AC Schnitzer Has Made A 424bhp Triple-Turbocharged Z4 And We Kind Of Want One

The current Z4 is a very pretty car that works exceptionally well as a cruiser, but from our experiences it just doesn’t quite cut it as a sports car. So if anyone fancies having a go at improving it, we’re all ears, particularly if the route chosen is as bonkers as this ‘ACZ4’ from tuners AC Schnitzer. What the fine folk of AC have done is take the old Z4 23i, bin the 2.5-litre petrol straight-six and drop in BMW’s triple-turbocharged, 3.0-litre diesel engine. Yep, this one’s an oil burner.

It’s the same engine you’ll find in the M550d and the X5/X6 50d, only here the power has been cranked up from 381bhp to 424bhp, while the torque has jumped up to an absurd 619lb ft. As you’d expect, this makes AC’s Z4 rather brisk. 0-62mph takes 4.5 seconds, while the top speed is in excess of 186mph.

To make sure the Z’s chassis is up to the job, the car has been given adjustable racing suspension with a 30mm drop, plus a rear axle assembly and limited-slip differential borrowed from an E92 M3. The folding roof of the standard Z4 is gone too, replaced with a fixed carbonfibre item.

Want one? Tough, it’s not for sale. It’s more of a showcase for AC Schnitzer’s technical abilities, although it has said if it were to sell the ACZ4, it’d cost €114,000 (£81,000).