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Responding quickly and eagerly off the line, she has more than adequate thrust from as low as 2000 rpm. However, her urgency is best felt as the needle hits 3500 rpm and then all the way up through the engine’s power band. The 3.0i is equipped with a special acoustic system, further enhancing the powerplant’s character—it mates the deep bass on the low range with the hard, creamy howl at the top end. Lift the throttle at high speed, and listen to her exhaust pop and bang, just like a racing engine. The ZF-five-speed automatic matches excellently with the engine’s sporty demeanor. In her current form, the BMW Z4 3.0i does 0-100 km/h in just 6.2 seconds and can undoubtedly reach her 244 km/h top speed. Though the car was equipped with Steptronic, BMW’s version of a manual override for the automatic box, on the tight, twisty Carmona Race Track, we thought it best to let the computer shift, and instead concentrate on the steering. Speaking of which, she’s the first BMW passenger car to be equipped with EPS or Electric Power Steering. Boiling down all the technical talk, EPS simply means that the Z4 can vary the steering effort from a light feel during carpark maneuvering to a properly weighted response during high speed bends. This feature is further enhanced with the 3.0i’s standard Dynamic Drive Control or DCC. Along with a more sporty throttle response, the DCC reduces the level of power assistance to the steering, imparting a very direct feel and immediate response. Cocooning the driver is the latest BMW electronic wizardry : Dynamic Stability Control, a system that incorporates Dynamic Traction Control. This system, which allows a degree of wheel spin before engaging means that although she’s running on rails on the tight and complex FIA-certified kart track, the Z4 still manages to provoke a smile with the occasional tire smoke. There’s no lag either when you throw her about. Her almost perfect front-rear weight distribution along with 225/45 W-rated 17-inch Bridgestone RE050A run-flat rubbers assures immediate turn-in, neutral handling and bag loads of grip. |
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