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Claudia Hommel
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Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2006 BMW Z4 M Roadster by Cordell Koland For the 2006 model year, BMW has transformed its Z4 Roadster into a real sports car. The key to the change is printed there on the car¹s flank and it amounts to one letter in the alphabet, M. And to BMW lovers M is the most important letter because it signifies BMW¹s super performance cars. The M Roadster is one of a half-dozen or so BMW models that wear the special M model badge. Although the total sales of these models amounts to only a small fraction of total company output, they contribute to a kind of aura that surrounds the BMW brand and gives the whole line a special cache with the car enthusiasts. How good is this brand appeal? BMW is currently locked in a battle in US luxury auto sales with Toyota¹s Lexus division and Mercedes-Benz. Tiny BMW (in comparison to the behemoths that rule the auto industry) just reported year-to-date sales through July of BMW brand automobiles up 15 percent, to 123,197 automobiles in the luxury segment compared to 107,152 in the same period of 2005. This is a strong increase in a highly competitive market in which many players are showing decreased sales. To this point I¹ve not been overly impressed with the Z4 series. Nice but a little dull. But the M version seems to unlock its performance potential and put some pizzazz in the little roadster. It appears that everything works to perfection. To my mind, the M Roadster really has only one competitor at or near its price point and that¹s the excellent Porsche Boxster. I¹ll also admit to preferring the M Roadster to BMW¹s august M5 sedan with its awesome ten cylinders. While the M5 is chock-full of electronic wizardry offering scores of optional settings that the driver must somehow master, there are only three elements needed to extract maximum performance from the roadster‹throttle, steering wheel and gearshift. If I wanted to be an engineer I¹d have studied that field in college with my dorm roommate who booked it 24/7, poor guy. But fortunately you don't have to be a techno nerd to drive the M Roadster, just follow your instincts and press the pedal. Key to performance is the mighty six-cylinder M engine, which is considered by long-time BMW aficionados to be the company¹s crown jewel. The engine showcases cutting-edge technology including highly advanced continuously variable timing for both intake and exhaust valves. BMW states that the M Roadster will rip to 60 miles per hour in exactly 4.9 seconds. The car offers a top speed of 155 miles per hour. But alas, this performance comes at the expense of an additional $1,000 Gas Guzzler tax. The wonderful exhaust note of the M Roadster is a deep, rich note. This observation could be considered a purely aesthetic consideration, but qualities like a car¹s sound are very important to lovers of exotic machinery such as the M Roadster. On the road the engine melds quite nicely with an amazingly entertaining chassis. As expected, the small roadster is dynamite on an open country road, but its highly responsive engine also makes it a lot of fun to drive in traffic. It has the punch that delivers a burst of acceleration at low speeds, enabling the driver to hit the open spot. The car has quick reflexes and given its massive power, it can dance its way through dense urban thoroughfares as well as anything on wheels. And when the weather is nice, you put the top down and feel the wind in your hair. For an open car, the M Roadster exhibits excellent body stability that seems inoculated against bending and twisting forces. In other words, the owner won't have to watch the dashboard vibrate to its own tune or feel the body flex like a snake when traversing a railroad crossing. Vehicle:
BMW Z4 M Roadster
Price as tested: $56,045 Engine: Type: 3.2-liter inline six Horsepower: 330 @ 7,900 rpm Torque: 262 lbs.-ft. @ 4,900 rpm Fuel economy, manual transmission City 16 mpg Highway 24 mpg Curb Weight: 3,197 lbs. Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
