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BMW Z4 sDrive 3.5 is

Road test

Car: BMW Z4 sDrive 3.5 is

Prices: £43,885

Insurance groups: 18

Performance: Max Speed 155mph/ 0-60mph 4.8s

Fuel consumption: 31.4mpg

Standard safety features: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, DSC

Dimensions: L4239/w1790/h1291

BMW Z4 sDrive 3.5 is

S EXPRESS
BMW is giving sportscar rivals something to think about with the Z4 sDrive35is.

The sDrive35is actually looks like very good value

BMW likes its sportscars to show a touch of aggression to go with their electrifying pace and the current Z4 had that from the outset, despite the concession to comfort that is its clever folding metal roof. With the tin-top hood stowed, the sun out and the engine on song, the Z4 sDrive35i produces one of the most evocative driving experiences to be had for less than £50,000. What more could the keen driver want? How about launch control, a double clutch gearbox, an even naughtier exhaust note and around 34 extra horsepower?

In adding an ‘s’ to its sDrive35i Z4, BMW produced the sDrive35is model. It’s the Z4 edged that little bit closer to BMW M-car status. It’s also an important car for the market where the Z4 competes against the other two-seater roadsters and coupes that can be purchased for similar money.

It’s hard to believe, but with 306bhp, the BMW Z4 sDrive35i was beginning to look a little anaemic compared to its rivals. The TT RS from Audi with 335bhp, the 355bhp Mercedes SLK 55 AMG and even Nissan’s 322bhp 370z were thumbing their noses at BMW and that couldn’t be allowed to stand. If pressed, BMW would probably identify the Boxster S as the car its range-topping Z4s needed to beat but the performance arms race had meant that the Porsche was the only equivalent car to retain horsepower parity with the top line Z4s. BMW needed to act and it did with the 340bhp sDrive35is.

The twin-turbo six-cylinder engine that powers the Z4 sDrive35i and sDrive35is is a formidable piece of engineering. It’s used widely in the BMW range wherever some serious performance is called for or a particularly weighty vehicle needs a sharp turn of speed without recourse to V8 power. A 340bhp output is 34bhp up on the sDrive35i and a big slug of power for a 1,500kg rear-wheel-drive sportscar. It’s achieved with the aid of BMW’s High Precision Direct Injection technology which also increases torque from 400Nm to 450Nm and as much as 500Nm when the engine’s temporary overboost function is engaged.

As standard, the sDrive35is comes with the BMW DCT Double Clutch Transmission which is marshalled through steering wheel-mounted paddles. It’s capable of extremely fast shift response times and has an integrated launch control system that balances power and traction off the line for the perfect getaway. Get off that line and through the gears deftly enough and the 0-60mph sprint can be dispatched in 4.8s, a 0.3s improvement over the sDrive35i. The top speed of the car is restricted to 155mph.

The Z4’s roof will get almost as much attention as the contents of its engine bay because, following the lead of the BMW 3-Series Convertible, it’s made out of metal. BMW has set out to disprove the school of thought that says folding hard-top roofs are a bad idea in focused sports cars with a light weight electro-hydraulic arrangement that can be raised or lowered in 20 seconds. The need to make space to stow a great slab of ironwork to keep the rain out can deal a fatal blow to the styling of a convertible, particularly a compact two-seater like the Z4 but BMW’s designers appear to have avoided this. The telltale distended rear end isn’t in evidence and roof up or roof down, the Z4 looks taught and well-proportioned.

The bulging rear haunches hint at the car’s potency while the subtle cutaways down the flanks make it a sleeker proposition than its angular predecessor. The sDrive35is models benefit further from the inclusion of the M Sport body styling package with its more aggressive front bumper and two-part diffuser at the rear. There’s also the M Sport Adaptive suspension system that sits the car 10mm lower than standard.

The car is bigger than the model it replaced which helped it manage the inclusion of a folding metal roof so seamlessly. At 4,239mm, the length is up 148mm and the 1,790mm width is a 9mm increase. This has yielded more space inside as well as the extra capacity out back to drop that roof into. Headroom with the canopy raised is 44mm better than in the old Z4, there’s 43mm more elbow room and shoulder room is enhanced by 20mm. The boot is a useful 310 litres with the roof up but shrinks to 180 litres when it’s folded. This is supplemented by a 15.5-litre interior storage area behind the seats. An optional hatch between the seats will allow longer items to be poked through into the cabin if necessary.

Many of the features that come as part of the optional M Sport package on lesser Z4 models are standard on the sDrive35is. These include 18" light alloy wheels, sports seats, door sill finishers, anthracite headlining and an M Sport multi-function steering wheel. When you factor in the DCT gearbox, the power upgrade and the special sports exhaust system on the sDrive35is, a £3,000 premium over the sDrive35i model looks like good business.

The pricing of the sDrive35is also puts it in direct competition with the Audi TT RS while significantly undercutting the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG. The less powerful sDrive35i model matches up with the Porsche Boxster S, ensuring that BMW has all the bases covered with its Z4 range.

We’re used to being surprised by the economy and emissions figures that BMW manages to extract from even its higher performance models but even by the German marque’s standards, 31mpg from a 340bhp roadster is impressive stuff. A 160bhp Mazda MX-5 only returns 37mpg on the combined cycle. The BMW’s overall running costs will be helped further by CO2 emissions of 201g/km which like its economy, is identical to the sDrive35i version.

BMW isn’t used to its performance models occupying any position other than the top spot on the podium and when a slew of powerful two-seater sportscars emerged onto the market, it was forced to act to keep the Z4 relevant. The resulting sDrive35is version of the marque’s folding hard-top roadster should be enough to put BMW back in contention at the very top of the sub-£50,000 sportscar segment.

The sDrive35is actually looks like very good value. For £3,000 or so over the sDrive35i model, Z4 buyers can have the DCT dual clutch gearbox, a special aggressive-sounding exhaust, adaptive suspension, enhanced styling and a host of other extras. It sounds like good business and the manageable running costs of the sDrive35is are the icing on the cake.