| COMFORT AND EQUIPMENT RATING: |
 |
The stiff bodyshell allows the Z4 to have quite supple suspension, which means that it rides smoothly over bumps for a sports car. Even the optional, lower and stiffer, sport suspension pack (standard on the 3.0-litre) manages to avoid crushing your spine, making for a smooth and civilised drive. There's little in the way of unwanted noise, just the engine's cultured voice, and both driving seat and steering wheel are adjustable for height as well as reach. However, some drivers might find the absence of side support in the seats leads to backache as they brace themselves against the Z4's considerable cornering forces. Air-conditioning is standard. This is no masterpiece of packaging. The seats have enough adjustment to accommodate big people, and the boot can hold the two golf bags deemed important by BMW's marketing department, but cabin storage space is poor. The door pockets are too slim and shallow to hold much beyond a phone, the glovebox is tiny, so all that's really left is a storage box between the seat backrests. And if you have the optional sat-nav, that's where the main DVD unit is housed. There is a small net in the passenger footwell, which could hold a pair of sunglasses. Z4 buyers can specify one of two upgrades over the standard stereo system. Ten speakers comes as standard, spread behind the seats as well as in front, and the top 'Carver' system uses a 100Watt, extra-powerful subwoofer with, as BMW puts it, 'an appropriate signal processor in order to protect the loudspeaker from destroying itself'. If you like bass notes rumbling through your torso, you'll love this, but the rest of the frequency spectrum is faithfully rendered, too. The only problem is that the information display on the head unit is impossible to read in sunlight, quite a snag in a convertible. Two DVD-driven sat-nav systems are optional, the more expensive one featuring a colour screen that folds up out of the facia, which can be specified with TV-function and a Mini-Disc player.
|
