2003-2008 BMW Z4: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

BMW redesigned and renamed its premium two-seat sports car for 2003, making it slightly longer and wider, but with carried-over engines. Like the outgoing Z3, the Z4 was built in South Carolina. Unlike the Z3, it did not offer a coupe companion to the convertible body style. Standard features included a manual soft top with heated glass rear window, run-flat tires, antilock four-wheel disc brakes, and an antiskid system. A power soft top was available. Rivals included the Audi TT, Honda S2000, Mazda Miata, and Porsche Boxster. Two inline six-cylinder engines returned with unchanged power. The 2.5i used a 2.5-liter, while the 3.0i held a 3.0-liter engine. Higher performance M versions were not included. The Z4 2.5i came with a five-speed manual transmission, while the 3.0i used a six-speed manual. Both could have an optional five-speed automatic with a manual shift gate. A six-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) became available in midyear. Shifting via steering-wheel "paddles," the computer-controlled SMG had no clutch pedal and could be set to shift like a conventional automatic.