Manly version of Z3

The Z3 was a little too cute. They looked sweet when they came out, but nowadays they're mostly driven by women. This is BMW's answer to that: Strong curves, larger size, more power.

I bought mine with the sport package, though I'd be lying if I said the difference in handling was obvious. The thing does handle beautifully and though its V6 engine had as much horsepower as my old 2001 turbocharged Jetta, there is no comparison whatsoever. This isn't a 400hp muscle car, but some might still call it a muscle car. The thing is great dream to drive and I wouldn't be able to stand anything less. The body style isn't very popular, but I actually like it. It gives the vehicle a certain character that sets it apart.

As far as options go, I picked very thinly. The power convertible top was the first to go. The fact that I can bring the top up and down with one hand in just a few seconds with the manual top was trivial in comparison with the high cost of the automatic one. Likewise with the heated seats (500$+). The thing has a great heater, so that was just overkill.

The driver's seat is positioned waaaay back relative to other vehicles I've driven. This makes the big blind spot (with the top up) less of an issue, because the rear of the vehicle is just a couple of feet behind your head. It also requires a change in the way you parallel park. If you're like me, and used to a 4-door sedan, you end up a huge amount of space behind you without realizing it.

This thing cruises at about 80 without you realizing it. Getting it up to 125 wasn't a problem, though mine did develop a mechanical problem with the air intake after I did so. (Fortunately, my dealer gave me a 525 as a loaner, so I can't complain too badly about the need for service.)

By default, the Z4 doesn't come with an alarm. It is pre-wired for one, however. That was kind of annoying. For that price you'd think an alarm would be standard. My Jetta had one. The thing about this that bugs me the most as that there's no visual/audible cue that you've successfully locked or unlocked the vehicle remotely, unless you can hear the locks engaging.

It's also surprisingly roomy! I work with a pretty big guy, and after some tweaking of the seats (bringing the back forward so the seat itself could move back), he was perfectly comfortable. I've had it on a 5-hour trip, and while the seats didn't really hurt, I wasn't anxious about sitting in there much longer.

I've driven in a few other sports cars, and I was surprised to note that the Z4 was pretty quiet, relatively speaking. Like other more expensive vehicles, the radio will even adjust its volume to your speed, eliminating the need to turn it down as you coast to a stop. But the road noise wasn't as bad as I was thinking it would be.

Like other roadsters, there's virtually no room to put stuff. There is rear console between the seats that you can use to store stuff, but there isn't a lot of room in there. Fortunately the trunk *is* very spacious. It's not obvious from the outside, but you can fit a lot of groceries in the thing, mainly because it doesn't have a spare tire (run-flats!).

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the purchase, but I haven't convinced myself that the price was worth it. Take a test drive and judge yourself.