BMW Z4 – AUSmotive.com

Drive Thru: BMW Z4 range

Yesterday I spent the morning behind the wheel of BMW’s current Z4 offerings. It was a brief taster provided by local dealership Rolfe Classic BMW. The deal was pretty simple, get existing and prospective customers in small groups to take the Z4 range out for a leisurely drive. We would stop at various points on the drive to swap cars and ensure that everyone got time in each model.

There are currently three options in the Australian Z4 rangeâ€”all with inline six cylinder enginesâ€”the entry level 150kW sDrive23i, mid-range 190kW sDrive30i and the top spec 225kW twin-turbo sDrive35i. In May 2010 the range will have a new hero model, the 250kW sDrive35is.

This was by no means an exhaustive test, but it was a very nice way to spend a lovely Saturday morning. Thoughts on each of the cars can be read below.

BMW Z4 GT3 official images emerge

BMW Z4 GT3

Some official images of the BMW Z4 GT3 racecar have emerged and it looks pretty damn impressive, don’t you think. Okay, in a road car sense it’s actually a bit naff with all those wings and diffusers at the back. But, in a purpose built track car sense, bring it on!

If you’re a real BMW anorak you will probably recall that BMW have said they would never fit a V8 engine to the current Z4. Well, they lied. To be fair, the Z4 GT3 will never see full series production, so raiding the parts bin to make a kick arse racing machine can be excused.

Anyway, that engine, yep, it’s pretty much the same 4.0 litre V8 found in the M3 GT2. That means power is around 485hp and peak torque should be nudging 500Nm. There’s also a race-toughened 6 speed sequential transmission to help move things along.

I get the feeling some very wealthy men around the world (and possibly women too) are going to get a little bit excited about driving this car. More details as they come to hand.

[Source: Car]