BMW replaces 2 models with 1 car

It’s not trickery. BMW offers two cars in one with its 2009 Z4.

The new Z4 is the first roadster in BMW history with a retractable hard top so it replaces both the Z4 roadster and the Z4 coupe. It’s also a slick package with more masculine exterior styling and improved head and elbow room than the predecessor Z4s. And there’s a first-for-the-Z4 dual-clutch automatic transmission with seven speeds, too.

For all this, there’s a price. Starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $46,575 for the non-turbocharged six cylinder and manual transmission. The lowest-priced 2009 Z4 with automatic starts at $47,900 and with leather seats and other options it easily jumps to more than $50,000.

In comparison, the starting MSRP, including destination charge, for a 2009 Audi TT is $42,895 with V-6 and standard all-wheel drive. The 2009 Porsche Boxster has a retail starting price of $47,550.

The test Z4, with uplevel, twin-turbocharged six cylinder, felt surprisingly heavy for a two-seater. I drove constantly aware of the mass of this car, even though it’s compact in its 14-foot length from bumper to bumper.

Indeed, the new length, which is 5.8 inches longer than its predecessor, is only a couple inches longer than an Audi TT. But unlike the TT and the Boxster, the Z4’s long hood dominates.

The front end is more aggressive in its styling than before. This is one roadster that would never be called “cute” the way the Mazda Miata is. The trademark BMW headlamps cast an eye-like glow, but it’s the forceful grille and the hood lines that project power and masculine appeal.

Driver and passenger sit snugly just in front of the rear wheels, and the extra 2 inches of headroom and nearly half an inch of width are much appreciated. But even as passengers sit in the car, they become aware of how the rear is mostly right at their backs.

Trunk space is in a tidy, tapered rear end that doubles as storage space for the hard top whenever the driver puts the roof down. Thus, cargo room in the Z4 is 10.9 cubic feet at best and 6.4 cubic feet when the top is down.

Thank goodness BMW insists that a driver latch into place a horizontal spacer before putting the hard top down. Otherwise, items in the trunk might get crushed. The car sounds an alarm and refuses to put the hard roof down if the driver hasn’t positioned the spacer in the trunk first.

There’s no doubt the new Z4 is a fun car for sunny days. The top goes down within 20 seconds with just the push of a button. This actually improves the view out of the car for the driver, since the view-blocking side pillars for the roof around the rear window disappear into the trunk, too.

The top down also improves the look of the Z4. It’s easier to appreciate the lines and shape of the car in this form and to just enjoy the outdoors. I smelled fresh donuts as I drove past the donut shop, got my hair mussed in the wind and heard the radios of cars nearby. There’s nothing isolating or insulating about the ride with the top down.

There was, however, a bit of a disconnected feeling with the test car’s electric power steering. It just didn’t feel natural at times, and the 35.1-foot turning circle was larger than I expected.

Driver and passengers have to drop pretty far down to get into the seats, and the ride with the test car’s optional sport suspension was always firm. I felt most road bumps, but not in a punishing way. The test car came with 18-inch performance tires, and there was some road noise all the time.

My biggest issue was sitting so low to the pavement that I couldn’t see a thing beyond the bumper — sometimes tailpipe — in front of me. There are no long views of the road ahead in this car unless there’s no one on the road ahead.

Drivers can tell right away if they have the 3-liter, double overhead cam, inline six cylinder with or without twin turbochargers. The tester, with turbo power, rushed forward after just a slight lag of the turbo, and the accompanying engine sounds told everyone nearby that this car is coming through.

Horsepower in the non-turbo, base Z4 engine is 255, with torque peaking at 220 foot-pound at 2,600 rpm.

The twin turbo version pushes horsepower to 300, with torque rising to 300 at a very low 1,400 rpm.

This surpasses the 255 horsepower and 214 foot-pound of torque from the flat six cylinder in the Porsche Boxster as well as the 250 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds at 2,500 rpm in a V-6-powered Audi TT.

Fuel mileage in the Z4 isn’t great, however. The federal government rating is 18 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway, and premium gasoline is required.

The new Z4 is the first to include BMW’s iDrive management system that hasn’t been a driver favorite over the years because of its clunky operation. But there are redundant buttons to help ease its workings.

There’s no top-of-the-line M version of the Z4 now. But the 2009 Z4 with turbo engine is just 0.1 second slower in 0-to-60-miles-an-hour acceleration than the former M.