Used 2021 BMW Z4

The 2021 BMW Z4 roadster is like a Mazda MX-5 Miata for grown-ups. This 2-seater sports car is still big enough to accommodate 6-footers or taller (which is often a deal-breaker when tall types consider an MX-5).

Both cars have that classic front-engine/rear-drive layout, with the rear axle close to the seat of the driver’s pants, imparting an excellent feel for the car’s behavior. The difference is that the BMW Z4 has powerful turbocharged engines, along with many luxury features and advanced safety technology.

The Z4 convertible is really the soft-top counterpart to the Toyota Supra coupe. They are the fruit of a joint project, built in the same factory — the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria — and the Supra has the same turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine as the Z4 M40i.

Even though the Z4 has a classy pedigree, it’s almost a bargain when compared with its closest rival, the Porsche 718 Boxster, which is about $10,000 more expensive. The Porsche also offers a manual transmission. The Z4 does not.

In an enthusiast’s wildest dreams, BMW would create a modern-day Z4 M Coupe with a stick shift. In real life, the thrilling 2021 BMW Z4 is a superb premium sports car that puts drivers and passengers more in touch with their immediate surroundings.

Trundling around town, the 2021 Z4 is as easy to drive as an Accord or a Camry, with light-effort steering and a remarkably comfortable ride. The quiet 2-seater cabin also remains remarkably tranquil during top-down cruising, allowing easy conversation that’s aided by a detachable mesh wind deflector. The top can be raised or lowered in 10 seconds, at speeds of up to 31 mph.

The brakes can be a tad grabby in city driving, making smooth stops trickier than they need to be. But that’s more the case with the M Sport brakes that have aggressive pads up front. Strong brakes are nothing to complain about, though, when there’s an empty road and an enthusiastic right foot.

In these situations, the car comes alive and feels gloriously fast, even with the base 4-cylinder engine. The experience intensifies in the Sport+ driving mode, which transforms the Z4 into a serious sports machine with firmer suspension, quicker steering, and super-crisp transmission shifts, regardless of whether the standard paddles are used. The automatic rev-matching on downshifts in Sport+ mode makes it sound like there’s a pro driver at the wheel.

BMW says the Z4 sDrive30i will hit 60 mph from a standstill in 5.2 seconds. The M40i can do it in just 3.9 seconds before hitting a top speed of 155 mph.

Overall grip is excellent, enabling the Z4 to track through corners with an enviable composure. The Z4’s 50/50 weight balance and M Sport differential (which is part of the Dynamic Handling package) help make the car feel stable even in the tightest turns.

Both Z4 models have staggered-width wheel/tire combinations (225/45 and 255/40 on the sDrive30i, 225/40 and 275/40 on the M40i, both on 18-inch alloy rims). This arrangement definitely contributes to the Z4’s fine handling, but makes tire rotations impossible.

One minor complaint. The Z4’s optional lane-keeping function can be a bit too bossy, pulling the car back into its lane with little finesse whenever it begins to cross lane markings without a turn signal being activated. It can be switched off, but that defeats the object of having it in the first place.

Thanks to generous seat travel and a slightly convex cloth top, the 2021 BMW Z4 roadster accommodates tall drivers easily. The seating position is low enough that they won’t be looking over the raked windshield.

The interior has many BMW hallmarks. It’s easy on the eye, logical, and extremely technical. At the center of the dash is a large 10.25-inch touchscreen — the hub of the iDrive infotainment system. Now in its seventh generation, iDrive and its rotary control knob work remarkably well with the Z4’s multiple systems and apps.

The tech train continues with the gauge cluster — a 10.25-inch digital display replicating an analog speedometer and rev counter at its outer edges, with a large center screen for navigation instructions and other information. It also has several configurations that change according to which driving mode has been selected. Another clever detail is that the Z4’s digital speed readout turns from black to red if the driver goes beyond the legal limit.

A head-up display, remote start, wireless charging, and Wi-Fi are part of the Premium package. In the Z4 sDrive30i, this also includes the Active Driving Assistant, Active Blind Spot Detection, Active Parking Assistant, and heated front seats with powered lumbar support.

Reflecting the BMW Z4’s dual driving personalities, the styling has elements of a classic roadster mixed with contemporary touches like the distinctly modern interpretation of BMW’s traditional double-kidney grille.

Viewed from the front, the Z4 is enlivened by two arrow-shaped contours sculpted neatly into the hood, pointing right at those honeycomb grilles. And the Z4’s headlights have two light sources, one above the other, capped by a vertical accent strip with an integrated turn signal.

Looking at the tail end, the Z4’s wide, squat stance is accentuated. Dual exhaust outlets complemented by a rear diffuser and an integrated trunk spoiler add more sporting flair. And, at 9.9 cubic feet, the trunk is quite roomy.

And for those people who remember convertible cars having plastic rear windows that would quickly become impossible to see through, the Z4 has a glass window with a heating element.

DYNAMIC HANDLING PACKAGE
A $2,450 option in the Z4 sDrive30i, standard in the Z4 M40i, this bundle of fun adds larger M Sport brakes, an M Sport differential, and the Adaptive M suspension featuring dynamic dampers and air cushioning at the rear axle for maximum traction through corners.

DRIVING DYNAMICS CONTROL
The Z4’s Driving Dynamics Control system has Eco Pro, Sport, Sport+, Comfort, and Individual modes. Controlled by a rocker switch on the center console, each setting adjusts power delivery and suspension tuning for a particular driving experience.

The 2-seater 2021 Z4 sDrive30i comes with a 255-horsepower engine, 8-speed automatic transmission, variable-ratio sport steering, selectable driving modes, and a powered fabric top. Inside, dual-zone automatic climate control is standard, along with a leather-covered steering wheel, simulated leather upholstery, 10.25-inch instrument cluster, wind deflector, and an engine stop/start button.

The Z4 M40i pairs a 382-horsepower twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 with the same 8-speed transmission. It also has upgraded M Sport brakes and suspension, as well as interior upgrades such as 14-way power-adjustable M Sport seats.

On the tech front, Apple CarPlay is joined this year by Android Auto. The latest iDrive system comes with a 10.25-inch display, two USB ports, 20GB of multimedia storage, and a 10-speaker/205-watt audio setup. The standard navigation system receives over-the-air (OTA) map updates four times a year. And BMW now includes a 12-month all-access subscription to SiriusXM 360L.

Standard safety features include forward-collision warning with low-speed automatic emergency braking.

Most options for the 2021 Z4 are accessed through packages. For example, the Driving Assistance package brings active cruise control with stop/go, blind spot detection with a haptic steering wheel, rear cross-traffic alert, plus (newly added for 2021) front and rear parking sensors.

The sDrive30i’s Premium package adds heated front seats, a head-up display, wireless charging, Wi-Fi, powered lumbar support, keyless entry, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, blind-spot detection, remote start, and parking assistance.

An Executive package includes the contents of the Premium package. It then adds ambient interior lighting, adaptive LED headlights, and a 12-speaker/408-watt Harman Kardon surround-sound system.

The Dynamic Handling package for the sDrive30i brings M Sport brakes, M Sport differential, and the Adaptive M suspension.

Active cruise control is also available as an individual option, costing $1,200. Buyers can also acquire Wi-Fi/wireless charging, ambient lighting, and parking assistance as separate items.

The BMW Z4 sDrive30i has a twin-scroll-turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine generating 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The Z4 M40i enjoys a twin-scroll-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 producing 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.

A twin-scroll turbocharger is not the same as twin turbochargers. It’s a single unit with special exhaust inlets allowing the blower to accumulate exhaust pressure from specific cylinders. Compared with a regular turbo, this design increases low-end boost, minimizes turbo lag, improves fuel efficiency, and sharpens responses. In common with many turbocharged engines, the Z4’s units require premium gasoline.

Both engines connect to an 8-speed automatic transmission with a manual shifting mode, paddle shifters mounted under the steering wheel, and launch control. Drive goes solely to the rear wheels.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
255 horsepower @ 5,000-6,500 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/32 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6
382 horsepower @ 5,000-6,500 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/30 mpg