BMW Z4 review: sports car, luxury cruiser or mini-GT? - Performance and 0-60

The Z4’s certainly quick, with even the entry-level 194bhp 20i model accelerating from 0 to 62mph in 6.6sec, which is perfectly acceptable, especially when you take into account its 1405kg kerb weight. Two-door roadster it maybe, but the Z4’s no lightweight. Opt for the 30i model, which uses the same engine as the 20i but in a different state of tune, developing 254bhp, and that time drops to just 5.4sec.

Naturally enough, it’s the range-topping M-lite M40i that’s the most rapid, thanks to its 335bhp turbocharged straight-six. With a 4.5sec 0-62mph time, it’s quicker than a PDK 718 Boxster and just 0.1sec behind a similarly equipped Boxster S.

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Where the 20i is brisk, rather than outright fast, the 30i does feel considerably quicker, especially in the mid-range, but there’s no doubt the M40i is the one that is distinctly rapid. On dry roads it hooks up astonishingly well, and feels every bit as quick as its figures suggest.