2012 BMW Z4

6-Speed Manual Transmission
Call us crazy, but in the right car there are few things better than being fully engaged. And by that we mean the right hand is on the shift lever, while the left foot deftly operates a clutch. You're right – it ain't rocket science, but doing it well behind the wheel of a true Sports/GT supplies one of life's better moments.

Twin-Turbocharged Four
This isn't, by any stretch, a new idea. BMW, Saab, Porsche, even Buick, were offering turbocharged variants of their more "cooking" powertrains long before volume carmakers (or regulators) laid claim to the benefits. But BMW's new one is a charmer, with generous horsepower, prodigious – for its displacement – torque, and a visceral voice that needs to be heard to be appreciated. We're big fans of smallish turbos, and only hope this is the first (on a BMW showroom) of many.

The 2012 BMW Z4 interior provides a driver-centric cockpit. A comfortable touring environment, however, is provided both driver and passenger. An ergonomic 3-spoke wheel greets the driver, while ventilation and audio controls – and BMW's now-iconic iDrive – are easily accessible by the passenger. In most instances 2-place roadsters provide almost cocoon-like passenger cells, but the Z4's seems more open and accessible, providing an easy intimacy that can be enjoyed during a run for coffee – or a run for the border. We wish, however, BMW hadn't seen the need to reinvent the control for the automatic transmission. While we're sure there exists a perfectly logical reason to dispense with P-R-N-D-L, we (personally) haven't grasped it.

The Z4's shape is a softened, more mature treatment of what went before. And both Z4 shapes are dramatic departures from the overtly retro theme of the Z3. The 2012 Z4 shape is one BMW describes as the modern look of a classic roadster. And in most instances, a classic roadster covered the car's mechanicals with a minimum of metal and flourish. We like what BMW's design team has done with it, and while preferring cloth to folding hardtops (they just seem so much more "convertible") we're taken with BMW's execution. Up, the roof looks like a well-integrated coupe, while retracted there is virtually no stylistic evidence (no humps, no bumps) of its trunk-mounted hiding place.

For those of you "classically trained," the loss of a naturally aspirated six (sDrive30i) will come as a disappointment. We'd skip the therapist and go straight to your BMW showroom, where a drive in the new Z4 sDrive28i will both enlighten and inspire. Of course, if like many successful Americans too much is never enough. For you, the pure adrenaline BMW dubs sDrive35is (the top of the line) is the engine to have, if only to tell your friends of a 0-60 in under five seconds. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard on both the turbo 4-cylinder and base 6-cylinder versions. The sDrive35is receives a DCT automatic transmission as standard.

2.0-liter twin-turbocharged in-line-4 (Z4 sDrive28i)
240 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
260 lb-ft of torque @ 1,250-4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/34 (manual), 24/33 (automatic)

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged in-line-6 (Z4 sDrive35i)
300 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm
300 lb-ft of torque @ 1,400-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/26 (manual), 17/24 (DCT automatic)

3.0-liter turbocharged in-line-6 (Z4 sDrive35is)
335 horsepower @ 5,900 rpm
332 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 (DCT automatic)

There is little in the way of Z4 price increases for 2012. As noted, the entry-level Z4 has lost two cylinders and gained a turbo. Just a guess, but we're betting a turbo costs more than two cylinders – so it's a wash. Expect to pay upward of $50,000 for the Z4 sDrive28i, $56,000 for the mid-level sDrive35i and over $65,000 for the full-zoot sDrive35is. And given that this remains a BMW, albeit a smaller one, think another $10,000 for the options most of the target audience will typically request. Cost of ownership is ameliorated by BMW's no-cost scheduled maintenance for your first four years or 50,000 miles. And BMW's historically high residual values make leasing a worthwhile consideration. Finally, check Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Option for an idea of what consumers are paying for comparable models in your market area.

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