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Least Powerful BMW Z4, the 20i, Takes Acceleration Test Against Z4 30i

The BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra are brothers, joined at the hip, based on the same platform and powered by the same engines. They've even put the 2-liter turbo in the new model year of the Supra. However, we bet you didn't know that there's an even less powerful version of the Z4.
Least Powerful BMW Z4, the 20i Takes Acceleration Test Against Z4 30i 1 photo
Photo: YouTube screenshot/Cars on Autobahn
It's called the Z4 20i and is one of those cars where you wonder why they needed a turbo in the first place. The 2-liter makes a little under 200 hp (197 PS or 194 hp). You can get that easily from a 1.5 or 1.6-liter turbo. However, BMW likes to use the same displacement over and over again.

At first glance, the engine setup is kind of lame, as anything with less power than a GT 86 doesn't deserve to be called a sports car. However, back in the days of the Z3 or the E46, you needed a 2.8-liter straight-six to get nearly that kind of power. And as luck would have it, the Z4 20i gets similar or even better performance to the Z3 2.8 with the 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) sprint being accomplished in 6.7 seconds.

The car can even hit 250 kph (155mph) on the autobahn. That is something many small hot hatchbacks with similar levels of power struggle with.

However, there's no replacement for... more turbo boost and the 30i's 255 horsepower version of the G29 four-banger will get you to 62mph in 5.4 seconds. It's also possible that playing Taylor Swift songs helped with the acceleration, and you obviously need something to mask the fake engine sounds coming through the speakers.

For what it's worth, we wouldn't buy either of these cars because for that kind of money, you can have a real BMW roadster like the Z4 M, powered by the timeless S54 engine. No fake engine sound, no turbo, no Taylor Swift.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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