2005 BMW Z4

Cornering the Roadster Market

Few companies get to corner an entire segment of the market. Leave it to BMW to do it twice in a decade.

Interior

As spaceship cool as the Z4 is on the outside, the same ideas are echoed in the interior. Before we go any further, we have to say that this is really important -- and sports car manufacturers should know this. We think the Honda S2000 has performance limits, but its greater failing is that the cabin is no more special than that of a Civic.

By great contrast, the Audi TT is all about interior aesthetics. Climb aboard and you've entered your own personal, leather-bound jet fighter.

BMW knew that the Z3 cabin was nowhere near as nifty as the TT's, so with the Z4 it stepped up -- big time. BMW has achieved something that looks totally cool (think Tumi luggage) and completely machine-age functional, like a Hobart commercial-grade blender. That's a tough combo, because not being gimmicky but still giving function real style isn't a simple task.

Examples of this include the exceedingly straightforward switches for the vents, fan speed and A/C and temperature. Each gets a simple, large-ribbed knob, and you learn the location and function of each within five minutes of driving the car. Contrast this with many screen-based systems (now what menu do I use to set the vent control again?), and you see why we like this better.

Below these controls, at the base of the center console, you'll find a simple line of buttons for less-frequently used features, like adjusting the traction control. Above the HVAC knobs sits the presets and radio knobs, so you only have to lower your line of sight from the road for an instant. And what a fantastic, premium Carver sound system ($875) these switches control. Sounds like a lot of dough for better tunes, we know, but this is, bar none, one of the best car stereos we've ever heard. It packs 10 speakers, a 10-channel amp, dual subwoofers and a seven-band digital processor.

And that's just the parts list. The sound itself is clear, automatically speed-sensitive (so you can still hear it at 90 mph with the top down -- we tested it) and concert-quality. This is a must-purchase option if you're even vaguely an audiophile.

A few more interior highlights:

• The entire dash, whether covered in real aluminum or optional sycamore wood trim, curves in an echo of the side view of the car.



• Armrests, too, fall away at an angle, again mirroring the themes outside.



• A soft-top roof that seals out sound and opens and closes electrically (a $750 option) in only 10 seconds.



• A center tunnel that's got knee padding in just the right places, so the driver and passenger don't get banged around when whizzing through tight bends.



• Supportive seats built for sport, but not so hard that cruising isn't comfy.



• A large cubbyhole between the seats that's big enough for an optional CD changer but otherwise can hold a 1,000-page paperback, suntan lotion, cell phone and a bottle of Evian.