BMW builds a 335-hp Z4 but doesn't call it an M. - Car and Driver
The 2009 Detroit auto show saw the reveal of the gorgeous BMW Z4 roadster, one of the best recent designs to come from the company. In nearly a year since then, we’ve also been impressed with the car dynamically, awarding it a second-place finish in our most recent comparo of four luxury droptops, just behind our longtime favorite Porsche Boxster S. For the 2010 Detroit show ,... Just when we thought BMW’s convoluted naming scheme couldn’t get any longer, the company resurrects the “is” suffix and tacks it onto the sDrive35 badge. We're surprised the company didn't call it a Z4 M. Until this year, BMW M cars all had engines distinct from those in standard BMWs, but the X5 M and X6 M—which share the guts of their V-8s with more pedestrian BMW models—have already crossed that... Tuners have proven it time and again: the twin-turbo BMW inline-six is capable of more than the factory-provided 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. BMW is now ready to admit as much, apparently, and has given the engine better intake breathing and higher boost pressure for new output of 335 hp at 5900 rpm and 332 lb-ft from 1500 rpm, with overboost providing quick bursts of 369 lb-ft. the sDrive35is will be available only with BMW’s seven-speed double-clutch transmission. BMW estimates a 0-to-60-mph time of 4. 7 seconds—we’ve seen 4. 8-second runs from a standard. Source: www.caranddriver.com
