Designed at BMW's Munich studio by Juliane Blasi (exterior) and Nadja Arnaout (interior), the second-generation Z4 roadster marks another sizeable step away from the company's influential flame-surfacing form language towards one that revolves around sleekness and simplicity.
Blasi says a lot of effort was put into minimizing the height of the rear deck, which for the first time has to accommodate a two-piece folding aluminum roof. It's paid off; the overall proportions of this latest version are much more pleasing to the eye than its predecessor's, whose exaggerated frontal mass and truncated rear always seemed out of balance.
The so-called 'shark nose' invokes the CS concept from the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show (and more recently the 7-Series), featuring a double kidney grille that sits higher up, in line with the top of the headlamps, creating a more dynamic down-the-road graphic. The Z4's shut lines show real deftness of touch too, in particular the way that the LED rear lamps follow the arc of the rear wheelarches. As on the old car, the two sets of arches are joined by a characteristically strong shoulder line.
The interior design of the 2009 Z4 focuses on ergonomics, perceived quality and storage space. The U-shaped IP is angled eight degrees towards the driver, and is distinguished by the four rings - described as 'iconic' by Arnaout, who first explored this configuration on the CS concept - that control the car's HVAC system. iDrive makes its debut in this 2009 Z4 range, as does a pop-up navigation screen in the center of the dash. The latter is a first for BMW, and was designed to give the cockpit a "very clean look and feel" when parked on the street, says Arnaout.
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