Apex strafing with the BMW Z4

My drives of the BMW Z-series roadsters have always been somewhat special. I first drove the Z3 in 1996 when an ad agency asked me to drive one in a TV commercial for its client which happened to be a multinational oil company.

The storyboard required the Z3 to be whirled around in a 180-degree turn at speed while it was between two moving cars (a Mercedes-Benz 500 SL and an Acura NSX, no less) and then overtake the two cars going backwards. Needless to say, some camera trickery was employed but I still got to do endless high-speed runs, not to mention repeated 360-degree donuts in a lahar-blanketed location in Zambales, with the magnificent roadster.

Fast forward to 2003. I get a call from BMW Philippines inviting me to drive its brand-new Z4 convertible in a purpose-built racetrack in Carmona, Cavite. I thought to myself, "This may be a kart track but it’s plenty roomy enough to really push BMW’s delectable roadster to its limits. Or mine."

True enough, the BMW people were more than ready to put their money where their mouth is. Three laps riding shotgun with a BMW representative followed by a quick change of seats where I could put the car through its paces. The only caveat: Don’t crash the car.

Not wanting to be known as the journalist who crashed the first and, at that time, the only Z4 in existence in the country, I drove the first two laps tentatively. By the third lap, I was more familiar with the car’s handling and braking, not to mention its prodigious power, that I could brake late and turn in with a later apex then floor the accelerator with a hint of oversteer, all to my sheer delight. BMW’s slogan of The Ultimate Driving Machine has never been more explicit than from behind the wheel of a diminutive sports car with the top down and with the engine and exhaust notes reverberating from the walls of the circuit. Flicking the Steptronic sequential-shift automatic gear lever for quick up- and downshifts made me feel like pole-master Juan Pablo Montoya on a hot qualifying lap.

The Z4 we drove sported BMW’s legendary 24-valve inline-six engine in a big 3.0-liter displacement. In this form, it develops 231 bhp for a top speed of 250 kph. Locally available Z4s, however, will come with a smaller 2.5-liter 192-bhp inline-6 engine good for 235 kph. Still plenty fast for our roads. Acceleration to 100 kph from a standing start should be in the 6-to-6.5-second range.

Although we didn’t have the chance to drive the Z4 on public roads, our laps in Carmona revealed a sports car in the truest sense of the word. The Z4 might not have the brutal feel of a Porsche 911 or a Ferrari (it actually competes against the slower Porsche Boxster and the Mercedes SLK), but it manages to shine in every respect. The steering retains BMW’s famed feel. The handling, thanks in part to the car’s wide stance, 50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity, is razor-sharp without being the least bit harsh. (The Z4 boasts BMW’s patented ASC and DSC stability and traction control systems.) Acceleration is strong without being overpowering. The brakes are utterly confidence-inspiring.

The styling is definitely controversial. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of the car’s assemblage of soft curves, hard edges and the seemingly awkward juxtaposition of concave and convex panels — at first. But watching the car athletically lunging from corner to corner with other people behind the wheel, I suddenly found myself falling for the overall shape. Almost like discovering the beautiful side of a person that you failed to notice before.

Inside, the leather-lined cockpit is all cozy and intimate — until you open the power-actuated soft top. BMW claims that the Z4 is much more accommodating inside than the Z3. Even in the trunk, Z4 owners who trade up from a Z3 will be pleased to find out that they can now stow two golf bags in the trunk. Fit and finish, needless to say, was absolutely top flight; this despite the fact that our test drive unit was a pre-production model.

Driving back to Manila in an almost-brand-new BMW-supplied silver 325i, I couldn’t help but think how appropriate the Z4 is in our roads. It looks great. It doesn’t take up much space. It’s relatively frugal with fuel. And it’s quick enough to stir the soul of anyone with the slightest hint of car lust. Much better — and perhaps more politically correct — than any of the lumbering SUV leviathans out there, at least. If only we all had the P3.1 million (manual transmission; P3.2 million for the automatic) it needs to take a Z4 home.