BMW Z4

The BMW Z4 Roadster is a solid, edgy sports car with some great engines and a very rapid hood.

• Comfort

  Not a very comfy car, the Z4 is too sporty for total ease. But the hood is well insulated and deals very well with road and engine noise.

  

• Performance

  Choose between 2.5, 3.0 or 3.2-litre ‘M'. The 2.5-litre will get to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds with its 160kW. The 3.0-litre has 195kW and will sprint in just 5.7 seconds, but if it's fast you want then why not go for the 3.2-litre ‘M' with 252kW? It's basically a de-tuned M3 motor. Five seconds to 100km/h and you'll hit the 250km/h limiter quite hard.

  

• Cool

  Not as cool as the fixed-head by a long chalk, but a nicely-specced one still turns heads.

  

• Quality

  Great quality, solidly finished.

  

• Handling

  Like most modern BMWs, the Z4 is ultra stiff thanks to run-flat tyres and the German tendency towards a firm suspension set-up, but it goes and stops like a Roadster should. Not quite the Porsche Boxster it would like to be. But close.

  

• Practicality

  The hood is a real joy to use thanks to its ‘Z-fold' design - super-quick and super neat. The boot is small-ish with 240 litres, but if you want huge then look elsewhere.

  

• Running costs

  Gravely expensive to insure, and a tax nightmare if you go for a big engine (which you must). Only the M version gets near to delivering enough fun to justify costs like these.