Paul Talbot enjoys a few days in the company of a great looker with plenty to torque about.
Designer Chris Bangle has had a torrid time of late. His BMW
designs have been heavily criticised and praised in equal
measure. Websites have been created by people who have hated his designs and wanted him out of BMW at all costs, but
I'm in the “must have designs like these” camp and thoroughly love the styling – it has much more credential and road presence than the previous Z3.
This car's bold optional black sapphire metallic exterior creates an impression wherever it goes. It's a real head
turner. The chrome kidney grille stands proud at the end of what appears to be a long bonnet hiding the 3.0i engine. Bold
lines marking the headlamp cluster and integrated indicator unit with driving lamps beneath, lead down the flanks of
the car and carry on towards the rear.
On both front wings, BMW chrome roundels identify the marque which also cleverly double as indicators, and run
flat tyres are fitted to attractive alloy wheels. The car's double waistline immediately makes an impression and is
reminiscent of previous BMW roadster models; its significantly longer 49mm wheelbase too than the previous roadster, the Z3, means a more relaxing ride.
The convergence of the double waistline and wide rear wheel arches suggest plenty of power is available to the rear
driving wheels and lead the eye to the boot lid spoiler which houses a third brakelight. Dropping the roof and glass
rear window by the touch of a button couldn't be easier and the whole process takes less than 10 seconds – whirring
noises can be heard whilst the process takes place but it's all over in the blink of an eye, allowing open top motoring at
its best.
This is another car in today's average 4m size of car and has a wheelbase of 2495mm with an overall length of 4091mm, a width of 1781mm and a tiny 1299mm in height.
Interior
Swinging open the door, it's a sea of black Oregon leather which is standard equipment on this model on the headrests, side panels and arm rest. Best of all are the electrically operated seats – these are simply wonderful for those of us who have difficulty manoeuvring around inside a car. The steering wheel was also leather covered and has all the usual adjustment features, and behind the wheel that sight of the long bonnet is absolutely gorgeous.
With such a small overall height, you need to be fairly agile
to get into the car and having tried it from a wheelchair it's not too bad. What's also clear is the design thought that has gone into the car; the low seating position gives that real sports car feeling of being low down but immediately able to assess the car's handling. With the roof up, the noise intrusion into the cabin is minimal and it is probably the quietest roadster we've had to date. However, plant your right foot and the beautifully toned engine note soon enters into the cabin. With the roof down, the roll-over hoops give added presence to the interior of the car and, of course, that all important wind in the hair experience.
We weren't quite as keen on the light coloured brushed aluminium dash running across the car – a darker colour would have suited us better but the overall functionality of the equipment and layout is superb. We liked the instrument display layout but were rather disappointed to find that the CD player was only a single slot player rather than a multi changer which is a cost option. It was easy to operate and set to our liking but for a car which costs in excess of £30,000, is this really on?
Interior storage space is good for a sports car and it's clearly
more practical than others we've tried. Between the two seats a 10 litre storage box was useful and BMW have tried to maximise the size of the glove box and door pockets to good effect.
The bootspace easily held our collapsible scooter, and
squashy bags provided all that was necessary for a weekend
away at DDMC's Annual General Meeting in Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire. Needless to say, we returned with more than
we took and still had no problems in terms of storage!
On the road The car's five-speed automatic transmission was a delight to use either in sequential mode or just left to manage itself in the conventional way. Press the accelerator and the car's six cylinder 24v 2979cc engine bursts into life, springing the car into a canter and past the car you're trying to overtake at a moment's notice. Our run to Huntingdon was easy, letting us sit back and allowing the car to do the work, its engine providing a distinct and attractive burble whenever puling away. It's also clear that it could breach the country's national speed limit so very easily and we noted that it has a top speed of 155mph but didn't get anywhere near it, sadly!
The car has an array of electronic aids to help keep it on the
road and can do the 0-62 dash in an unbelievable 5.9 seconds.
We tried the car on a number of B-roads during our time with it and found the handling to be of pin-sharp accuracy enabling us to place the car wherever we wanted. The fifties-style steering wheel with its three-spoke metal style design was precise and not over-assisted or of unnecessary weighting. The heated seats and optionally fitted parking sensors made easy work of using and parking the car. As we've said previously, we'd like to see parking sensors as standard equipment, as this task on our ever increasingly cramped roads is becoming more of a challenge every day. As the car's a bit of an attention grabber, we were pleased to be pointed at and stared at; we felt particularly pleased when two young boys said to their mother at services off the M6, “Look Mum, want one!” We couldn't put it better ourselves.
Verdict
Apart from the brushed aluminium fascia panel and the lack
of a CD multichanger as standard equipment, the two little
boys who said, “want one” were spot on. Just need to find the
£34,370, somehow. Anyone know a bank that's giving free
money away?
Standard Specification
ABS braking system
Cornering Brake Control
Dynamic Stability Control
Traction Control
Third brake light
Tyre run flat indicator
Side indicator repeaters in side panel front, with
integrated BMW roundel
Roll bar protection system
Airbags for driver and front passenger with seat occupant
detector for front passenger aSide airbags
Disc brakes – front inner vented
Remote central locking – locks doors boot lid, fuel tank lid,
interior storage box
Bumpers with aluminium impact absorbers
Deformation zones at the front and rear
Seat belt tensioners
Rain sensitive wipers
Side impact protection system
Warning triangle
Fog lights
Electrically operated door mirrors
Alarm
M Sport suspension
Anthracite Chrome Line interior
Specially contoured sports heated seats (heating optional)
Electrically operated windows/seats
Interior trim strips in brushed aluminium
Front armrest
Storage box
Lockable glove compartment
Behind seat storage
Sports leather steering wheel (adjustable)
On board computer
Anti dazzle interior mirror
Automatic Air conditioning
Radio/CD player
Tool kit and first aid kit
Variable soft top compartment
Technical Information
Max power output 170/231 at 5900 rpm
Max torque 300 at 3500
Max speed 155 mph
0-60 time 5.9 seconds
Kerb weight 1,365 – 1,385
Fuel consumption:
Urban 20.9
Extra Urban 38.7
Combined 29.7
Thanks to Martin Harrison at BMW's Press Office for arranging
the test. You can contact BMW on 0800 325600 or at
www.bmw.co.uk
The Disabled Drivers' Motor Club wants you to spend your
money wisely. There are a number of assessment centres
around the UK for you to discuss your mobility requirements
and we urge you to contact them before you commit your funds to a vehicle that may not be suitable. We can provide you with a leaflet with contact details of your nearest centre.
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