Just as the driving experience majors more on comfort and refinement than before, so does the all-new cockpit design. Borrowing heavily from the Concept CS shown at the 2007 Shanghai auto show (also penned by Z4 interior designer Nadya Arnaout), the IP is defined by a row of four HVAC rotary controls lined up with the center of the steering wheel boss. These sit, along with the air vents and exterior lighting knob, in a gloss black wood veneer panel that looks almost black in low light conditions and contrasted nicely with the Ivory White Nappa leather lower dashboard area on our top-of-the-range sDrive 35i test car. This high-quality finish also surrounds the gearlever, revised iDrive system and electronic handbrake in a CS-style two-tone center console/armrest design between the seats. Together with a pop-up satnav/infotainment screen and tactile stitched black leather trim on the upper IP and door panels, it lifts the Z4's interior ambiance to a whole new level compared to the previous model. And a whole new price level, not coincidentally.
Where you previously struggled to find any meaningful storage areas, the 2009 Z4 is crammed with clever storage solutions. These include a full-width lidded compartment behind the seats (complete with storage nets to stop items sliding around), cupholders hidden under the armrest and an optional shelf system for the space between the chairs.
The BMW isn't without its ergonomic issues, however. The need to package both the gearlever and Drive Dynamic Control system (arranged in a band of buttons below the stereo) ahead of the iDrive controller means that you find yourself pulling your elbows quite far back in order to reach it. And that wide transmission tunnel has shunted the pedals into an offset position, forcing the driver to twist his/her lower torso in order to use them. It's not a major issue, but it takes away from an otherwise very comfortable cockpit by roadster standards. Perhaps this will be less of problem on two-pedal automatic versions.
Designed by an all-female design team (Nadya Arnaout, interior; Juliane Blasi, exterior), the new Z4 boasts a much wider range of talents and a sophisticated, less contentious design that pulls it much closer - both stylistically and conceptually - to the genre-defining sedans and SUVs that have made BMW such a force to contend with in the prestige car market.
Where you previously struggled to find any meaningful storage areas, the 2009 Z4 is crammed with clever storage solutions. These include a full-width lidded compartment behind the seats (complete with storage nets to stop items sliding around), cupholders hidden under the armrest and an optional shelf system for the space between the chairs.
The BMW isn't without its ergonomic issues, however. The need to package both the gearlever and Drive Dynamic Control system (arranged in a band of buttons below the stereo) ahead of the iDrive controller means that you find yourself pulling your elbows quite far back in order to reach it. And that wide transmission tunnel has shunted the pedals into an offset position, forcing the driver to twist his/her lower torso in order to use them. It's not a major issue, but it takes away from an otherwise very comfortable cockpit by roadster standards. Perhaps this will be less of problem on two-pedal automatic versions.
Designed by an all-female design team (Nadya Arnaout, interior; Juliane Blasi, exterior), the new Z4 boasts a much wider range of talents and a sophisticated, less contentious design that pulls it much closer - both stylistically and conceptually - to the genre-defining sedans and SUVs that have made BMW such a force to contend with in the prestige car market.
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