Z4 Coupe priced to please

BMW Australia has revealed pricing for its forthcoming Z4 Coupe range and the good news is that, as predicted by GoAuto and unlike its major rival in the Porsche Cayman, the first BMW two-seater coupe available in almost five years will undercut the price of the convertible upon which it’s based.

Due on sale here in September, the headline-grabbing Z4 M Coupe will be priced at $127,200.

That's $2300 less than the recently released Z4 M Roadster ($129,500), which is also available in six-speed manual guise only, and $2800 less than the M3 coupe ($140,000 – manual or SMG).

Similarly, the Z4 3.0si Coupe is priced at $87,900 as a six-speed manual and $90,500 in six-speed auto guise - $2900 less than manual and auto prices of BMW’s Z4 3.0si Roadster ($90,800 and $93,400 respectively).

As reported previously, BMW claims the born-again 1495kg M Coupe sprints to 100km/h in five seconds dead, making it officially as quick as the 1395kg M Roadster and 0.2 seconds quicker to 100km/h than the 1525kg M3.

Interestingly, BMW says M Coupe also out-paces M Roadster around Germany’s testing Nurburgring. It previously stated the M Roadster was faster at the famed road circuit than the M3. Powered by the same 252kW/365Nm 3.2-litre inline six as M3 and M Roadster, M Coupe will therefore not only be BMW’s fastest-accelerating M model this side of the V10-engined M5 (0-100: 4.7 seconds), it also out-performs its nearest rival in Porsche’s Cayman S.

Priced $21,300 higher at $148,500, the 217kW/340Nm 3.4-litre Cayman S sprints to 100km/h in a claimed 5.4 seconds, while the 206kW 3.2-litre Boxster S ($132,500) manages the 0-100 dash in 5.5 seconds.

Meantime, Mercedes’ 265kW supercharged 5.4-litre SLK55 AMG completes the 0-100 sprint in a claimed 4.8 seconds – the same as Porsche’s 261kW 3.8-litre 911 Carerra S ($221,100). The entry-level 911 ($195,225) claims 0-100 acceleration in five seconds, matching M Coupe and Roadster.

Similarly, the 1395kg Z4 3.0si Coupe manual sprints to 100km/h in a claimed 5.7 seconds – the same as the 1310kg Z4 3.0si Roadster manual. Both cars are motivated by a magnesium-alloy 3.0-litre six offering 195kW/315Nm.

The replacement for BMW’s previous Z3-based coupe, which was sold here in 236kW M guise until December 2001, Z4 Coupe is claimed to be among the most rigid models ever produced by BMW, with body stiffness of a class-leading 32,000Nm/degree.

Other specification revealed at the model’s launch in Europe recently include a 340-litre luggage capacity for the 3.0si, and the standard fitment of twin front and side airbags, climate-control, leather sports seats, DTC traction control, DSC+ stability control and CBS cornering brake control.

The 3.0si will be available with options including M Sport seats, rear parking radar and bi-Xenon headlights with washers.

These will be standard on the M Coupe, which will also feature a BMW Professional audio system, Professional sat-nav with TV and Bluetooth phone preparation, and three exclusive M paint colours: Imola red, Interlagos blue and Sepang bronze.

As with M Roadster, M Coupe will eschew the electric power steering of lesser variants, while adding a variable M differential lock, M3 CSL-based brakes, 10mm lower ride height, more negative front wheel camber and massive, staggered 18-inch rubber.