{"id":37648,"date":"2020-09-05T06:00:02","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T21:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=37648"},"modified":"2021-07-28T21:08:49","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T12:08:49","slug":"bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/","title":{"rendered":"Test Drive of the BMW Z4 M40i\uff5cHow Does a Boxster Owner Feel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, my husband has had the chance to test drive various classic cars owned by acquaintances. I’m truly envious… Just the other day, he got to drive the BMW Z4 M40i<\/strong> and kindly wrote up his impressions. Please have a look if you’re interested.<\/p>\n

The Joy of Driving, BMW<\/h3>\n

The other day, I had the opportunity to experience the BMW Z4 M40i, and I\u2019d like to share my impressions from that drive.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve mentioned this a bit before on the blog, but I really love BMW as a brand.<\/strong> My previous car, the E36 318is, taught me that a car can be fun even without a lot of power,<\/strong> and I was impressed by its strong body and very controllable suspension.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, I often drove a friend\u2019s Z3, and until recently, my wife was driving an F30 320i.<\/p>\n

So, I was curious to see how the BMW Z4 M40i had evolved, and since it\u2019s a sibling to the new Supra, it was a car I was personally very interested in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Its length \u00d7 width \u00d7 height is 4335 \u00d7 1865 \u00d7 1305 mm, but at first glance, the design feels a bit more substantial, making it look slightly larger than the numbers suggest.<\/p>\n

This model switches from a hardtop to a soft top,<\/strong> which really conveys BMW\u2019s passionate commitment to driving.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The interior features striking orange seats that look very stylish, sporty, and luxurious. Sitting down and adjusting the position, the M Sport steering wheel remains thick as ever,<\/strong> and many people wouldn\u2019t want it any other way.<\/p>\n

Starting the engine, the 3-liter silky inline-six<\/strong> awakens with a satisfying volume.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

First, I set off slowly in Comfort mode.<\/strong> My initial impression was that the ride quality is very comfortable.<\/strong> The 19-inch wheels are handled perfectly,<\/strong> and if you didn\u2019t know, you might even be fooled into thinking they were 17-inch wheels because the ride is so smooth.<\/p>\n

Typical roughness or sharpness on the road surface, often found in sports cars, is almost nonexistent.<\/strong> It feels like the car is fitted with very thick rubber bushings, so few people would complain about the ride comfort.<\/p>\n

By the way, I drove there in a 981 Boxster GTS, which also has quite good ride comfort,<\/strong> but the approach is different.<\/strong> To use an analogy, even though both are lightweight high-performance sneakers, the BMW Z4 M40i feels like it has a thicker sole than the Boxster,<\/strong> making it feel milder overall.<\/p>\n

Driving some winding roads in Comfort mode, the car allows a fair amount of body roll. However, it\u2019s not unsettling roll but rather a moderate amount that helps load the front outer tires in a very BMW-like way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After a few corners, it feels very comfortable, showing no signs of a sweaty, hard-driven effort. It smoothly and cleanly clears each corner with ease.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Next, switching to Sport mode<\/strong> to observe the changes. The suspension feels a bit firmer, but not as dramatically as the Boxster.<\/strong> The shift schedule changes, encouraging higher revs.<\/p>\n

Still, at a pace suitable for winding public roads, it remains gentle rather than sharp or edgy,<\/strong> set up to corner smoothly and enjoyably rather than with razor-sharp directness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next page \u2192 How does the Z4 M40i really differ from the Boxster!?<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

How Does the Z4 M40i Differ from the Boxster?<\/h3>\n

I switched to manual mode and tried the paddle shifters. Personally, I really like recent BMW automatics, and I\u2019m almost convinced there\u2019s no need for twin-clutch transmissions anymore.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Z4 M40i\u2019s automatic transmission is called the Steptronic Sport Transmission,<\/strong> but it\u2019s hard to believe it\u2019s a torque converter automatic given how crisp the shifts are. The shift speed is quite fast, especially on upshifts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In feel, it\u2019s comparable to the PDK found in Porsche 991.1 and 981 models.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The exhaust note on upshifts is powerful, and the afterfire pops on throttle lift-off are very satisfying.<\/strong> At low to mid RPMs, the sound is deep, but at high revs, lifting off the throttle produces a loud and exciting \u201ccrackling, popping!<\/strong>\u201d This will be a matter of taste, but I like it.<\/p>\n

Regarding engine feel, it\u2019s the silky six as expected. Having known naturally aspirated engines from the past, I can detect a slight roughness or micro-vibration from the turbocharging, but this is truly an engine made by the \u201cBavarian engine masters.\u201d<\/strong> It\u2019s very easy to drive even at low speeds and delivers strong torque and exhilarating acceleration when you push it.<\/p>\n

This time, I intentionally avoided researching detailed engine specs beforehand to keep an open mind.<\/strong> While driving, I honestly guessed it was around 350 to 380 horsepower.<\/p>\n

Later, I checked the specs: 340 ps (250 kW) at 5000 rpm, and torque of 500 Nm (51.0 kgm) from 1600 to 4500 rpm. My guess wasn\u2019t far off, but the power feels stronger than the numbers suggest. This is likely due to the massive 500 Nm torque available from very low revs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Japan\u2019s traffic environment, it\u2019s certainly not slow, but it\u2019s not violently fast either. I think it\u2019s just about the upper limit you can comfortably push on Japanese winding roads.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once I got used to driving it, I raised the pace a bit. At that point, in terms of handling precision and road grip, it honestly doesn\u2019t quite match the Boxster.<\/strong> Other car friends who joined that day shared the same impression, so I don\u2019t think I\u2019m far off.<\/p>\n

For example, on the Royu Driveway, the gentle S-curve leading from Arima Corner to the tunnel at Juhatcho Corner is a pleasant mid-speed section. You approach it in 2nd or 3rd gear, pressing the accelerator on the uphill. It\u2019s satisfying to cleanly and linearly pass through the S-curve, and I believe this spot clearly reveals handling precision and ease of control.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When driving the Boxster through here, it feels great, running almost without any slip in a straight line. But with the Z4, there\u2019s a slight feeling that the line in your head and the car\u2019s path don\u2019t quite match when you flick it right and left.<\/strong> It\u2019s hard to analyze exactly why, but comparatively, I think the Z4\u2019s slightly larger body roll and softer suspension rebound damping cause this difference.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On the other hand, comfort and ease clearly go to the Z4.<\/strong> After this test drive, if I had to sum up the Z4 in one word, I\u2019d say it\u2019s a \u2018Z5.\u2019 It feels like a luxurious ride with strong GT car qualities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Often, Z4 reviews compare it to the Boxster and treat them as rivals.<\/strong> But my impression is that these two cars are quite different.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I used to drive a Mercedes SLK350, and if I were to consider a rival, I\u2019d compare the Z4 to the SLK (SLC).<\/p>\n

At first, I thought the Z4 and Boxster were rivals, but after driving both on the same course on the same day, I feel their directions are quite different.<\/strong> This isn\u2019t about which is better or worse, but rather they aim for different things, and depending on driver preference, they could be judged completely opposite.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Z4 is a GT-style open sports car.<\/strong> For example, if you want a fast open-top car for weekend mornings to the golf course, the Z4 is definitely more suitable. But if you want a car purely for enjoying winding roads and touring, the Boxster is probably the better choice.<\/p>\n

Also, for city driving with lots of traffic jams and stop-and-go, the Z4 is more practical, while for weekend circuit track days, the Boxster is preferable.<\/p>\n

Since these two cars appear to be in the same category, it\u2019s tempting to compare and find which is superior or inferior, but that\u2019s not the right approach. When considering these two, it\u2019s best to choose based on the situations and uses you expect from the car.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This test drive made it clear to me just how different their directions are.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recently, my husband has had the chance to test drive various classic cars owned by acquaintances. I’m truly envious… Just the other day, he got to drive the BMW Z4 M40i and kindly wrote up his impressions. Please have a look if you’re interested. The Joy of Driving, BMW The other day, I had the opportunity to experience the BMW Z4 M40i, and I\u2019d like to share my impressions from that drive. I\u2019ve mentioned this...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":19539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=19527"},"categories":[72,57],"tags":[203],"yoast_head":"Test Drive of the BMW Z4 M40i\uff5cHow Does a Boxster Owner Feel? - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Test drove the BMW Z4 M40i. A Porsche Boxster GTS (981) owner shares his impressions of driving the Z4 and how it compares to his usual Porsche experience.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Test Drive of the BMW Z4 M40i\uff5cHow Does a Boxster Owner Feel? - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Test drove the BMW Z4 M40i. A Porsche Boxster GTS (981) owner shares his impressions of driving the Z4 and how it compares to his usual Porsche experience.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/panameralife\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-09-04T21:00:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-28T12:08:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BA9CFF3E-4E10-4DB7-AD68-DC530EDED5E7-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Test Drive of the BMW Z4 M40i\uff5cHow Does a Boxster Owner Feel? - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","description":"Test drove the BMW Z4 M40i. A Porsche Boxster GTS (981) owner shares his impressions of driving the Z4 and how it compares to his usual Porsche experience.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/","next":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Test Drive of the BMW Z4 M40i\uff5cHow Does a Boxster Owner Feel? - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","og_description":"Test drove the BMW Z4 M40i. A Porsche Boxster GTS (981) owner shares his impressions of driving the Z4 and how it compares to his usual Porsche experience.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/","og_site_name":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/panameralife\/","article_published_time":"2020-09-04T21:00:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-07-28T12:08:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1920,"url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BA9CFF3E-4E10-4DB7-AD68-DC530EDED5E7-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Test Drive of the BMW Z4 M40i\uff5cHow Does a Boxster Owner Feel?","datePublished":"2020-09-04T21:00:02+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-28T12:08:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/"},"wordCount":1357,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BA9CFF3E-4E10-4DB7-AD68-DC530EDED5E7-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["BMW"],"articleSection":["Reviews & Test Drives","BMW"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/","name":"Test Drive of the BMW Z4 M40i\uff5cHow Does a Boxster Owner Feel? - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BA9CFF3E-4E10-4DB7-AD68-DC530EDED5E7-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2020-09-04T21:00:02+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-28T12:08:49+00:00","description":"Test drove the BMW Z4 M40i. A Porsche Boxster GTS (981) owner shares his impressions of driving the Z4 and how it compares to his usual Porsche experience.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/bmw-z4-m40i-testdrive\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BA9CFF3E-4E10-4DB7-AD68-DC530EDED5E7-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BA9CFF3E-4E10-4DB7-AD68-DC530EDED5E7-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1920,"caption":"BMW Z4 M40i | \u8eca, \u99d0\u8eca\u5834, \u67f5, \u5c71, \u7a7a, \u99d0\u8eca\u5834, \u5c55\u671b\u53f0, BMW, Z4, G29"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/","name":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","description":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u306b\u9b45\u4e86\u3055\u308c\u305f\u59bb\u304c\u66f8\u304f\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\u3067\u3059\u3002\u6240\u6709\u3059\u308b\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7 911\u30ab\u30ec\u30e9\uff08964\uff09\u3001911GT3\u3001\u30dc\u30af\u30b9\u30bf\u30fc\u3001\u30d1\u30ca\u30e1\u30fc\u30e9\u306e\u30ec\u30d3\u30e5\u30fc\u3084\u7dad\u6301\u8cbb\u3001\u30c4\u30fc\u30ea\u30f3\u30b0\u8a18\u306a\u3069\u3002\u30cb\u30e5\u30fc\u30b9\u8a18\u4e8b\u3067\u306f\u5206\u304b\u3089\u306a\u3044\u751f\u306e\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u306e\u58f0\u3092\u5b9a\u671f\u914d\u4fe1\u3059\u308b\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\u3067\u3059\u3002","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#organization","name":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/unnamed.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/unnamed.jpg","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/panameralife\/","https:\/\/x.com\/Mina_Panamera","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mina_porsche\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCoyAW0ifcnk05Iryf7-bkhg"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37648"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}