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Paint by powerslide with this BMW Z4 app

BMW Z4: An Expression of Joy Lite is a free iPhone/iPod Touch app by Artificial Life, Inc. that allows users to get behind the virtual wheel of a customizable 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster.

Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials
  • North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
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Antuan Goodwin

BMW Z4 app
Artificial Life

Recently, BMW put a new spin on the art car concept by making the new Z4 Roadster the brush instead of the canvas. Essentially, the artist took a Z4, dunked its tires into red, blue, and yellow paint, and proceeded to whip donuts on a 200 by 100 foot canvas. Now, that's my kind of fine art!

Well, now there's an app for that. (Sorry, I couldn't help it!)

BMW Z4: An Expression of Joy Lite is a free iPhone/iPod Touch app by Artificial Life that lets people get behind the virtual wheel of a customizable 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster to create works of art. Users can choose paint color on the fly on a per wheel basis (a luxury the original artist was not afforded).

Z4 app screenshot
Pulling donuts in a Z4 Roadster is my kind of art! Artificial Life/Screenshot by CNET

The accelerometer-based steering varies in responsiveness from nearly unresponsive in bird's-eye view to quite nimble in the first-person view. At least you're given discrete gas and brake buttons, which is more than I can say about most iPhone driving games. Players can even disable the traction control for epic powerslides--which is always fun, even on tiny screens.

Once you're done, you can save your masterpiece to set as your wallpaper or for e-mailing to friends.

BMW Z4: An Expression of Joy Lite is available for free in the Apple iTunes store. According to the programmers' Web site, a full version is coming soon, but it doesn't outline what features it will add.