Entered CNET Catalog: 02/17/2007
SKU: 100832474
Manufacturer: BMW of North America
Product summary
The good: The 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe looks good and goes fast. It's a solid sports car with a little extra cargo space, plus a very tweakable audio system.
The bad: BMW didn't seem to bother with much of an interface for the cabin electronics, and the suspension feels rubbery. Poor EPA mileage subjects it to a gas-guzzler tax.
The bottom line: An excellent sports car, the 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe has a lot of weird little quirks that take getting used to, such as learning how to control its cabin tech. Spend some time with it, though, and it will grow on you.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 08/29/2007
Photo gallery:
2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe
Building a hardtop version of a roadster seems counterintuitive, as people like convertibles, but BMW consistently places engineering over popularity. With the 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe, BMW relies on people to appreciate the performance of the car rather than whether you can get a suntan in it. And the M Coupe performs fantastically, with an engine that sounds angry when the rpms get significant.
But this isn't a stripped-down speed machine--the M Coupe gets a full raft of cabin tech to make the car a helpful partner in everyday driving. Our test car shipped with a pop-up navigation screen, Bluetooth cell phone integration, and a thumping stereo system that handles MP3 CDs.
The M Coupe gave us an adrenaline-filled week, but it's not without drawbacks. The rudimentary interface for the cabin gadgets makes it seem like the engineers, in a fit of pique over all the bad press about iDrive, only put about five minutes of work into it. And you can have much more fun with the M Coupe by turning off the overly aggressive traction control, which doesn't let you get away with anything. The suspension also felt a little rubbery where we expected a rigid sports car feel.
Test the tech: Old versus new
BMW produced a coupe version of its old Z3 roadster in limited numbers from 1999 to 2002, the inspiration for the new coupe based on the Z4. As one of our staff editors owns a 1999 Z3 Coupe, we compared the old and the new, driving them over the same twisty mountain roads and taking stock of their available equipment. Unfortunately, the 1999 Z3 Coupe is not the M version, so our M Coupe test car is much more powerful.
Z3 Coupes were better equipped than the Z3 roadsters as standard, complete with a nine speaker Harman-Kardon stereo system. The stereo was a single-CD player in the dash, with an optional six-disc changer mounted in the cargo area. The Z3 Coupe had a tweeter and mid in each door, plus a tweeter and mid mounted to the ceiling over the cargo area, one set on both sides. There was also a subwoofer mounted in the cargo area.
The Z4 M Coupe has the same arrangement in the doors, plus speakers mounted behind the seats and a subwoofer in its cargo area. The audio quality in the newer car is stronger, with heavier bass, but the older car has better clarity. The Z4 M Coupe has a single-CD player, too, but it handles MP3 CDs, and also has an auxiliary audio input. But then the newer car blows away the older one by also offering a navigation system and Bluetooth cell phone integration, beating it out on the cabin gadgets.
Both cars handle exceptionally well, but the steering wheel on the Z4 M Coupe is smaller and thicker, with more oversteer. We took both cars on our three favorite local roads: Tunitas Creek and Alpine in the Santa Cruz mountains, and Fairfax-Bolinas Road in Marin. We quickly found that the more modern and aggressive traction control on the Z4 M Coupe kept the rear from stepping out at all, whereas the older car could practically turn on a dime on hairpins by pushing its back tires out. When we turned off traction control in the Z4 M Coupe, we got much the same effect.
Our old Z3 Coupe uses a 2.8-liter straight six, while the new Z4 M Coupe has a 3.2-liter straight six with BMW's Double-VANOS system of variable valve timing. The slightly bigger engine produces about 140 more horsepower, a huge gain. The newer car also gets six gears over the Z3's five, but both manual transmissions had a similar shift feel. On our twisty roads, though, only second and third count. In second at 5,000rpm, the Z4 M Coupe's engine makes a very angry noise, while the Z3 Coupe has a more tenable sound.
Finally, the suspension feel of the Z4 M Coupe had a rubbery feel, where the Z3 Coupe's was sports car rigid. There is also more available cargo area in the Z3 Coupe than in the Z4 M Coupe. Some people will also prefer the more outlandish style of the older car. As a tech car, the Z4 M Coupe far outstrips the Z3 Coupe, bringing technology not generally available in cars from 1999. And the newer car will knock the older out on the straighter roads, but they run close together on the twisties.
In the cabin
The cabin of the M Coupe is appropriately tight for a two-seat sports car, but the seats have a good range of power adjustment, including vertical. The three spoke steering wheel has a thick rim, making it easy to grip. Buttons for the stereo, telephone, and voice command are mounted on the lateral spokes. The voice command system controls only the hands-free phone system, although we had significant trouble getting it to recognize our commands.
For the navigation option, BMW mounts an LCD in the dashboard that pops up when in use. This position permits a lot of glare on sunny days, making the screen difficult to read, especially through sunglasses. When you hit the menu button, the screen shows an interface that looks unfinished. It gives you options for navigation, telephone, trip information, audio settings, and system settings. This screen could use a graphic treatment. And, strangely, you can't access the stereo from this interface.
Instead of iDrive, which we last saw on the BMW 535, this system uses a menu button and combination knob-push-button. These buttons, combined with the onscreen interface, were not at all intuitive to use. But during our week with the car we managed to figure out how everything worked and grew to appreciate its simplicity. The system needs some serious refinement and better feedback onscreen.
The navigation system worked well enough, but it had some frustrating quirks. To get into the destination entry screen, you have to push the control knob in, then figure out what the various menu options mean. For example, Information takes you to the points-of-interest database and a page about Navteq, the map provider. In the Systems setting menu, you can choose full- or split-screen displays, but with full-screen enabled, route guidance won't show graphics indicating upcoming turns. We also found that, once we had arrived at a destination, the system seemed to keep computing how to get there as we drove on, albeit without voice prompts on how to get there. The system also paints the roads on your route white, which can be difficult to see on the beige background.
We generally like BMW's implementation of Bluetooth hands-free cell phone integration. The M Coupe performed like other BMWs we've used, giving us access to the phone's phone book. The only drawback we found with this system, what we thought was a glitch in other BMWs we've tried, is that it got stuck on a phone number, redialing it every time we activated the system.
Our test car came with the Premium package, which includes a premium sound system certified by THX. We found the THX audio quality in the Lincoln MKZ stunning, but we weren't quite as impressed with the quality in the Z4 M Coupe. This system pumps 430 watts through 10 speakers, including two subwoofers. The result is a very bass-heavy sound, without the clear highs we would expect from THX. The system produced a very strong sound, and we consider it excellent, but it didn't seem as sublime as what we heard in the Lincoln.
It's possible we could have tweaked the audio quality more to our liking, as the Z4 M Coupe has a seven-band graphic equalizer as part of its digital sound processing. But, as with other interfaces in this car, the equalizer's seemed unfinished, with buttons labeled "Demo" and "Memo."
The single-CD player handled MP3 CDs, and we liked how it displayed full track information on the screen. HD radio is an option, though not present on our car. Neither satellite radio, a disc changer, nor an iPod adapter seem to be available on this car. It does have a standard auxiliary audio jack hidden underneath the dashboard.
Under the hood
The Z4 M Coupe produces an exhilarating driving experience, with very fast acceleration. Its 3.2-liter, straight six engine delivers 330 horsepower way up at 7,900rpm and 262 lb-ft. of torque at 4,900rpm. That translates to a 0 to 60mph time of 4.9 seconds, according to BMW. The car displays a variable redline with indicator lights on the tachometer.
Anyone interested in the M Coupe will immediately hit the Sport button sitting next to the shifter. Sport mode sharpens the throttle response dramatically, making the car difficult to control in traffic. We spent quite a bit of time in Sport mode, as it works great for getting the immediate acceleration you need while coming through a hairpin turn.
The six-speed manual shifter has a slight ratchety feel going into gear, not as smooth as we would expect. But we would have liked a less smooth suspension feel. In our tortuous mountain driving, we noted the car's rubbery suspension feel, as if BMW went more for comfort then sports car handling. As mentioned above, we liked the handling better during sport driving with traction control turned off. With it on, we saw the traction control indicator continually lighting up as we pushed the car around hard turns.
Although we note a few criticisms above, we really enjoyed putting the Z4 M Coupe through its paces. It was fun and challenging to drive it on particular twisty roads, well-mannered and fast on bigger roads with broader corners, but a little frustrating in city traffic.
The EPA rates the Z4 M Coupe at 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. In our combined city, highway, and freeway driving, we saw an average of 20.1 mpg, on the high side of the EPA figures, but we also saw a downward trend during extensive city driving. The M Coupe meets California's minimum LEV emission standard.
In sum
Our 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe had a base price of $50,100. The option list included Interlagos blue metallic paint ($475), the Premium package ($2,850), heated seats ($500), and navigation ($1,800). The M Coupe is also subject to a $1,000 gas-guzzler charge along with its $775 destination charge, bringing the total for our test car to $57,500, a steep price for a two-seater.
The cabin tech in the M Coupe is functional, but the interface needs some serious refinement. We like that BMW packs all this tech into a small sports car. With its equalizer, we can imagine audiophiles will spend a lot of time tweaking the sound quality of the THX audio system.
But with the rpms running high, the engine will drown out the stereo. This is the kind of car you will want to bring to track days and spend weekends ripping around country roads. For some serious competition in the turns, though, consider the slightly less expensive Audi TT 3.2, which has all-wheel-drive.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8out of 8 user reviews
Driving Machine for the Purist
Pros: Cool & unique styling. Great acceleration & braking. Superb handling. Nice thick steering wheel. Driving position is great.
Cons: Clutch delay problem (CDV) that causes unavoidable jerkiness on the 1-2 shift. Poor stereo system. Weak exhaust note.
out of 8 user reviews
BMW's Z4 ///M coupe is better than the Porsche Cayman S, the Mercedes SLK AMG, or any other...
Pros: This car makes you feel the way you did when you first got your drivers license and scared yourself by how fast you were going... everytime you drive it!
Cons: It will kill anyone who can't handle a street-legal 343HP go-kart that does 0-60MPH in under 5 seconds.
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1 Ascari A10 1.17.3
2 Koenigsegg CCX (with TG spoiler) 1.17.6
3 Pagani Zonda F 1.18.4
4 Maserati MC12 1.18.9
5 Ferrari Enzo 1.19.0
6 Ariel Atom 1.19.5
7 Lamborghini LP640 1.19.8
8 Porsche Carrera GT 1.19.8
9 Ascari KZ1 1.20.7
10 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 1.20.9
11 Ferrari 599 GTB 1.21.2
12 Ford GT 1.21.9
13 Porsche GT3 RS 1.22.3
14 Ferrari 360 CS 1.22.3
15 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 1.22.4
16 Noble M15 1.22.5
17 Ferrari F430 1.22.9
18 Lamborghini Murcielago 1.23.7
19 Pagani Zonda 1.23.8
20 Koenigsegg 1.23.9
21 Audi R8 1.24.4
22 TVR Sagaris 1.24.6
23 Mitsubishi Evo FQ 400 1.24.8
24 Noble M400 1.25.0
25 Lotus Exige S 1.25.1
26 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder 1.25.7
27 Lamborghini Gallardo 1.25.8
28 BMW Z4 M (The slightly slower roadster version) 1.26.0
29 Brabus Biturbo Roadster 1.26.2
30 Porsche Cayman 1.26.2
31 Chevrolet Corvette 1.26.8
32 Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG 1.26.9
33 Lotus Exige 1.26.9
34 Aston Martin Vanquish S 1.27.1
35 Aston Martin DB9 1.27.1
36 Porsche 911 GT3 1.27.2
37 Spyker C8 1.27.3
38 Wiesmann 1.27.9
39 BMW M3 CSL 1.28.0
40 Roush Mustang 1.28.0
41 Marcos TSO GT2 1.28.2
42 Dodge Viper SRT-10 1.28.5
43 Mitsubishi Evo VIII 1.28.9
44 Porsche 911 Carrera S 1.28.9
45 Mercedes-Benz CL65 1.29
46 BMW Alpina Z8 1.29.0
47 Subaru Impreza STi WRX WR1 1.29.4
48 Volkswagen Golf W12 GTI 1.29.6
49 Alfa 3.7 GTA Autodelta 1.30.0
50 Ford Shelby GT500 1.30.0
51 Vauxhall Monaro VXR 1.30.1
52 Subaru Impreza STI 1.30.1
53 Volkswagen Golf R32 1.30.4
54 Aston Martin DB7 GT 1.30.4
55 Audi S4 1.30.9
56 Porsche 911 Turbo 1.31.0
57 Vauxhall VX220 Turbo 1.31.3
58 Vauxhall VXR8 1.31.3
59 Vauxhall VXR8 1.31.3
60 New Audi TT 1.31.4
61 Honda NSX Type-R 1.31.6
62 BMW 535d 1.31.8
63 Mazda RX8 1.31.8
64 Nissan 350Z 1.31.8
65 BMW M3 1.31.8
66 BMW 130 1.31.9
67 Ford Focus RS 1.32.2
68 Mazda 6 MPS 1.32.2
69 Audi TT V6 1.32.7
70 Jaguar E-Type 1.32.8
71 MG ZT 1.33.0
72 MG ZT 1.33.0
73 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG 1.33.2
74 Holden Monaro 1.33.5
75 Renault Clio Cup 1.33.8
76 Ford Mondeo ST220 1.34.5
77 Jaguar XKR 1.34.7
78 Ford Focus ST 1.34.9
79 Volvo S60R 1.35.0
80 Ferrari 575M 1.35.2
81 Vauxhall Vectra VXR 1.35.3
82 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 1.35.6
83 Lotus Elise 1.35.6
84 Aston Martin Vanquish 1.36.2
85 Renault Clio v6 1.36.2
86 Honda Civic Type-R 1.36.5
87 Alfa Romeo Brera 1.36.9
88 Saab 95 hot aero 1.37.9
89 Mazzer 1.38.0
90 Maserati 3200 GT 1.38.0
91 Bowler Wildcat 1.39.4
92 Bentley Arnage 1.40.8
93 Overfinch 1.44.0
94 Aston Martin DB5 1.46.0
out of 8 user reviews
Amazing Sports car for price and performance
Pros: Comfort, Speed, Handling, Looks, Warranty
Cons: Ride a bit harsh, not as many refinements as a normal BMW, no SMG option
out of 8 user reviews
AWESOME SPORTS CAR!!
Pros: This thing rides like a slot car.
Cons: Tech hookups were complicated.
out of 8 user reviews
For boulevardiers and golf players. Better choices avaliable
Pros: Nifty and sweet high rev engine
Cons: Everything else
The suspension settings are not sporty, they are downright harsh. This is very important to notice, because harshness does not mean that a car is sports oriented or similar.
The interior trim, sad to say, is on pair with those lately seen in USA produced Bimmers: tending to low cost plastics all over compared with the opposition.
And it is, when compared with the opposition, where this car suffers most. When getting lower in power, there are so many opponents that just do the stuff so much better, that the real competition starts with the 110 horsepower short Mazda RX8, which has a much better sorted out chassis, a real sense of delicacy,purpose and pizzaz and interior tech will satisfy the most tech savvy. Continuing with the Audi TT, not so well rounded as the Mazda, but as fast in real life to both. Ending up in the Z4 3.0si and the real contenders: the Nissan 350Z and the Porsche Cayman/Boxter.
However, the very best contender is just another M car: a second hand BMW M3 from the previous generation, which is a much better car in every single sense.
All in all, this car [overall, the Z4 range] will satisfy just BMW fans. Or badge concious drivers.
The one thing that the badge will not put upon your face is that really weird sneer and smirk that an RX8 driver has, which has no explanation, but it does exist. And usually, nor Nissan, Mazda or Porsche drivers will end up explaining the 55 extraordinary french engineering [yep, french, it is right] developed by germans in a party.
The last drawback: the i-drive and similar stuff [including Command and MMi type interfaces], which IMHO are downright dangerous, should be incidentally banned.
To sum up:
If you want a true sportscoupe: buy everything else but a MB or BMW [Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Audi, Alfa Romeo, Porsche].
If you want to show off: buy an Alfa Romeo, Porsche or Volvo/MB.
If you want a car attached to a badge: buy this propposed Z4.
out of 8 user reviews
Best two seat car on the road?
Pros: Looks Great ,c an be smooth when you want or violently fast when you want
Cons: Old electronics
But here is the deal about CNET- I too was going to wonder why CNET did car reviews and agree with the previous reviewr- I rely on CNET for my "gadgets" (and why the reviewer likes the Z4MC "gadgets" is beyond me- it uses the old electronics found in the E46) but thats OK.
But I went ahead and read the review and saw the picture of the Ipod jack- I bought a third party Ipod adapter because neither my dealer or the online BMW forums said anything about it! And lo and behold- I plugged my Ipod in and it worked- OK so I am the dumba*s! But thanks to CNET I have a better Ipod jack with no background hiss like the DICE third party unit that I had installed.
CNET- Keep up the good work and keep reviewing cars!!
PS the 10 speaker THX Carver sound system is only average IMO- I give it a 7 out of 10- could use some more low to midrange punch- not THUD but a tight punch.
PPS- there is actually more room in the car than it looks like- it is very wide inside to where you don't rub on the person next to you while shifting (like Miata and S2000)
out of 8 user reviews
Another silly car review
Pros: Car goes fast, mongo!
Cons: No trunk space, though.
So, in summary, how widely read are these lousy reviews of the less important aspects of the least mainstream cars?
How about doing any of the following:
1, Factoring in the price of the car.
2, Making this an article, rather than a review.
3, Actually testing all the available navigation aids that come in cars in a side-by-side comparison.
4, Just developing a table that lists all the car technology by make and model. That way, if someone is looking for a car that plays MP3s and has bluetooth, they can find it.
5, Stop clowning around and put those journalistic skills to use!
out of 8 user reviews
Engaging, visceral, quick, uncommon
Pros: Drivetrain, LSD, handling, styling
Cons: None really
This is a weekend car (I have an E46 for my daily driver) and is brilliant fun to drive. I have not yet tracked the car but am involved in autocrossing it.
