BMW Z4 2.0i SE Roadster

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In production from 2002 to 2008, the first generation Z4 (E85) Roadster was penned by BMW’s controversial chief designer, Chris Bangle, using his trademark ‘flame surface’ styling tricks which mixed sharp creases with curved panels to give a distinctive muscular look which took a while to be accepted but is now regarded as something of a trend-setter.

Larger and torsionally stiffer than the preceding Z3, it also had multi-link suspension in place of the old semi-trailing arm set up for sharper handling, albeit at the cost of a slight loss in ride quality. To keep the weight down, the bonnet and many of the suspension components were made of aluminium, with magnesium used in the roof frame. The electrically operated soft top was a superb affair, requiring just one press of a button to go up or down in less than 10 seconds with no clips, latches or poppers – try doing that in an MGB!

First registered in June 2007, this Z4 SE six-speed manual has the 2.0i four-cylinder engine which produces a handy 148bhp and 148lb/ft which can launch it to 60mph in 7.9 seconds with a top speed of 137mph. Our vendor bought it for his wife in April this year but she never uses it, preferring to run around in her modern Mini instead (the BMW attracts too much attention, apparently...). When acquired we are told that it did have a good service history and all its handbooks but at the time of cataloguing these could not readily be located.

Said to run and drive well with ice cold air con and the electric roof operating as it should, our vendor was disappointed to learn that when we ran an HPi check it revealed that the car was the subject of a Category N insurance loss in March this year, just a month before he bought it, which accounts for the very modest guide price. This is the mildest form of non-structural damage and try as he might, he has not been able to ascertain where any repairs may have been carried out.

Appearing to be in very good order throughout, it is showing 86,300 miles on the clock which is backed up by the online MOT history, and flew through its latest MOT just before the auction with no advisories recorded.