2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe

The Two-Seat Bimmer Coupe is Back

BMW's Z4 M Coupe gets the blood boiling but is costly compared to the more-powerful and less-refined Chevrolet Corvette.

After a four-year hiatus, BMW now offers a two-seat sports car that’s not a convertible: The new Z4 Coupe is available in regular and extra-zesty M editions.

The Z4 M Coupe tested here shares its free-revving 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine with the recently introduced Z4 M Roadster. It produces 330 hp and 262 pound-feet of torque that run vigorously to an 8,000 rpm redline. The base Z4 3.0si Coupe packs enough performance for most drivers, so think of the Z4 M Coupe as the most-aggressive and singularly focused BMW sports car.

Exterior

BMW’s twin-kidney grille is one of the car kingdom’s most recognizable facial features. Special M touches are a more-aggressive, below-the-bumper bib in front, tricolor M badges adorning the flanks and tail, and no less than four large exhaust pipes aimed out the back like small-caliber cannons.

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The roof sweeps rakishly rearward to strike an elegant visual balance with the long hood. The cocked-and-ready profile whispers “come hither” to every car enthusiast. The Z4 M Coupe’s shape is such a distinctive departure from a traffic stream teeming with SUVs and innocuous sedans that it’s a powerful magnet for even the most jaded eyes.

Another not-to-be-missed visual delight is under the hood, where nicely finished aluminum castings and textured-black painted components provide the devout motorhead a shrine to worship. And the free-breathing, muscle-rippling 3.2-liter six-cylinder is indeed one of the most revered engines ever.

Interior

The mood inside is somber, thanks to the standard charcoal-colored leather seats and a roof that wraps over to diminish the light admitted through the tinted side windows. Once your eyes have adjusted to the dim cockpit, the focal point that emerges from the shadows is a steering wheel rim as fat as a ring of kielbasa. Stitched with threads color-coded according to BMW’s M logo, the wheel promises good driving to follow.

Three decor themes are available: stark aluminum panels, black leather inserts styled to resemble woven carbon-fiber or elegant walnut trim (which adds $250 to the tab). The double-stitched upholstery, fit and finish, and materials are all top shelf.

Dropping into the M-sport bucket seats feels like inserting a plug into an electrical outlet. Even the under-thigh bolsters are tunable; unfortunately, BMW charges an extra $995 for power seat adjusters.

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The most notable omission on the BMW Z4 M Coupe (thankfully) is the iDrive helper knob that challenges the attention span of BMW owners (iDrive is offered on all other BMW models except the current M3 and incorporates most interior functions into a single knob with menus on a dash-mounted display screen). Switches, knobs and buttons for the climate control and stereo systems are instead minimalist and well thought out, designed not to hinder this car’s sole focus: the art of driving fast.

Two large dials behind the chubby steering wheel, one for vehicle speed and the other for engine speed, are clearly marked for instant legibility. There’s a large brace (called a “dead pedal” by car enthusiasts) for your left foot, a short shift knob for clicking through the gears as well as pedals that help you heel-and-toe like a road-racing pro (heel-and-toeing involves using one foot to simultaneously tap the brake and blip the throttle to goose engine speed when downshifting).

The steering column tilts and telescopes. Cup holders are well hidden at the corners of the dash.

A structural wall behind the seats not only consumes a significant chunk of interior space, it also blocks access to the cargo hold. As a result, the convenience of having a hatchback is mostly squandered. And while the trunk is deep and square-cornered, quite a lot of its volume is consumed by the battery and an air compressor on hand in case of a flat. Another downside is that the swoopy rear roof pillars create significant blind spots out the back.

There is no spare; unlike other lower-echelon BMWs, the Z4 M Coupe rides on conventional tires instead of run-flats (which have rigid sidewalls to allow driving limited distances on a flat tire).