2012 BMW Z4 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 BMW Z4 review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Z4, and includes BMW Z4 safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

A two-seat roadster with a power retractable hardtop that stows in the trunk, the 2012 BMW Z4 dukes it out with the Audi TT and Mercedes-Benz SLK in the luxury/performance sports car class.

A new turbocharged, direct-injected, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is installed in the Z4 sDrive28i model, paired with a six-speed manual or a new eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The new turbocharged four-cylinder provides slightly better performance and, thanks in part to an Auto Start-Stop feature with the manual gearbox, what BMW claims is significantly better fuel economy.

Three versions of the 2012 BMW Z4 are on sale, each equipped with successively more luxurious trimmings and performance-oriented hardware.

Given the starting price tag, the Z4 sDrive28i model’s standard equipment list is a bit sparse. There’s a power retractable hardtop, as well as what could be considered basic features even in a car half the price, but otherwise, the Z4 sDrive28i is lightly equipped. Highlights include 17-inch aluminum wheels, leatherette upholstery, air conditioning, and a trip computer with an outside temperature display. Bluetooth hands-free connectivity is also standard, along with a stereo that features HD Radio, a CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary audio input jack, and an iPod/USB connection. Additionally, the Z4 features welcome lighting, automatic Xenon adaptive headlights, rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, and manual front seat height adjusters. A Driving Dynamics Control system is standard, too, equipped with Comfort, Sport and Sport + modes.

Upgrading to the Z4 sDrive35i adds a unique set of 17-inch wheels, leather upholstery, eight-way power front seats, driver memory settings, dual-zone automatic climate control, and genuine brushed aluminum cabin trim.

Above and beyond these features, the Z4 sDrive35is includes 18-inch wheels, a Double Clutch Transmission with paddle shifters, an adaptive M suspension setup, an increased top speed of 155 mph, an aerodynamic body kit, and 10-way power sport seats. Upgraded interior trim, an M Sport steering wheel, and a sprinkling of M badges are also included.

Options are mainly grouped into packages. The Premium Sound Package adds a surround sound audio system as well as satellite radio, while the Cold Weather Package includes heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and retractable headlight washer nozzles. The Premium Package is a popular choice, too. All Z4’s get a universal remote control, auto-dimming side and rearview mirrors, ambient cabin lighting, and power lumbar support for the front seats. Additionally, this package adds 10-way power sport seats to the xDrive35i, while the xDrive28i gains eight-way power front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and leather.

A Sport Package is also available on the sDrive28i and sDrive35i models, equipping the cars with 10-way sport seats (power with driver memory settings on sDrive35i), 18-inch wheels, an adaptive suspension, and a 155-mph top speed. These models can also be upgraded with the M Sport Package, which includes these features plus an M Sport steering wheel, M badges, an M body kit, and Aluminum Carbon Shadow interior trim coupled with an Anthracite headliner.

Additional options include metallic paint, and extended leather treatment for the cabin, wood interior trim, and a Comfort Access keyless entry and ignition system. Automatic headlights, front and rear parking sensors, a navigation system, BMW Assist telematics with four years of the Safety Plan, and BMW Apps smartphone integration are also available on the 2012 BMW Z4.

BMW offers two different turbocharged engines in the 2012 Z4. The Z4 sDrive28i is equipped with the new direct-injected 2.0-liter turbocharged four, which makes 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque spread evenly between 1,250 and 4,800 rpm. A six-speed manual gearbox with fuel-saving Auto Start-Stop technology is standard, or buyers can opt for a new eight-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel shift paddles. Fuel economy ratings had not been established as this review was originally written.

For greater power and performance, the Z4 sDrive35i is equipped with a turbocharged, direct-injected, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft. of torque available anywhere between 1,400 and 5,000 rpm. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on this model. If your left foot is clutch-averse, there’s a seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) with paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel. Official 2012 fuel economy ratings were not available as this review was written, but last year this engine returned 19-city/26-highway with the stick shift or 17/24 with the DCT.

A massaged version of the turbocharged six-cylinder is installed under the long snout of the Z4 sDrive35is. It is cranking 335 horsepower, combined with 332 lb-ft. of torque starting at 1,500 rpm. The DCT is standard on this model, and last year’s fuel economy estimates were 17-city/24-highway.

While performance might be the Z4’s reason for existence, safety certainly doesn’t take a back seat. Come to think of it, in a roadster, it can’t. The Z4 is equipped with dual front, dual side, and dual knee airbags, traction control, stability control, and a start-off assistant feature that holds the car still when accelerating from a stop on a grade. The four-wheel vented-disc antilock braking system features a variety of safety technology, including Brake Fade Compensation, Brake Drying, Brake Stand-by, Cornering Brake Control, and adaptive brake lights. And, just in case you get way in over your head, the Z4 has a rollover protection system that springs into action if the Z4 flips.

In terms of safety options, the only ones are Park Distance Control, which adds front and rear parking sensors to the Z4, and BMW Assist telematics with four free years of Safety Plan service. With the Safety Plan, you get Automatic Crash Notification, which allows a live operator to try to get in touch with the Z4’s occupants in the event of an airbag deployment. Even if the car’s occupants cannot respond, the operator can direct rescue personnel right to the Z4’s location to speed assistance.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has crash-tested the BMW Z4. Consumer Reports says it doesn’t have enough survey data to rate the Z4’s reliability. So that leaves us to lean on J.D. Power and Associates to find some guidance with regard to the Z4, except J.D. Power hasn’t rated the 2012 model. All we can tell you is that last year, J.D. Power expected the BMW Z4 to provide better than average dependability over time.

Just in case that’s not enough data for you, know that every Z4 includes BMW Ultimate Service, which is free scheduled service for the duration of the four-year/50,000-mile warranty.

The lightest BMW Z4 weighs in at 3,263 pounds. Compare that to, say, a Mazda MX-5 Miata, which tips the scales at a feathery 2,447 pounds in base trim. Clearly, the BMW Z4 isn’t the svelte sports car the Z3 once was. Nevertheless, the new turbocharged sDrive28i gets to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds. Try that in a Miata.

While we’re on the subject of performance, BMW also quotes the Z4 sDrive35i running to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Get the optional automatic transmission, and that figure drops to an even five seconds. The performance-tuned sDrive35is model does the same run in 4.8 seconds and comes standard with a 155-mph top speed.

Notably, the fastest BMW Z4 is also the best-balanced BMW Z4. The sDrive35is boasts a 49.4/50.6 front-to-rear weight distribution for its considerable 3,549 pounds.

Every 2012 Z4 is equipped with Brake Energy Regeneration, which captures the kinetic energy created by applying the brakes, and uses it to charge the Z4’s battery.

In 2011, the BMW Z4 won an award from J.D. Power and Associates for being the Most Appealing car in its class, according to the results of that year’s annual APEAL study.

When the first BMW Z3 arrived back in the mid-1990s, it was supposed to be a more luxurious take on the traditional two-seat roadster, until then a market virtually owned by Mazda’s Miata. Over the years, the Z3, and then the Z4, became something else entirely. No longer an elemental roadster, the BMW Z4 is a full-fledged sports car. As such, it commands a price premium for its performance, technology, materials, and design. We love driving the BMW Z4, but question the value it offers when a Miata is half the price and just as much fun.

-- By Christian Wardlaw