BMW Z4 Looks Sleek With Subtle Upgrades | CarBuzz

2022-09-24 04:37:42 By : Mr. Jackie Cho

Hamann has applied its expertise to the Z4, with a clean and simple outcome.

The BMW Z4 has all the ingredients you'd expect of a successful roadster. A simple soft top, a powerful engine shared with the Toyota GR Supra, and power to the rear axle. However, its styling seems to be a stumbling block to buyers who likely feel that the car doesn't look aggressive enough. But to those who do appreciate its looks, less is more. Aftermarket tuners seem to fall into the latter camp, with most taking a cautious approach to altering the Z4's styling. Hamann Motorsport appears to have taken its lead from these tuners, as its recently revealed upgrades show.

At the front, Hamann has decided to forgo the industry trend of adding carbon fiber wherever possible. Instead, the tuner has decided to fit a color-matched spoiler to the front end, giving us a modern take on early 2000s tuning upgrades. It looks great, but we're sure there will be some who opt to have it painted gloss black. Surprisingly, the rocker panels/side skirts have not been altered at all, and there are no changes to the rear diffuser trim or the trunk, where you'd normally find a lip spoiler of some sort. However, you do get Hamann badges to give onlookers a clue as to who is responsible for the subtle upgrades.

Although tough to spot unless you're keen-eyed, there are more changes beyond the obvious. The car has been lowered by 20 millimeters in front and 15 mm at the rear for a sportier look. Naturally, a lowered car deserves new wheels, so Hamann has fitted this example with its Anniversary Evo units, available in 20- or 21-inch diameters and a choice of Silver or Black. If these don't suit your taste, Hamann's Challenge wheels can be specified in Graphite Grey, Matte Black, or Hyper Silver in 21-inch configuration. In total, 10 different size, style, and color combinations are offered for the G29 BMW Z4.

Inside, the changes are similarly minimal. On the steering wheel, the BMW roundel has been replaced with a Hamann badge to match the hood and trunk of the car, while custom floor mats add a little more theater to the cabin. You can also have Hamann sports pedals fitted in a choice of Silver or Black, while puddle lights fitted under the door project the Hamann Motorsport logo onto the floor, making every nighttime ride feel a little more special. As usual, pricing is only made available to serious buyers, but we doubt that this particular package will be too pricey.

Unfortunately, Hamann has not touched the engine or fiddled with the car's performance in any way, save for the lowering springs and new wheels. That's a real shame, because the top-spec M40i version of the Z4 is powered by the same sort of straight-six turbocharged engine found in the GR Supra. The B58 mill in the Z4 produces 382 horsepower as standard, and while that would be more than enough for most, the GR Supra has shown us that the power plant has a lot of untapped potential. Hopefully, one of the world's great tuners will take the Z4 further, with more extreme aesthetic upgrades and a healthy increase in performance.

Sebastian jumped straight into the workplace after high school. Various vocations in sales, logistics, and project management helped him buy and modify several cars over the years, while his passion for motoring journalism saw him contribute to local print media while running car enthusiast clubs. But in 2019, the opportunity to join CarBuzz arrived. Originally handling reviews of new cars, his love of the technical led to writing detailed blog posts on various aspects of car care and ownership. He currently handles news sourcing, writing, and editing, along with social media management and the clarification of patent lingo. In his spare time, he's either reading, driving, or looking to collect more BMW Performance parts for the E82 and E9X platforms.