2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe - Automobile Magazine
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin Cruelly sprawling over eleven different halles, the Frankfurt auto show can sap the energy of even the most wild-eyed car geek. The BMW hall was right near the exit, and I almost skipped it. BMW was showing a coupe version of the Z4, but the Z4's crumpled styling, too-plastic interior, and electric power steering had it way down on my roadster hit parade. Our drive was confined to the M Coupe, which, like the M Roadster, uses the 3. 2-liter straight six from the current M3. This is a whole lot of engine for the 3309-pound M Coupe. The spec sheet will tell you that peak outputs of 330 hp and 262 lb-ft are reached at a lofty 7900 rpm and 4900 rpm, respectively, but the reality is that the iron-block six's long stroke fattens the torque curve while the six individual throttles... But it's more than just the engine that makes the M Coupe as wired as the pale guy in the corner at the party who never takes off his sunglasses. The steering is very quick off-center, and that, combined with a stiff, busy ride, made this a nervous car to push quickly--oh, so quickly--along the mottled two-lanes around Elkhart Lake. On smooth freeways, though, you do adjust to making smaller inputs, and the hydraulic assist delivers far more natural effort levels than the electric power steering that's such a. Source: www.automobilemag.com
