The fresh variant is thirster, larger, and higher than the one it returns, but not so much that it looks radically unusual from its forebear. It is still described by the long nose, short rear grand-touring-style packaging that has characterized the Z4.
The sDrive part denotes the rear-wheel drive, and the absurd naming convention—a similar xDrive badge is applied to all-wheel-drive versions of the 3-series and BMW’s SUVs—is reportedly used to better protect the brand’s trademarks.