2009 BMW Z4 - Fully uncovered on the street

Yes, I know I know, the 2009 BMW Z4 is already out in the open and all the online or offline media, including us, have already posted tons of photos, but I think these photos from Worldcarfans are probably the first one that show the new Z4 undisguised on the Munich streets.

Everything has been probably said already about the new 2009 BMW Z4, but we can recap some things:

Models

• BMW Z4 sDrive 23i - 204 hp
• BMW Z4 sDrive 30i - 258 hp
• BMW Z4 sDrive 35i - 306 hp

Exterior Color

Non-Metallic

• Alpine White
• Crimson Red
• Jet Black

Metallic

• Titanium Silver
• Space Grey
• Orion Silver
• Deep Sea Blue
• Black Saphire

Designing Team

• Juliane Blasi - exterior design
• Nadya Arnaout - interior design
• Hilke Schaer - materials, trim & colors

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BMW Z4 Post-Reveal - Pics on the Street

The 2010 BMW Z4 was revealed at the 2009 NAIAS yes. What we have here are pictures taken after those events. They show the Z4 in a ‘real life' environment, that is after the glitz and glam of Detroit. This is what it looks like driving on a real street with no fancy lights or photographers who ‘dress' these cars up for official shoots.

For the first time in the model's history the Z4 comes with a hard top instead of the more traditional canvass for its roof. It opens or closes in 20 seconds. Most countries receiving the new hard-top Z4 Convertible will have it delivered to them by mid-2009.

Facts and figures for the two-seater sports car are out there but a quick recap would be good. The range-topping Z4 sDrive35i boasts BMW's award-winning 3.0-litre twin turbo petrol engine worth 225kW (306hp) and 400Nm. A step beneath is the Z4 sDrive30i with 258hp (192kW) from its 3.0-litre engine with 310Nm of torque.

Lastly we have the Z4 sDrive23i that pushes out 204hp (150kW) and 250Nm. Expected at a later stage is the Z4 M which will utilise the talents provided by the M3's 309kW (420hp) 4.0-litre V8. Customers can choose between the 6-speed manual or the new Double Clutch Transmission system for the sDrive35i.
via:World Car Fans

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Detroit 2009: BMW Z4 wins Eyes on Design Awards for best production vehicle

The 2009 BMW Z4 is not yet available to the consumers, but it has already starting to win awards. Each year, the Detroit Auto Show hosts the Eyes on Design Awards. The awards for design excellence are split into two categories: Concept and Production Vehicles. The winners were selected by a panel of 20 judges, all design executives.

Some of the jury members were the BMW design chief Chris Bangle, Harley-Davidson chief styling officer Willy G. Davidson, and transportation design chair at the College for Creative Studies Larry Erickson.

Not to our surprise, three out of the four awards were taken by german automaker, with Cadillac saving the day for U.S. based companies.

And as expected, the new 2009 BMW Z4 has won the Production Vehicles award along with the new Audi R8 V10. Audi scored a major win by taking the award for Concept Vehicles with its new Sportback model. The Cadillac Converj took the concept honors.

It’s great to see that the new BMW Z4 is considered a main attraction at the Detroit Auto Show and even more, that it is highly appreciated.

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For Sale: BMW Z4 with 551HP M5 V10 Engine

Germans love power and speed. While most of us would have been more than content with a stock BMW Z4 M, the owner of this Z4 that's for sale on a German online vehicle marketplace found that an inline-six with 343 HP couldn't satisfy his lust for speed. So what more reasonable than to throw in a BMW M5 / M6 sourced 5.0-liter V10 engine. But even the M5 V10's 507 HP weren't enough for our German protagonist who decided to replace the Z4's inline-six with an even more powerful, Hartge-prepped version of the V10 delivering a hefty 551 HP. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Aside from a set of Hartge 20-inch alloy wheels, the Z4 V10 is all stock on the outside. The asking price for the V10-powered German roadster is a not-so-easy-to-swallow, 97,900 Euros which comes to about $137,700 US with the current exchange rates. Source: Mobile , Via: Autogespot

 

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Behind the scenes prototyping BMW's new Z4

Developing an all-new iteration of a beloved car is no easy feat. Improving on the existing strengths while introducing as few new weaknesses as possible and at the same time improving value and performance is as tough a balancing act as you're likely to find. But BMW thinks it's done the job with the new Z4 and has released this behind-the-scenes look at how it did it. The video depicts a prototype, completely unmasked, on a suspension simulator that's able to compress weeks of driving into hours of testing. 2010 BMW Z4 Roadster

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Used Hartge tuned 551-hp BMW Z4 for sale

There is no such thing as too much horsepower - or is there? The current 2008 model BMW Z4 M makes a total of 330-hp. The recently unveiled 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i makes a total of 306-hp and while BMW has yet to reveal details on the 2009 BMW Z4 M we expect it to be quite a bit more powerful than the current 330-hp version or the new 2009 Z4 sDrive35i. However if you're one of those that may not be content even if BMW ends up dropping 400 horses in the 2009 BMW Z4 M, there is something very unique waiting for you if you're willing to spend 97,900 Euros ($138,727 USD). A use Hartge tuned BMW Z4 M that is powered by the M5 and M6's 5.0L V10 engine is on sale at mobile.de. But this V10 doesn't make just 507-hp - Hartge has tuned the engine further to extract a total of 551-hp. You can check out the listing at mobile.de. Hartge BMW Z4 551-hp 5.0L V10:        Source: mobile.de

 

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Give this 550-hp V10 Hartge BMW Z4 a home

Hartge's V10-powered BMW Z4 Here at Autoblog, we cherish the simple things in life. Like a cold beer on a hot afternoon, spending the holidays with family or stuffing an oversized engine into a little sportscar. It's a time-honored tradition, and this example is no less worthy than any that has come before. Evidently unsatisfied with the S54B32 inline-six powering the top-of-the-line Z4 M, one European enthusiast dropped in the 5.0-liter V10 from the M5 and M6 into his little Z4. But even the stock 507 horses from the high-revving ten wasn't enough for this Bimmerphile, so he went with Hartge's 550-hp version, complemented by the tuner's own 20-inch rims, but, worryingly, no sign of upgraded brakes to go with the 200+ extra horsepower. The converted roadster cost €170k new, but is now on the market for under €98k (tax in), or about $138,000 in American greenbacks. A hefty sum for sure, but can you really put a price on 0-60 in under 4? Gallery: Hartge V10 BMW Z4 [Source: Autogespot]

 

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Hartge BMW Z4 M with M5 V10 engine for sale

Shoehorning big engines into little roadsters is a classic operation - take the Breckland Beira V8 and Irmscher GT40 for a pair of recent examples - but the tuners at Hartge have accomplished what may be one of the most impressively OEM-looking engine swaps of recent times. The combination of BMW Z4 and M5/M6 5.0L V10 engine is inspirational, and with the car now for sale, it could be yours. Fitting the big V10 into such a small package as a last-generation BMW Z4 may seem like an impossibility, but the photos illustrate the job was done with a level of expertise that could be mistaken for ease. Hartge BMW Z4 V10

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For sale: BMW Z4 V10 with 550 horsepower

Yup, those crazy BMW fans. I have said it before and I will say it again: the bimmer fans are nuts sometimes. And this BMW Z4 with a V10 engine outputting 550 horsepower just proves my theory….well in  a way….I went a bit overboard. The regular 6 cylinder engine found in the BMW Z4 was replaced by the more powerful and larger V10 engine from the M5/M6 models, but with an increase of 43 ponies over the standard 507 horsepower. This monster Z4 is available for sale in Germany for the even more stupendous price of 97,900 euros or $138,000. No other information is available, but the rumors say that this is Hartge engine which has been used by the famous tuner in other BMWs as well. If you ask me, the owner would DEFINITELY not get the asking price. Thanks for the tip Sjoerd! [Source: Autogespot via Autoblog.nl ] More Photos

 

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DStyle pimps out the previous generation BMW Z4

The german tuner DStyle wants to still keep the E85 BMW Z4 in our minds by coming out with one of the most aggressive aerokits I have seen to date. The kit is available for both the Coupe and Roadster versions and it contains an extensive package of upgrades. Obviously the changes are pure cosmetic and every important body part has been replaced with the DStyle upgrades, starting with a new hood, modified doors, custom side mirrors and tailgate, bulked up fenders -50mm extra girts up front and 70mm at the rear. A beautiful set of 19 inch wheels were added to the Z4 as well along with a set of BMW Performance Breaks. Overall, an impressive upgrade of the Z4 production model, but to me it screams more of a Batmobile.  Pricing: not on the cheap side of course, around $12,500. Is it worth the upgrade?  Gallery BMW Z4 DStyle

 

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The new BMW Z4 debuts at the 2009 North American International Auto Show

Poised to lead its market segment once again, the 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster will make its North American debuts at the 2009 North American International Auto Show on January 11

 

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