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