Z4 Zephyr

The BMW Z4 has been on sale in India for a while, and this new facelifted BMW Z4 M40i gets some minor tweaks

- Dipayan Dutta

Take a small-ish two-seater, push the wheels to the edge of the chassis, throw on a rag-top, and then put in a loud angry turbo flat-six and you have a formula that would plaster a stupidly wide grin on every automotive enthusiast's face. The fact that the BMW Z4 exists in India without a natural competitor makes it the only choice for those looking for a classic coupe drop-top experience. As far as the rule book goes the Z4 follows the formula to the tee—the long-bonnet, rear-wheel-drive, go-kart-like directness it's all there and on the M40i it's all turned up all the way.

This facelifted Z4 was launched in India late last year, and BMW figured that the smaller 2.0-litre turbo would still be too expensive to find many takers, and instead made this one available in the single M40i spec that you see on this page. The silhouette is still largely the same, with the long nose, and the upswept DRLs that go from the nose right into the long hood.

This facelifted version does get a reworked bumper at both ends with a slightly different more aggressive aero-inserts that I think adds to the visual aesthetic of the Z4, and of course, there is the M-specific kidney grille, which is so unlike anything else that BMW has on any other car that I love it. It's slim and well-proportioned and I love the fact that it has bronze inserts and accents which add to the premium appeal without being too loud.