My favorite Z4 styling detail is the 'X' crease that adorns the car's profile, just aft of the front wheel arches. To me, the way the blue and white BMW roundel floats atop the round side marker, elevated above the sheetmetal, is one of the nicest styling details on any car. This is the stuff of days gone by, a character trait in similitude of the great premium cars of the '30s.
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| The 'X' crease and raised BMW roundel that adorns the car's profile, just aft of the front wheel arches is one of the nicest styling details on any car. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
The Z4's wide, low profile grille is menacing too, a look heightened by animalistic headlamps. The foglights, often dominant styling features of sports cars, would only raise attention if they weren't there. Rather, their classically round shapes integrate into the seamless front fascia without sensation.
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| The materials used in the Z4's interior are top quality, and the way everything is put together near perfect. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Bangle's familiar kinked lower door frame is once again part of the design language, executed especially well on this model. The door panel flows upward as it moves toward the rear, melding into a muscular rear fender swell, a theme that continues up and over the bulging rear decklid. The radical Kamm tail and multi-lens taillights, the cause of my original misgivings, now seem just about perfect.
I find little to dislike inside either. As expected, the materials used are top quality, and the way everything is put together near perfect. The grained silver-finish dash and console plastic looks cool and feels sturdy, but it's not trying to imitate metal - a trend that's getting a bit long-in-tooth. At dead center of the dash the audio interface/vent combination is a minimalist affair, attractive and clean in design. The same for the HVAC controls, integrated directly into the dash instead of being housed in a separate faceplate.