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2006 BMW M Roadster Review
Performance

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TO THE POINT What's New? Plop the M3's powerful inline six, a hydraulic rather than electric steering system, a revised suspension, and styling tweaks both functional and decorative into the BMW Z4, and the result is the excellent new M Roadster.
Selling Points: Tons of torque, macho looks, impressive handling
Deal Breakers: High price, lacks refinement, only a tick faster than a stock Z4

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2006 BMW M Roadster

Engineers have dutifully managed to stuff the 3.2-liter, 24-valve, DOHC inline six-cylinder engine from the old M3 into the new M Roadster, and in this application it produces 330 horses and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. Power is run through a tight six-speed manual transmission (no paddle shifters here) with power activated by an old fashioned clutch – you know, that thing you used to use your left foot for. Thankfully, BMW has kept with traditional footwork instead of fitting the M Roadster with the SMG system found on the M3. One annoyance on our test car was a driveline clunk that could be replicated at will and cheapened the experience of driving the M Roadster. However, what's confounding is that for all the extra cash the M Roadster demands, it's only .7 seconds faster to 60 mph than the standard Z4 with 255 horsepower. A bit more bang for the buck would have been nice.


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