The BMW Z4 will be powered by a new 2.0 liter TwinPower Turbo 4-Cylinder. The Z4 sDrive28i’s 2.0-liter engine will combine high pressure direct-injection and BMW’s VALVETRONIC intake control (hence the name TwinPower) with a forced induction system consisting of a single twin-scroll turbocharger. With 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, it offers more power and torque than BMW’s normally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-6 that it replaces in the Z4 sDrive30i. The maximum output of 240 horsepower is achieved at 5,000 rpm, 1,500 rpm lower than in the normally-aspirated 3.0-liter inline six. The peak torque of 260 lb-ft, comes on stream at just 1,250 rpm. Not only is that 30% more torque than the aforementioned inline-6, it also peaks 1,500 rpm earlier.

The 4-cylinder engine with its all-aluminum crankcase is lighter and more compact than a 6-cylinder engine of equivalent power. The turbocharger is a twin-scroll system. The exhaust streams leaving the two pairs of cylinders are kept completely separate as they flow through the exhaust manifold and the turbocharger, taking a spiral path to the turbine wheel. This configuration results in very low exhaust back pressure at low engine rpm, and allows the energy of the exhaust gas pulses to be optimally managed and translated into powerful rotation of the turbine blades, without a delay in throttle response.

BMW India has launched the Z4 Roadster priced at Rs 59 lakh (ex-showroom). The two-seater sports car is powered by a 2,979cc petrol mill which produces 306bhp and is electronically limited to a top speed of 250kmph. The 24 valve engine is mated to a 7 speed automatic gearbox and 400NM of torque flows from the rear wheels of this Bimmer helping it to achieve 100kmph in just 5.2 seconds. BMW is targeting to sell 30-40 units of the Z4 Roadster in the first year.

“With the new BMW Z4 we want to reach out to new target groups in India who appreciate a pure driving experience, high standard of elegance and value, and suitability for everyday driving and comfort,” BMW India President Peter Kronschnabl said.

12th October is turning out to be a hot date to launch cars with 3 cars scheduled to break cover including the Chevrolet Cruze, the new Maruti SX4 and also the BMW Z4 Roadster. BMW India will unveil its rear wheel drive sports car in Mumbai which is expected to cost around Rs. 60 lakhs and would be imported as a CBU from Germany. BMW India is hopeful of selling 40 units of the Z4 in the first year.

The Z4 Roadster would be BMW’s third offering in the convertible segment, the other two being the M3 and M6 convertibles. The car would be equipped with a straight 6 petrol powerplant with 258bhp of power on tap helping it to hit 100kmph in just 5.8 seconds. The car is electronically limited to a top speed of 250kmph.

BMW Z4 will be launched in India in October.  The 2009 E89 Z4 is the second generation version of BMW’s roadster. The first generation E85 Z4 was introduced in 2002. Its success spawned a coupe version in 2005 which wasn’t nearly as popular as its rag top predecessor. The new Z4 is the best of both worlds as it features a fully retractable hard-top that BMW claims can open and close in 20 seconds.

The E89 Z4 is both longer and wider than the outgoing E85 and looks visibly more purposeful too thanks to a larger kidney grille and aggressively styled front headlamps.The new Z4 also features two vents below the front bumper on either side of the car. The E89 retains the front-engined rear-wheel drive layout of its predecessor but unlike the outgoing Z4 it is manufactured in Germany instead of the United States.

Internationally, the Z4 comes in three variants; the 2.5 litre 201bhp sDrive23i, and the 3.0 litre sDrive30i and sDrive35i, which develop 258bhp and 306bhp respectively (all are in-line six cylinder). It is not yet confirmed which of these variants will be made available. However, given BMW’s auto-only policy it is likely India will get the sDrive35i as it is the only one of the three variants that is available with a seven speed ‘sport’ automatic gearbox. The car is likely to be priced in the Rs 60 lakh range.

The Z4 also comes with a six speed manual gearbox. Other features include Dynamic Driving Control which allows a driver to change the setup of the car (engine mapping, steering and suspension) to Sport or Sport+ mode. Should be self-explanatory enough for lead-footed petrol heads.

Source – ACI

BMW India will launch the two-seater Roadster Z4 sports car in the second half of 2009 and will add 10 dealers in tier-II cities such as Coimbatore, Jaipur, Lucknow and Ludhiana, as its India sales have exceeded expectations. The Roadster Z4 with a folding hard-top can run up to 250 kmph. It will be launched in the price band of Rs. 50-60 lakh in the second half of this year. The petrol and diesel variants of the newly-launched BMW 7-Series, which is priced at Rs 81 lakh and Rs 77 lakh, respectively, will hit the market in June.

Mercedes Benz has been the leader in India’s luxury car market for more than decade, but BMW surpassed it by selling 992 cars in the first quarter this year. The luxury car maker will now launch three new cars in India to keep pace with the growth momentum. Its premium car rivals Mercedes Benz launched the new M-Class SUV and the C-Class, while the third largest player, Audi, had launched the new A4, A6 and Q7 in India this year. With sales growth of 22% in FY09 to 6,671 units, luxury cars remained the fastest growing segment.

BMW has released a new game for the iPhone and iPod Touch to show off its new Z4 Roadster. The game that can be downloaded for free from Apple is inspired from the BMW Z4‘s “An Expression of Joy” campaign and it allows players to “draw” using the wheels of their car by choosing different colors of paint so that their tire tracks create drawings.

Furthermore, the application offers players the chance to explore, customize, create and virtually drive the hardtop Z4 Roadster. You can get a taste of the game in the official video below.

You can download the game here through iTunes.