The BMW Z4

For those that are looking for sporty and performance, then the BMW Z4 is the car for them. This was the car that replaced the Z3 as the premium small sports car to own for those that wanted something that was small since it only seats two people, and has the performance of the other high end sports cars out there. The Z4 was not produced until 2002. Therefore, it is a bit younger line than what the majority of other BMW cars are. The first Z4 was rolled out of Greer, South Carolina plant. When it was first produced it was produced in the roadster version and the coupe version. However, the roadster version seems to be the one that most people turn to nowadays. Upon its debut, the car did win the Design of the Year award from Automobile Magazine which was something that BMW was very proud of. Not many cars get this award straight out of the gate when they are first released.

The first generation of the BMW Z4 was deemed the E85 which was the roadster version, and the E86 which was the coupe version. They were designed by the Danish designer, Anders Warming. The car was designed with the front end being longer and the entire car being very low to the ground. The low to the ground was to enable the car to better handle curves at high speeds. While the longer front end is something that most sports cars have, consider the Chevrolet Corvette as a model for why automakers do this. Performance wise, the first generation of the BMW Z4 was those that could go up to around 156 miles per hour, with an electric sensor that will only allow the vehicle to go this fast. They are all outfitted with a five or six speed automatic or manual transmission for people to choose from. Of course, for those that want the full sporty appeal they are going to find that the six speed manual transmission is the choice to have. Those that were considered part of the first generation also had a soft folding top for the roadster edition.

The second generation was first announced in 2008 and made its debut at the 2009 North American Auto Show. They were basically the same set up as the first generation. The only difference was that the roadster versions were not outfitted with a hard top to drop down. They were given the E89 name.

The newest version of the Z4, the 2011 Z4 keeps with the standards that the car has always had. However, they did change a few of the appearances of the car to keep it in tune with what people expect from a car today. In addition, they enhanced the aerodynamics of the car in order to get better handling and gas mileage, which is important in today's market in order for a car to succeed. The performance of the car was also enhanced to give a much sportier feel to the car.