BMW Z4M Cabriolet 2006 - Present

The BMW Z4M is the really extravagant model of the BMW range. It's a two seater, which is frankly a relief, as some many of the alleged four seaters haven't the rear leg room for your pet hamster. With the Z4M, BMW have ditched the pretence that the driver is going to enjoy the drive with more than one other person. It's got a reasonably sized boot but it's a funny shape, so isn't especially practical. Under the bonnet lies a monster engine, with oodles of power and torque, but both hide quite far up the rev range, so driving in town is quite a lot of work. Take it out on to the open road, or better still a race track, and things are completely different though…

The to seater BMW looks innocuous enough as you see it parked at the kerb. It's clearly shaped to cut through the air with little resistance but it's not until you get close up and see the length of the bonnet that you think "wow, what has that got under there?". The car look like it's virtually all bonnet, and when you pop the bonnet you're greeted by the 3.2L straight six, proudly displaying the M badge at the front. It virtually pulses as you look at it, a simmering lump of raw power waiting to thrill or terrify, depending on the driver. Inside the cockpit the finish is, as you'd expect, great. The seats are low and comfortable. The offer good support in all the right places, without being so comfortable as to relax too much.

Upon starting the engine you're greeted with a deep burble which, with a press of the accelerator, screams in to a howl and falls back to it's deep burble. It's like a hot geyser from a fantasy novel with a banshee that lives within and is always looking to get out and cause havoc. The Geyser bubbles and spits and as long as you don't prod it too much it remains contained. But if you get too close then the banshee screams out and comes to get you. If you're smart then you can ride the banshee, and what a ride it is. The cautious should probably keep well clear. The huge engine generates 338bhp at 7,900 rpm and maximum torque of 269lb-ft at 4,900 rpm, so the power is kept at the top end of the rev range. This doesn't mean that there isn't any power at the lower part of the rev range merely that the majority is to be found at the top end, like a jack in the box waiting for you to press too hard on that throttle.

Able to reach 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and restricted to 155 mph the Z4M is exhilarating to open up when conditions are right. The suspension is firm to say the least but this translates to handling that you can scarcely believe is possible, while the steering transmits a feel for the road that others can only marvel at. The Z4M feels like it's laser guided and drives at the speed of a missile. There is a decent in car entertainment system but frankly it's irrelevant as the engine provides a great soundtrack and driving more than enough entertainment.

BMW don't make cars for the bargain end of the market and they don't make many slow ones either. The Z4M is described as the most hardcore of the entire BMW range and can certainly make a claim to be the most extravagant. This isn't because of cost of finish as it's neither the best finished or most expensive. It is however the least useful, but at the same time one of the most fun. If you can afford to shell out £40k for a plaything then it will give you hours of pleasure.

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