The International Media Launch of the new 2019 Z4
Roadster took place recently in Portugal, on the scenic country roads around
Sintra and in the nation’s capital city Lisbon. Automotive journalists from all
over the world got the change to get behind the wheel of the third generation
Z4. As usual, BMW used the occasion to shoot some new photos with its new
open-top model.
Besides the M Performance model, the 2019 Z4 lineup
also includes the sDrive20i and sDrive30i models. All three engine variants
will be available in Europe, while the U.S. market will skip the entry-level
sDrive20i and only get the higher-powered sDrive30i and M40i.
The M40i features a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline
six-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 382 hp in the United States. In
European markets, however, the Z4 M40i has a lower power output of 335 hp at 5,000-6,500 rpm. You can blame stricter emissions regulations for that.
The peak torque stays the same on both continents, though 500 Nm available from 1,600 to 4,500 rpm.
The six-cylinder engine is mated to an eight-speed
Steptronic automatic transmission that drives the rear wheels. Consequently,
the Z4 M40i covers the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 4.5 seconds. Top speed is limited at 250 km/h.
Besides the more powerful engine, the M40i variant
also benefits from additional performance-enhancing features as standard. Those
include the 10-mm lower Adaptive M Sport suspension, M Sport brakes,
and M Sport differential.
Performance-wise, the next best thing to the M40i is
the sDrive30i. It packs a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit producing
255 hp at 5,000-6,500 rpm and 400 Nm of torque from 1,550
to 4,400 rpm. Fitted with the same automatic transmission, the Z4 sDrive30i
goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and tops out at 250 km/h.
Finally, the sDrive20i uses the same turbo-four unit
in a lower state of tune of 197 PS at 4,500–6,500 rpm and 320 Nm between 1,450 and 4,200 rpm. Its performance is comparable to a hot
hatch: 0-100 km/h takes 6.6 seconds and maximum speed is 240 km/h.
