warp and 100kmph comes up in under 5 seconds. And, as if my brain-cessor wasn’t busy already, the concertmaster within the instrumentation comically pleads for you to witness its show as the monster 3-litre inline six-cylinder unleashes its might; 335bhp and 500Nm to be exact.

My hunger for performance anywhere in the power-band is instantly satisfied by the manner in which this motor summons its horses. Again, the uninterrupted burst of pace is precisely aided by its eight-speed gearbox’s inherent slick-shifting abilities. Sublimely tuned it is, to read this straight-six motor’s power delivery. In Sport Plus it’s undoubtedly jerky, but the possessed me wants nothing less.

Overtaking is more like insulting other motorists as the 20-80kmph and 40-100kmph runs (a test of driveability) take just 2.89 and 3.46 seconds respectively. As the Z4 snarls into deep 3-digit speeds, my legal instincts persuade me to back off the throttle, only to witness a cacophony of crackles and burbles. Infinite drama, this Z4 is!

After all that fun, you guessed right; I began to run low on fuel! Thankfully, toggling to ‘EcoPro’ mode markedly dials down the engine response, making it frugal (around 11kmpl), to reach the pump without any undue embarrassments. Meanwhile, ‘Comfort’ mode is all you need since it extracts enough juice from the motor for most driving situations. As expected, ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport Plus’ modes keep the motor in the meat of the power-band, and hence jerky; but who cares!

Straight off, let me tell you that driving the Z4 wasn’t nerve wrecking on our roads since it cleared all speed breakers without scraping; slow and easy is the trick. As for the ride, there weren’t any back-bone jarring experiences unlike other sports-cars, even when slotted in Sport. But that’s unless you miss spotting a sharp bump, like we did, which had our Z4’s rear air-borne for a second.

So, the ride is firm at slow speeds but never harsh, and as speeds rise, it gets flatter and feels supremely planted. Furthermore, those sticky 255-profile tyres up-front and 275-ones at the rear allow this projectile to dig its claws into the tarmac; while being an accomplice in shedding speed dramatically; 100-0 in just 2.67 seconds.

However, the handling was a different affair. Despite the petite 50:50 weight distribution, M Sport differential and a quick steering with just two turns from lock-to-lock, I was honestly left wanting more from this steering. Progression isn’t its best character, which is exactly what’s expected of in a car of this sorts. By not feeling entirely connected, uninterrupted fun around bends was a long shot as constant corrections and inputs dampened my experience.