BMW Z4 review – interior and tech
The Z4 is a talented roadster with much in its favour, just don’t expect Boxster levels of tactility
The interior of the Z4 is a great place to spend wheel time, with the slight caveat that it doesn’t actually feel desperately more sporting than any other BMW. Thanks to being based on a shortened version of the CLAR chassis that underpins the 5-Series, that’s pretty much the interior you get with the Z4, and that means that it’s a technological tour de force rather than feeling like a classic roadster.
You do, at least, sit low in the car and the standard M Sport seats are comfortable and hold you in all the right places. There’s plenty of standard equipment too – BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional brings digital instruments and the ability to talk to the car in the same way you would with Siri or Alexa. Professional navigation is standard, as are a host of ‘Connected’ features, if that’s what you want from your roadster.
Heated leather is standard, but having to pay an additional £170 for a wind deflector does gall somewhat. The hood itself fits well and doesn’t generate any unnecessary wind noise and it can be raised or lowered in just ten seconds at speeds of up to 31mph. The fabric hood, as opposed to the previous generation’s folding hard-top, also means the boot is 50 per cent bigger, and at 281 litres it’s large enough provided you pack with soft bags.