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.

Performance

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Ergonomic, visual and value concerns that are critically important in ordinary cars pale to insignificance the instant the Z4 M Coupe’s engine fires and the shifter clicks first gear. This is a driver’s car, plain and simple, with every bolt and bushing of its soul tuned to heighten pleasure and adrenaline when the road bends and the tachometer needle swings toward the redline.

Making no apparent fuss, the BMW Z4 M Coupe’s 330-hp six-cylinder engine produces ample thrust from just about any rpm. The burden it bears is a mere thirty pounds heavier than the roadster, at 3,309 pounds, so the sprint to 60 mph is only a touch slower: 4.9 seconds for the roadster versus 5.1 seconds for the coupe. Thanks to the engine’s 8,000 rpm reach, only one yank of the shift lever is necessary during the zero-to-60 sprint (from first to second gear, in other words). Third gear is good for 100 mph and the speed limiter stops the fun at 155 mph in both fifth and sixth gears.

All Corvettes are quicker. The Porsche Cayman S, a more natural rival, is also capable of flashing its taillamps to the Bimmer because it’s lighter by 300 pounds. Performance would be better if BMW would invest in lighter materials for the engine block, differential and rear suspension knuckles, all of which are made of clunky cast iron.

But there’s no shortage of driving enjoyment. The real joy is motoring forcefully into and out of corners. The Z4 M Coupe hangs on like a limpet thanks to a well-engineered chassis and near-even front-to-rear weight balance. The front tires scrub first in slow- to moderate-speed bends (meaning that they bog down and cause a loss of speed), but the tail can be coaxed wide with a heavy foot on the throttle in fast bends. (Disabling the dynamic stability control is necessary to achieve a drifting attitude.)

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While some sports cars get nervous and unpredictable in such maneuvers, the Z4 M Coupe is happiest with all its tires scratching for grip and its engine surging towards the redline. This is a car that drivers of wide-ranging abilities can control with total confidence.

The most notable lapse is insufficient braking capacity. There’s no problem slowing the show on the street, but any owner invited to strut this car’s stuff on track day will have to suffer the occasional cool-off lap to give the brakes a rest. While competitors commonly fit multipiston calipers, especially in front, BMW’s M department shipped the Z4 M Coupe with less-capable, single-piston, sliding-caliper brakes at all four corners.

When drivers aren’t driving at full tilt, they’ll find that the ride, while by no means supple, is accommodating enough over most bumps and holes in the road. As with most sports cars, road noise from the large tires does invade the interior at highway speeds, but the well-contoured seats go a long way toward boosting long-haul comfort.

The Z4 M Coupe falls short of perfection in a few areas, but overall it’s such a delight that funds invested here deliver an excellent return in pure driving joy.