BMW Z4 Coupe In Depth

Press Release

Page 1 – Short story

Page 2 – Design

Page 3 – Drivetrain

Page 4 – Chassis & Suspension

Page 5 – Body & safety

Page 6 – Features & Equip.

Design

The BMW Z4 Coupé combines agility and dynamic performance of the highest standard. The powerful stretched lines of the car are accentuated above all by the low sweep of the roof extending into the rear end and the “Hofmeister kick� so typical of BMW. The recess in the middle of the roof – a classic design feature characterising a genuine sports car – enhances the impression of powerful dynamics. In all, the combination of all the car’s design features creates a powerful forward motion with the new BMW Coupé appearing to literally leap ahead.

The front end: focusing clearly on the road.

Seen from the front, recurring light edges consistently highlight the sporting, almost aggressive overall impression of this outstanding Coupé. With the lines of the engine compartment proceeding forwards from the A-pillars to form a clear letter V and mark the inner edge of the headlights, the shoulder line of the car continues into the front air dam. Together with the outer edges on the air intake, this creates a multiple-V look – an effect drawing down the front end of the car in its overall design to the road to form one complete, harmonious unit.

The wide air intake in the front air dam is defined by firm, dynamic edges all round also comprising the slender foglamps. Together with the black ornamental trim strip on the intake grid, these dynamic edges and the foglamp units accentuate the sheer width of the front end. The typical night design so characteristic of the BMW brand, in turn, is created by light rings serving as the car's position lights. To the outside, the headlights merge directly into white direction indicator light covers.

From the side: the dream dimensions of a genuine sports car.

With its long wheelbase of 2,496 millimetres or 98.3´´, together with very short body overhangs front and rear as well as the greenhouse moved far to the back, the BMW Z4 Coupé meets all the ideal expectations of a genuine sports car aficionado also in its looks. The side view of the car is characterised by the roofline sweeping down dynamically into the rear end. The shoulder line, in turn, visually connects the front wheel arch with the wheel arch at the rear, contrasting clearly with the doorsill line strongly emphasised and rising dynamically towards the rear end of the car. The diagonal line creating a field of tension together with the lines sweeping back from front to rear, finally, takes up the inclination of the windscreen and extends through the BMW logo emphasising the gap between the front axle and the A-pillars and comprising the side direction indicators. A side marker, finally, comes in the wheel arches on the same level as the headlights.

Light-alloy wheels measuring either 17 or 18 inches serve to further highlight the striking design of the car. Apart from classic star-spoke styling so typical of BMW, the BMW Z4 Coupé is also available with wheels in turbine styling and, with tyres varying in size, an additional choice of either star-spoke styling (8 x 17 at the front, 8.5 x 17 inches at the rear) or ellipsoid-spoke (8 x 18 at the front, 8.5 x 18 inches at the rear) wheels.

Seen from behind: unmistakable style and character.

The recess in the roof of the BMW Z4 Coupé also stands out clearly from behind, enhancing the powerful look of the car. The greenhouse – the glazed part of the passenger cell – merges dynamically into the rear end of the
car, emphasising the wheel arches and giving them a particularly powerful and muscular look. The bottom end of the rear lights follow a slightly sweeping line, taking up the flowing shape of the spoiler lip. The horizontal light conductor rods in the rear lights, in turn, form one optical unit together with the third brake light and, particularly in their night design, emphasise the substantial width of the car at the rear.

Lines flowing smoothly along various levels give the rear air dam a three-dimensional effect, the two spoiler lips serving as light edges and moving down the optical centrepoint of the rear. The final feature adding the ultimate touch of power at the rear end of the car is the extra-large chrome-plated dual tailpipes so typical of the BMW Z4 Coupé.

Tailgate and “Hofmeister kick�.

The tailgate is hinged directly behind the seats on the roof of the car. The sideline extends almost unnoticed along the rear side windows, finally merging into the horizontal waistline. This maintains the sporting window graphics of the rear side windows with that typical “Hofmeister kick� even with the tailgate open. To open up and access the luggage compartment, finally, all the driver has to do is open the lock housed conveniently and discreetly within the BMW logo.

A genuine sports car also inside.

The interior of the BMW Z4 Coupé offers a particularly sporting, purist touch. Clear shapes, high-quality materials and carefully selected colours consciously reduce the interior to the essential, for the sheer joy of sports motoring.

The roof liner is made of high-quality Beige or Grey cloth, with Anthracite available as an option. The lining follows the recess in the roof, thus providing an ambience inside again reminiscent of motorsport – which is precisely why the centre section in the bulkhead also shows a slight concave recess improving visibility to the rear and making the interior even more open and visually accessible. A special box for sunglasses, finally, comes in the upper frame above the windscreen.

The low seating position and the distinctive horizontal look of the instrument panel again emphasise the proportions of the BMW Z4 Coupé, the tense surfaces on the dashboard taking up the lines and overall look of the exterior. Indeed, positively and negatively intertwining surfaces create a feeling of powerful tension reflected by the design of the door linings, the door handles and the spokes on the steering wheel. The air conditioning and fresh air adjusters are galvanically treated in pearl gloss ruthenium and present a particular highlight in both their looks and surface touch.

The customer opting for the BMW Z4 Coupé naturally has a very wide range of choice in creating his – or her – very own, personal car: Apart from ten highly attractive non-metallic and metallic paintwork colours, there are eight interior colours, two trim versions in regular leather and gloss leather, as well as five different choices of trim.