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BMW Z4 sDrive 23i review - price, specs and 0-60 time

Smallest engine makes for rounded package in the BMW Z4 roadster's range

BMW Z4 sDrive 23i
Evo rating
RRP
from £28,650
  • Ample performance; a tidy mover
  • Could leave you wanting more, though

Sometimes the least powerful model in the range is the sweetest, but I wasn’t expecting that to be true of the new BMW Z4. With its folding steel roof, it’s a heavy car. The range-topping 35i we’re running on our long-term fleet feels brisk enough with its 302bhp twin-turbo boosted 3-litre, so I expected the naturally aspirated 2.5-litre 23i to feel a bit overwhelmed with just 201bhp.

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Well, it’s not so slow that you shout ‘Come on!’ when you go for an overtake, but you have to work it hard. Still, what the straight-six lacks in grunt it makes up for in smoothness and character. It’s also nicely matched to a chassis whose 17in alloys and plump tyres look unsexy but help give a supple ride and playful but tidy handling, while the steering is clear and bright.

It’s a homogenous, balanced car, the 23i, and, in its own way, as satisfying as the larger engined models.

Specifications

Engine6-cyl, 2497cc
Max power201bhp @ 6400rpm
Max torque184lb ft @ 2750rpm
0-606.6sec
Top speed151mph
On saleNow
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