Having spent ten days with Henry’s 370Z recently, it was great to get back into the Z4’s cabin. The Nissan’s interior may not be low rent, but the BM’s is in another league. It’s far more elegant for a start, from the sweeping lines of the dash to the asymmetric door pulls (the passenger has fewer switches in their armrest, so they get a bigger handle), and the fit and finish are impeccable, as you’d expect. Meanwhile, the driving position can be tailored perfectly to your requirements (the lack of reach adjustment for the 370Z’s wheel just drove me nuts), and absolutely everything you press, pull, push or turn is wonderfully tactile – even flicking the lights to full-beam is a pleasure.
Perhaps the only thing I missed from the 370Z’s cabin was the silver button marked ‘S-mode’, but the Z4 even has an answer to that: perfectly positioned pedals that make heel ‘n’ toeing a more intuitive activity than in any other car I can think of. Maybe BMW has got it all covered after all…
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Running Costs
| Date acquired | June 2009 |
| Total mileage | 10,714 |
| Costs this month | £9.99 (oil) |
| Mileage this month | 1821 |
| MPG this month | 27.1 |
