Extra Special

In almost any marquee, the "coupe" is a special car. When adapted from the regular 4-door saloon, the coupe becomes a personal conveyance expressly meant for two. There might still be space back there for the kiddies, but let’s face it, they might as well be luggage with the shortened space and awkward ingress through the front doors. No sir, a coupe is about being selfish and loving it. Done right, the coupe profile stretches and slims a saloon’s lines into how God and the designers really wanted the car to look like, free from the pedestrian compromises of political correctness. Like rear doors, for example.

But how about when it’s applied to a roadster? Conventional industry practice has the convertible coming out several months (or years) after the fixed-roof sibling has worn out its welcome and the product needs some excitement. But in the Z4’s case, it was a roadster first and foremost, the generational successor to the Z3 that Bond (James Bond) so fleetingly drove in Goldeneye. The Z4 roadster is a fabulous machine, a sculpted, phallic symbol that will make just about anyone look good behind the wheel. But in coupe configuration, the gloves are off. No namby-pamby folding roofs here. It’s a fixed-roof affair that says "no compromises". Function first, form second. Except, in this case, it looks mighty spanking anyway.

First, the 3. Permit me to say this, but the coupe looks much better than the sedan. The long hood and slightly rearward passenger cell give it a better sense of proportion than the sedan, which in some angles lacks the taut muscularity of the previous generation, the E46. Rather than looking gratuitous, like a sedan pretending to be sporty, the 3 coupe looks purposeful and dynamic. And it should be plenty fast for most Philippine customers. The standard engine is a 2.5-liter straight-six with max power of 218 horses and peak torque of 250 Newton-meters through a six-speed automatic. BMW quotes acceleration figures of 0-100kph in 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 247kph.

Not fast enough for you? Ante up significantly more than the 325i’s P3.88M asking price and you can get the 335i. How does a twin turbocharged, DOHC, 24-valve straight six with double-VANOS variable valve timing strike you? Peak output of said motor is 306 horsepower and 400 Newton-meters of torque at just 1,300 rpm. With 0-100kph sprint of just 5.5 seconds and an electronically governed top speed of 250kph, it’ll let you play tag with a few Porsche Boxsters.

Back to the Z4. Any lingering arguments about the Z4’s appeal are quickly erased when you clap eyes on its fixed-roof version. With the long hood-short deck profile, massive gumball tires, and a bulbous passenger cabin that’s almost directly over the rear tires, it’s a 4-wheeled sex machine that will raise the value of your estate by several hundred thousand. Oh, and it only costs P4.620M, contrary to what its biggabuck looks suggest. That flowing hood hides a 3.0-liter straight six that’s rated at 265 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 315 Newton-meters, so you know it’s no poseur. Equipped with a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, it’ll run from 0-100kph in 5.7 seconds and top out at an electronically limited 250kph. Standard safety kit for the Z4 and 325 Coupe include ABS, Dynamic Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control, Dynamic Brake Control, and bi-xenon headlights.

Of course, if the Z4 Coupe still feels tame for a young buck like you, you could get the M Coupe via special order. With the 3.2-liter straight six motor put together by the crazies of the infamous "M" division, you will have 343 horses to play with at 7,900 rpm, an 8,000 rpm redline, a power-to-weight ratio of 5.6 kilos per horse, and you will rip from 0 to 100 in 5 seconds flat. What’s cooler than being able to afford a luxury car? Having one that’ll let you play all day, of course. Now you just have to decide which coupe you want to look good in.