Orion ZyGarian

Test drove a Z4 today...wow!

First of all, I'm obviously going to compare it to the first gen Miata, since thats what it most resembles out of anything I've driven.

The car is incredible! I was keeping in mind that it weighs an easy 700-800lbs more than the daily driver, and yet the car felt surprisingly similar. The car has an incredibly stiff chassis and is incredible through corners. There is NO chassis flex, thanks to a decent amount of anti-sway protection from the factory. The car had 255/35/18 tires as well; there was no sidewall flex that I was so used to on my car (which is exactly how it SHOULD be, since I spent an easy 20 minutes mounting new tires on it!! F*k runflats) and yet despite being incredibly stiff, the ride was VERY luxurious and comfortable. You can feel the occasional bump in the MX5, but in the Z4 you feel nothing but the biggest problem spots on the road, which it does an excellent job of ignoring anyways

Power...power was excellent for the car! Unlike the NA MX5(as in both the chassis and induction type) which has trouble getting out of its own way even WITH the A/C and blower off, the Z4 has enough punch to be fun to drive. Also unlike the Miata, you can turn very easily into corners but also accelerate right out of them with ease and a hint of torque.

The exhaust note was nothing short of excellent. It has a unique exotic and yet traditional smooth sexy Inline 6 tone that is noticeable enough to let you know what is going on in relation to the throttle, but not the least bit overwhelmingly loud at all. With the top down, it had the perfect volume for a middle of the road balance between "sporty loud" and "luxuriously soft"

The seats also are more comfortable and hold you in much better. The steering wheel isnt my top choice, though the material and feel is excellent. Although it probably has less interior space than the 93 MX5, it doesnt feel like it when in the car. More than plenty room everywhere you need it and nowhere you dont.

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about it. I wish it was manual, though I didnt pass up such an opertunity. The car is really not bad looking at all, maybe not the most pretty car ever but still better looking than the MX5 and most definetly tollerable. The car doesnt feel at all heavy, but would feel better with a few hundred less pounds. 215 HP is adequate, though still quite a bit short for a prefered daily driver. 330 HP would feel excellent, though I still havent been able to test drive the ///M version or the coupe.

In other news, we did get our first coupe in today...they look a bit better in person than they do in pics. Its really an EXCELLENT car! I'm eagerly waiting for the 335i and the ///MZ4 coupe

BOX SENTRA

omg, the m z4 must be an absolute blast

Orion ZyGarian

Orion + looooooong thread + hardly believable = plenty of views but no replies

martz0r

How the hell did you manage to test drive a brand new BMW? Aren't you 17? What'd they say to you?

Sounds like a wonderful car.

BOX SENTRA

lol he works at bmw..

martz0r

Oh lmao, I'm stupid, I missed the new job memo. Sorry.

BOX SENTRA

hahah i thought you woulda seen it by now cause he mentions it in every thread

Orion ZyGarian

I do. Yes, I was doing a "Certified Pre-Owned Inspection"

Fritchard

Z4 = slow

turbo that Miata and you'll never complain about power again