There are some cars out there that are built for transportation alone and others like the 2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i that are built for emotion, passion and the pursuit of delivering the best possible driving experience for those who get behind the wheel. We spent a week with the 2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i and it was such a good week we really don’t know where to start.
Exterior
In our days of overloading a car’s interior where even some airplane pilots would have a hard time “navigating” through all of the clutter, the engineers at BMW kept things very direct and easy. For those who are more interested in the driving excitement and appreciative of pure style, this car is for you. From the dashboard, to the seats, to the shifter, to the steering wheel, the folks at BMW designed an interior with the finest materials for those entering the cabin of the 2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i. The interior of our loaner sported black leather seats and a combination of black and yellow suede leather that popped with quality. Also included were auto-dimming mirrors, power front seats, lumbar support, ambiance lighting, multifunction and very comfortable steering wheel, anti-theft alarm system, comfort access keyless entry, heated front seats, BMW assist with Bluetooth, iPod and USB adapter, AM/FM CD/MP3 player and audio system with HD radio and active knee protection. The hard top looks so natural and smooth that many people will be fooled when you tell them that the car is a convertible. When you do easily drop the top, it fits nicely into the trunk and you now have a roadster that is built for the open skies and lends plenty of elbow room for two adults to sit back and enjoy the shortest or longest drives at their wish.
Interior
The exterior of the Maxima lifted our expectations for the interior and I’m happy to say, we weren’t disappointed! The premium leather seats are extremely comfortable and elevate the overall experience in the Maxima’s cabin. The heated leather steering wheel both looks and feels great and kept with the theme of the four-door sports car. The dashboard is well thought out and similar tohigher end Infiniti models. We found the 7″ color monitor with a rearview monitor well designed. Of course, the Maxima included XM Navigation traffic and weather with streaming audio via blue tooth. The back seats are spacious and wear the superior leather used in the front cabin for a great riding experience.When driving the Maxima, I did think the paddle shifters were a bit too large. They seemed to take away from the otherwise clean, telescopic steering wheel.
Performance
The biggest news for 2012 is the 2.0 liter dual overhead cam (DOHC) 16 valve inline 4 cylinder engine with TwinPower turbo technology. No concern without a 6-cylinder, my friends, as the high precision direct injection, valvetronic and double VANOS steplessly variable valve timing with the six-speed manual transmission provided plenty of power in all driving scenarios. The sDrive28i is basically the equivalent of a 2.8-liter fuel-injected engine with rear wheel drive and no current all-wheel drive option. For optimum power, switch the driving dynamics control from “comfort” to “sport” or “sport +” mode for driving excitement as we spent plenty of miles in those driving options. Braking was a breeze and tight corners were no match for the 2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i. Some newer features include auto start stop function with the 6-speed manual transmission, dynamic stability control including brake fade compensation, brake drying and brake stand by features with dynamic traction control. Fuel efficiency was strong at 23mpg in the city and 34mpg on the highway, which makes one feel even better about driving this gorgeous car!
Overview
No car on the road is the perfect car for everyone, but for those who long for a classic upscale roadster, take a hard look at the 2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i because this car aims to please. The on-the-mark exterior design is a show-stopper either when parked or when flying down the highway, and that alone should put a smile on one’s face. Add in the quality and superior materials that BMW invested in the Z4 and you have quite the car here! Our test vehicle stickered out at $61,145, which is a pretty penny, but if you want the best you have to dig into your pocket a bit and make a commitment.
