Quote:
Originally Posted by CeEl
So how did you like it? Nicer live than in the pictures?
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I liked it, but I like this style of car.
I was there with a whole group of Z owners (40 or so), and the reactions were very very mixed.
Lots of people dont like the front, but most of them like the interior (especially the seats) and the rear.
The rear gives certainly presence, more than say a 2 series.
I like the front, with the mercedes style copied kidney pattern.
The vertical headlamps werent as much of a letdown as I expected, but the hood is a bit low. It doesnt have the bulge/bulginess of the previous 2 generations. More like a corvette hood.
The side vents were gloss black plastic and looked cheap. They try to imitate piano laquer, but if its just gloss plastic it also looks like gloss plastic. Something like matte chrome would look better I think, but if bmw is smart those could be the kinds of details that could be sold in the individual line or so.
I think overall the car looked ok, but not the real eye opener it should have been, when considering that the z4 has been out of production for a few years now. I dont think it will be the design trendsetter like the e85 z4 was when it was launched and gave styling features to many models after that.
I think that role now goes to the new 8 series (which was also there on display and looked really cool)
On a technical pov I think its great that a proper LSD is an option again (from what I've heard it would be the m2 diff; I took some pictures from this z4's underside rear axle but it either didnt have the LSD option, or its encased in a normal 1/2 series rear diff casing), but the loss of a manual gearbox and (certainly in europe) limited power (340bhp for the m40i) means to me that its no match for the 'competition', in this case Boxster S and Audi TTRS.
Those 2 last cars may be more expensive, but its a comparison between the best what porsche and audi can offer in this class against what bmw can offer, and in that context its way way down on power.
There used to be a time that BMW was king in the amount of power it offered in this package but those days are sadly long gone.