Drivers weigh in on new BMW Z4 roadster coupe
SUSAN ORR, Staff Writer

It's still just a concept car, but the BMW Z4 coupe is already grabbing big buzz in the car world.
Helmut Panke, BMW's board chairman, introduced the Z4 coupe Monday at the International Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, calling it a concept car that is destined for future production. Panke's announcement ended months of speculation in which fans predicted and news outlets reported -- but BMW would not confirm -- that a Z4 coupe was in the works.

The Z4 roadster, produced at BMW's Spartanburg County manufacturing plant, made its debut in October 2002. Its predecessor, the Z3, came out in both roadster and coupe versions, but some fans said that BMW kept so quiet about the Z4 coupe they began to wonder whether the car would ever be introduced. "I was amazed that BMW kept it under wraps as well as they did," said Nick Garcia of Houston, who owns a 2002 Z3 coupe. "I was even doubting it was going to come out."

Now that the car crowd has something to look at, they have definite opinions about the coupe. Here's what some folks are saying: Garcia said he'll reserve judgment until seeing the car in person, but from photos he likes the side view (not so much the rear view). Garcia said he's tempted to buy a Z4 coupe, but he'll never give up his Z3. "For me, the Z3 coupe is sort of a 'lifer' type car … I'm going to pay it off and pass it down to my kids some day -- and I'm not even married."

Ron Stygar of Marlborough, Conn., who owns a 2001 Z3 M coupe, said he generally likes what he sees. "A lot of thought went into that car, in my opinion," Stygar said. "I like it a lot. I like the back. I like the side view. I don't care for the front." If BMW comes out with an M version of the Z4 coupe that's not too expensive, Stygar said he wants one "without a doubt."

Lloyd Steeves, BMW manager at Greenville dealership Century BMW, said he has not heard customers talking about the Z4 coupe because it's not available for purchase yet. "There's not a lot of buzz about that car yet," Steeves said.

The Detroit Free Press, which is covering the Frankfurt auto show, called the Z4 coupe a "rakish concept car that is essentially a hardtop coupe version of its U.S.-built Z4 roadster." An online article by Automobile Magazine praises the Z4 coupe as an improvement over the Z4 roadster: "Never has a hardtop looked so much better than a convertible."

Opinions vary widely on online message boards, including AutoWeek's boards. One user posted, "I can't wait to buy one of these. Awesome car." Another poster wrote, "BMW has really succeeded this time in making the Z look like a real klutz."

Arslan Akhtar of Fort Lee, N.J., loves his 2001 Z3 M coupe, but he is not enthusiastic about the Z4 coupe. "It's overstyled. It's too busy. There are too many lines on it," Akhtar said. Akhtar admitted, though, that he will probably change his mind over time. "I think I will grow to like it. I end up liking everything they make. But right now it's not doing it for me." Akhtar said he's not surprised by car enthusiasts' mixed reaction to the Z4 coupe. "Just like with the previous coupe (Z3), it's just a matter of you either love it or hate it," he said.

Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Susan Orr can be reached at 562-7270 or susan.orr@shj.com.