Z4 delievers best of both worlds

BMW's Z4 35i SE. Photo / Supplied

Winter might not seem the right time to test a convertible, but that's the beauty of hard-top roadsters. Done right, they deliver the best of both worlds.

So sliding into this low-slung beast's leather seats we initially left the top in place.

BMW used to sell a coupe and soft-top Z4. Now there's just the one car and it works well. Zipping on and off the highway to run errands, this 35i SE was barely noisier than a roofed variant would be. Sunny out? Dropping the top requires a button press and a short wait. Given heated seats the result is livable even in winter, though forget the brochures _ anyone with long hair must tie it back at much over 50km/h, and the (optional, $670) wind deflector makes little difference.

Still, it's worth it to hear this engine.

The 3.0-litre twin-turbo delivers 225kW and 400Nm, with a disappointingly muted soundtrack that's best heard with the roof down. Floor it and there's an urgency to the acceleration and a broad, linear spread of power, sent to those rear tyres via a seven-speed double-clutch transmission with paddle shift.

On greasy winter roads there's more than enough to incite rear-wheel shimmy. It took a bit to get the hang of just how much is too much, and how well the stability control and dynamic drive work.

The latter orchestrates the adapted dampers from ``normal' to ``sport' to ``sport-plus'. Normal delivered an acceptable but firmish ride, while sport and sport-plus tauten handling but ride becomes hard. The rubber is more likely to skitter over those B-road corrugations, thus compromising the otherwise plentiful grip.

Sport-plus also switches stability control off, not a good idea on debris-strewn winter roads. Which leads to the handling verdict: it's impressive, and will suit most drivers most of the time. But it won't beat the more supple and better-balanced Porsche Boxster on a tight and twisty road.

Still, for all its iconic lines the Porsche doesn't deliver the styling edge of this BMW. The current design team toned down its predecessor's more radical edges and this car is sharp and muscular, but not OTT.
It's also remarkably easy to live with, day to day. The driver-focused cabin with its opulent materials and classic-flavoured dials is comfy and easily accommodates a 1.8m passenger. There's space for handbags and coats behind the seats, and a generous boot.

The Boxter's luggage capacity might be 280 litres but that's divided between front and rear. The Z4's single luggage space fits 310 litres roof up, and though that drops to 180 litres with the roof down. It's a useful 180 litres that will accommodate a large suitcase. This Z4 delivers a beautiful balance of comfort, power and handling with a pleasing if subdued soundtrack to suit. It's not as talented a sports car as some, but its broader focus means this smart roadster could double as your daily-driver, a bonus even for those with the $124,900 spare to buy one.