Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, October 10, 2007, Page 12, Image 12

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    Portland OL is e rv e r
e v ie w
2007 BMW Z4
Roadster 3.0i
by
October IO. 2007
il|e JJnrtlanò ffîbseruer
Page B6
K athleen C arr
Drop the top and hit the road.
leave your stress behind in a hurry.
There are many worse things
that eould happen to you on an
unseasonably warm fall evening
than to have the keys to B M W 's
roadster in your pocket. Whether
o r not yo u 've fin a lly accepted this
car's polarizing design, it is still
immensely enjoyable to steer its
taut chassis around anything re­
motely resembling a corner.
The B M W Z4 is one o f the more
in trig u in g sports cars currently
available. It s known fo r its engag­
ing handling and steering, th rillin g
inline six-cylinder engine and dis­
tinctive styling. Although it's stated
horsepower ratings are equaled or
surpassed by those o f some less
e xp e n sive m a c h in e ry , the Z 4
counters w ith a lighter curb weight
and, in most cases, a more reward­
ing d riving experience.
The Z 4 's performance is amaz­
ing; it feels alive in your hands and
beams loads o f feedback and sen­
sation straight into the cockpit. The
extremely well-tuned steering and
throttle make the act o f guiding the
Specifications: 3.0-Liter, 215 hp @ 185 tb-ft torque, 24-Valve Inline 6-Cylinder Engine: 6-Speed
Steptronic Automatic Transmission: 21-City 30-Highway MPG; $46,325. MSRP
car feel totally different than doing
the same in most other vehicles.
The optional sport suspension re­
acts harshly to significant bumps,
but its handling and body-control
benefits far outw eigh occasional
discomfort.
The B M W Z4 Roadster has re­
ceived a few m inor updates since
its mid-cycle face-lift fo r2006. likea
new’ tire-pressure m onitor and an
auxiliary inputjack fo r playing iPods
and other portable devices through
the car's audio system. The op­
tional B M W Assist comm unica-
tions/safety system now includes
a four-year subscription.
Standard features on the 3.0i
(roadster o n ly) are 17-inch alloy
wheels, rain-sensing wipers w ith
heated w iper jets, a tire-pressure
m onitoring system, heated outside
m irrors, fu ll pow er accessories,
w ith a standard 3.0-liter, inline-6
m anually operated six-w ay adjust­
able seats, v in y l upholstery, a tilt ­
telescoping steering wheel and a
10-speaker audio system w ith aC D
cylin d e r, 215-horsepower and 185
pound-feet o f torque engine that
achieves 21 -m pg in the city and 30-
mpg on the highway. A six-speed
manual transmission is standard; a
six-speed automatic gearbox is op­
tional. The automatic can be taken
through the gears m anually via
ste e rin g -w h e e l-m o u n te d paddle
shifters.
player.
The six-cylinder engine in the
B M W Z4 Roadster makes use o f
lightw eight magnesium construc­
tion. The Roadster 3.0i is equipped
BM W ’s
re s p o n s iv e
S e rvo tro n ic e le ctric speed-sen­
s itiv e p o w e r steering is standard.
A n o p tio n a l Sport Package in ­
cludes D yn a m ic D riv in g C o n tro l,
“ By November 2003,1 realized he
was g iving me performance-en­
hancing drugs," she told the judge.
It was a stunning fall from grace
fo r Jones, once the most celebrated
athlete in the w orld. Seven years
after w inning five metals at the
Sydney Olym pics, she is broke, her
reputation is ruined and she is lo o k­
ing at prison time.
The flaxseed o il Jones said was
given to her actually was "the clear”
— a performance-enhancing drug
linked to the Bay Area Laboratory
Co-Operative, the lab at the center
o f the largest steroids scandal in
p ro fe s s io n a l sp o rts in v o lv in g
home-run king Barry Bonds o f the
San FranciscoGiants and more than
two-dozen other athletes who tes­
tifie d before a federal grand ju ry in
2003.
Bonds denied ever kn o w in g ly
ta k in g p e rfo rm a n c e -e n h a n c in g
drugs, saying he believed the clear
substance and a cream, given to
him by his trainer, were flaxseedoil
and an arthritis balm.
In addition to any ja il term, Jones
could face a long com petition ban
from the U.S. A n ti-D o p in g Agency.
top up, the Z4 is quiet fo r a sports
car. W ith it down, you are suscep­
tib le to the sounds o f yo u r sur­
roundings.
As w ith most sm all sports cars,
in te rio r space is at a prem ium and it
takes some dexterity to clim b in and
out w ith the top up. G etting into
this small two-seater involves a
ducking and stepping down into
the low -slung seats. Once inside,
however, you are surrounded by
B M W s o lid ity and style . The
simple dash layout places all con­
trols at your fingertips. The seats
are excellent. Contoured fo r sporty
d rivin g , they also o ffe r lo n g -trip
com fort. We did some hard corner­
ing. and appreciated the pad against
the transmission tunnel fo r that
body-contact spot.
The B M W Z4 is a sensuous
sports car, not a visceral one. It
encourages you and purrs in re­
sponse to your demands. M ost o f
all, the Z 4 is a blast to drive. The
engines provide sm ooth, ample
power. The B M W Z4 roadster o f­
fers sharp handling that is the match
fo r anything on the road and the
in te rio r is com fortable and w ell-as­
sembled. I f you're shopping fo r a
second car that can provide some
weekend excitement, make sure to
put the Z4 on your list.
Dr. Marcelitte Lailla
Athlete’s Stunning Fall from Grace
(A P )— For years, M arion Jones
angrily denied using steroids. On
Friday, she admitted it was all a lie.
The three-time O lym pic gold
medalist pled g u ilty in federal court
Friday to lyin g to investigators
when she denied using p e rfo r­
mance-enhancing drugs.
She said she was told by her
then-coachTrevorGraham that she
was taking flaxseedoil when it was
actually steroids.
w h ic h a llo w s the d riv e r to select
q u ic k e r th ro ttle action, reduced
po w e r-ste erin g assist and a sport
m ode fo r the a utom atic tra n sm is­
sion ( i f so equipped). The B M W
Z4 Roadster rides on ru n -fla t tires
w ith a fa irly s tiff, co rn e r-h u g g in g
susp e n sio n .
B M W 's Dynam ic S tability C on­
trol system is included. It uses
throttle and brake control to help
m inim ize wheel spin and prevent a
loss o f control during extreme han­
d lin g maneuvers. T his system fu r­
ther in corporates an expanded
range o f braking functions. Brake
Standby reacts when the d rive r
suddenly lifts o ff the accelerator,
a n tic ip a tin g hard b ra kin g , and
snugs the brake pads against the
rotors. S ta rt-O ff Assistant auto­
m atically engages the brakes on an
incline to prevent the car from ro ll­
ing back when the d rive r lifts o f f the
brake pedal to depress the accel­
erator.
The B M W Z4 Roadster comes
standard w ith a soft top that opens
and closes m anually w ithout much
fuss. A power-operated top is avail­
able as a stand-alone option o r as
part o f a Prem ium Package o f op­
tions. In the roadster, w in d -b u ffe t­
ing w ith the top dow n isn't a prob­
lem, even at high speeds. W ith the
Your Care
Our First Priority
S ports
Confession strips
Jones of medals
News and reviews on new motor vehicles
C hiropractic Physician
We are located at
1716 N.E. 42nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97213
I Between Broadway
and Sandy Blvd.)
• Automobile accident injuries
• Chronic headache and joint pain
• Workers Compensation injuries
Call for an appointment!
(503) 228-6140
^/icey.s
The three-time Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones (right) is escorted
Friday to a federal courthouse with her mother Marion. (AP photo)
SE N IO R
.GRADUATES!
407 N. E. MASON/mlk #8
PORTLAND, OR 97211
K in g o f C lean
(503)201-3312
A P r o fe s s io n a l J a n i t o r i a l C o m p a n y
" I don’ t feel any sense o f vindica­
tion," said B A L C O founder V ictor
Conte, who was sued by Jones for
$25 m illio n in 2004. " A ll o f us have
made poor decisions in our lives and
suffered the consequences. Marion
is not a bad person.”
P.O. B o x 2 l 9 - l l 2 • Portland. O H 97225-9112
(5 0 3 ) 939-9752
We accept
major credit cards
Tim R. Thomas
Owner/President
" O u r r l r u u i u g is a r r i l r r t i o n o f y o u '
Vikings Lose Close One
Seniorquarterback Brian W hite's
tw o-point conversion pass w ith six
seconds left failed, allow ing N orth­
ern Arizona to hold on Saturday fo r
a 44-43 w in over Portland State,
snapping a six-game Big Sky Con­
ference w in streak dating back to
last season.
T ra ilin g 44-37. the V ik in g s (2 -
4) took over possession at th e ir
ow n 22-yard lin e w ith 3:38 re­
m aining in the game. W h ite then
moved Portland State 78 yards in
12 plays, capped by a one-yard
Charles McCleoud
CEO
T D pass to senior fu llb a c k O la n iy i
S obom ehin to make it 44-43. On
the tw o -p o in t c o n v e rs io n a t­
tem pt, W h ite ro lle d to his rig h t,
but his pass sailed behind a P o rt­
land State receiver.
Northern A rizona (3-3) then re­
covered the ensuing onside kick,
and ju n io r q u a rte rb a ck Lance
Kriesien went to a knee once to k ill
Ztc'C/ lo u d
facelift, including the addition o f a
new 240-seat restaurant featuring
tw o circu la r bars that open up to the
100-level concourse.
“ As we enter this new chapter
o f Trai I Blazers basketball, we felt it
the clock.
The Vikings w ill now haveaweek
o ff before traveling to Idaho State
AFRICAN AMERICAN
M EN’S CLUB, INC.
D a v id L e
G r a d u a t e o f U n iv e r s a l T e c h n ic a l
I n s t it u t e (P h o e n ix . AZ)
H i -T e c h A
was important fo r the Rose Garden
1OO1 O N E S a n d y B l v d .
P o r tla n d . OR 9 7 2 2 0
and the fan experience to be rede­
fined,” said Larry M ille r, Portland
T ra il Blazers president. "These im ­
provements, specifically the spec­
tacular scoreboard, w ill guarantee
there is no better way to experience
T ra il Blazers basketball than live at
the Rose Garden regardless o f your
tickets and handheld ordering de­
vices fo r courtside-seat patrons.
C E ll 503 901 1535
ASE C e r t if ie d T e c h n ic ia n
on Oct. 20.
seat location."
Improvements include a refin-
ished and redesigned basketball
floor, new stats boards and auxiliary
scoreboards, print-at-home parking
B U SIN ESS 503 234 4452
ENTERPRISE. LLC
Rose Garden Gets Facelift
Some big changes are in store fo r
fans attending Portland Trail B laz­
ers games this season at the Rose
Garden.
The arena is in the midst o f three-
year, $ 13 m illio n capital-im prove­
ments project that w ill feature one
o f the largest video scoreboards in
the nation. The Rose Garden' s mai n
concourses arc also undergoing a
516 SE MORRISON ST. STE 540
PORTLANO. OREGON 97214
503-256-3335
uto
Presents an
R e p a ir
M o n d a y — S a t u r d a y
S.OOAM - 6.OO PM
'Ll-Citions
SMOKEHOUSE A ^ n i /
?l<ccitllizillp
ill
E lt t o lic L
¿1 '( Y Ô Q
¿ V lc /ti.s i ’ t P C il/ o o ì
Beef • Pork • Lamb • Poultry • Seafood
lunch $5.95. ‘Dinner $9.95
up
Pork Rib, Brisket. Turkey, Chicken, Ox Tails & More
Beer and Wine Available
Open 11:30 A M - 9:00 PM Monday thru Saturday
Eastside Clashes Dominate Schedule
The Marshall Minutem en and
Madison Senators kick o ff some
eastside prep football rivalries 6
p.m .on Thursday at M arshall H igh
School. Grant visits Roosevelt at 7
p.m. the same day. and a Cleveland
at Jefferson match caps o ff the
I
0
I
weekend o f neighboring clashes
on Friday at 7 p.m.
Other games on Thursday at 7
Full Slab Ribs
able at the gates fo r $6. $2 for stu­
dents.
Two Year
Anniversary
Special
$12^
p.m. involve Franklin at Lincoln and
Benson at W ilson. Tickets are avail­
4057 N. Interstate Ave.
503-493-9414
Appreciation
Dance
Saturday
October 13, 2007
9:00 pm until 1:30 am
at
Billy Webbs Elks Lodge
6 North Tillamook
Casual Dress
21 and over
o. J. ,
o-
No Cover Charge