By Andre Palma
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ONCE in a while, it is great to suspend all manner of practical thinking. Every day it seems like a necessity to pinch pennies, to think of long-term feasibility and the function of the things we use. Testing cars cannot be oblivious of this frugal frame of mind. The emphasis in media on fuel efficiency, cargo capacity and value for money deals is a clear indication of the motoring public’s clamor for ways to help reduce the cost of the way they motor.

All this focus on economy can get to be tiring in all honesty. One can only suspend their love and enthusiasm for the automobile so much. Thank heavens then for cars that are expressions of striking design, inspired engineering and passion for the open road. Thank heavens for cars like the BMW Z4 Coupé.

It was more than two years ago, at the 2005 Tokyo Motor show that the preproduction model version of this hard-topped Z4 caught my eye. Bathed in a flat gray hue that added more drama to the already theatrical flame-like Chris Bangle design, this was a car that just seemed to absorb light, process it and exude attention as the by-product.

Noticeable because of its classic roadster stance interpreted in a theme that is sometimes described as way ahead of its time, the Z4 Coupé is a powerful piece of automotive sculpture. Add to that the long hood, a roofline and hind shoulders that are among the most conspicuous in recent automotive design and one can imagine the flash crazed, digital paparazzi carnival that pitched tent right next to the BMW pavilion for the duration of that show. It is another matter altogether if the photographers taking the pictures liked the intense design or not.

The time behind the wheel one spends in this coupé is influenced by a lot of things. Immediately noticeable is the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine. Good for 260 bhp and 315 Nm of torque, this powerplant is sufficient enough for sub six second sprints to 100 kph. Those who want more conviction under the hood will have to choose the M Coupé version. The larger 3.2-liter straight-six that comes with the M ups output to 340 bhp, a delicious 365 Nm torque figure and the ability to break the legal speed limit with much less effort.

The sporting quality of this version of the Z4 is reinforced, literally, by the addition of a fixed roof. Chassis stiffness, a quality needed for sharp handling, is really quite absent in the convertible. Fifty-fifty split weight balance adds predictable, almost point and shoot handling of the 1,400-kg coupé’s mass. Additional digital driver aids in braking, stability and traction control are welcome extras in a package that really can be thrown around. It is sad though that we don’t have the roads that give this kind of driving machine justice.

Signature BMW ride stiffness, having much to the suspension setting and the choice of run-flat tires, may not appeal to all. Road feel is undeniably present, bumps and imperfections on the road are consistently relayed to the driver. In moments of spirited driving, such feedback is critical but driving lazily around the less than perfect streets of Manila can become a bit tiring.After all that has been said, the BMW Z4 Coupé is really made for moments that the striking design and the respectable dynamics can be used to their fullest. Easily nine out of 10 times that we use a car, we wish we had something a little smaller, a whole lot more fuel efficient and something that just motors on in anonymity.

There are those few times that we need cars that can live up to the demands of both traveling and arriving. If only life were a series of everyday out of town parties at country clubs nestled in the mountains, surrounded by ribbons of undulating, twisty tarmac. If that’s what your monthly calendar looks like, then by all means the Z4 Coupé makes a wonderful candidate to add to your personal stable of cars. Those of us have more mundane things to do, well — we can dream, can’t we?