The BMW Z4 is back, and James Fossdyke reckons the new model might just be the best two-seat roadster money can buy

The whole ‘wind-in-the-hair’ cliché must be among the most tired in motoring, prompting more eye rolling than a reality TV star’s geographical ignorance. Nevertheless, there's an undeniable appeal to a drop-top sports car. It makes driving feel that little bit more real, turning it into an event, rather than a chore.

But if you want a premium two-seat roadster for those long summer evenings and weekends away, your options are limited. The obvious choice is the Porsche 718 Boxster, which is fabulous in pretty much every way. It drives like a dream, it’s fast and it’s built like the proverbial outside khazi. There’s just one snag; it’s about as practical as a pair of stiletto-heeled wellingtons. The Boxster has two boots, but neither is especially useful. Because of their unusual shapes and underwhelming dimensions, you might get away with a couple of weekend bags, but you won’t manage much more than that.

Then there are the looks. It isn’t a dog’s dinner, but nor is it an exquisite piece of automotive art. Even its biggest admirers - and I’m one of them - would never call it beautiful, while its detractors use words such as ‘dull’ and ‘featureless’.

So if those things put you off, where else do you turn? I guess you could have the Audi TT, but it’s nowhere near as agile as the Boxster, nor is it vastly better looking. You could have a Mercedes-Benz SLC, too, but that’s even less practical and it’s getting long in the tooth. It’s like driving around in a Sony Walkman, except it feels less modern.

Or you could have the new BMW Z4. Back after a relatively brief hiatus, the two-seat roadster is designed to be sportier than ever before, while still offering BMW’s trademark luxury and sensibility. And I know I’m supposed to leave the summing up until the end, but - cue massive spoiler alert - the Bavarian company has absolutely nailed it.

Let’s start with the boring German stuff. The boot (singular) is at the back, where it should be, and although the total luggage space is roughly the same as that of the Boxster, having that volume encapsulated in just one sensibly-shaped box makes it far more usable. You can put suitcases in there - and normal-sized ones, at that. For a weekend away, the BMW already makes more sense than the Porsche.

And that’s before you consider the interior, which is also surprisingly commodious. Some roadsters are narrow and cramped and uncomfortable, but the Z4 is none of those things. There’s oodles of shoulder room, the driving position is great and, when the roof is up, there’s still lots of headroom. Forget about the folding fabric hood, the lack of rear seats and the fact you’re sitting so close to the ground, and you could be in a 3 Series saloon - it’s that spacious.

It’s every bit as well built as the 3 Series, too. Nothing rattles or hums in the cabin, and everything feels as solid and as reliable as a German train timetable. And it’s full of kit. My test car came with a digital instrument panel, satellite navigation and heated seats, plus a head-up display and a heated steering wheel. All that tech gives it a somewhat futuristic feel, like a road-going version of Tony Stark’s clifftop mansion. And that’s backed up by the bodywork, which is sharp and muscular and modern.

And that muscle is backed up under the bonnet. You get a choice of three engines, named 20i, 30i and M40i. The 20i and 30i are 2.0-litre engines, with 194bhp and 255bhp respectively, while the flagship M40i is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, which packs a much meatier 335bhp. With a tiny kerb weight of just over 1.4 tonnes, even the 20i is fast, but the 3.0-litre M40i is really quick. Give it a bootful, and it’ll accelerate all the way to 155mph.

But it’s the mid-range 30i, which - on paper at least - looks like the sweet spot in the range. It has the same top speed as the M40i, and although the 0-62mph time is a little slower, it’s still more than fast enough. Better still, the smaller engine makes it more economical and, crucially, a whole 120kg lighter.

Whether that makes a huge difference is difficult to discern without driving the 30i and M40i back-to-back, but the 30i certainly feels nimble on the road. The seats are set almost exactly halfway between the front and rear of the car, so the weight is almost perfectly spread between the axles. Combine this with BMW’s trademark steering feel and the powerful brakes, and you’ve got a car that makes you feel like an integral part of the machine.

But despite that, it’s still comfortable. Some sports cars are so stiff and unforgiving that they clatter and judder over the smallest imperfections in the road, but the Z4 doesn’t. You feel the bumps, but it isn’t harsh in the slightest - it just lets you know what the wheels are doing. Of course, this means the Z4 doesn’t handle quite as sharply as the Boxster, but it’s well balanced and responsive, and the fat tyres give it barrels of grip. On pretty much any road you show it, from motorways to market places, it’ll be absolutely brilliant.

Normally, I’d temper all this Z4-based eulogising with a smattering of flaws, but to tell the truth, I can’t really find any. Not serious problems, anyway. With most cars, you can pick something out, but not with the Z4. I’ve been thinking about this all month, and all I can think to say is that the cupholders are in a slightly awkward position. You have to kind of contort your left arm and reach behind your shoulder to take a swig of coffee. But unless you’re Jack Reacher, that’s not going to be a huge problem.

So has BMW created the best two-seat roadster on the market? Yes, I think it has. Racing drivers will still want the brilliant Boxster, and I understand that entirely. Nothing in this class is as agile or as exciting when you’re going fast. But if I wanted to do more than just blast around a track or a quiet country lane, I’d have the Z4. It’s more comfortable, more practical and very nearly as good to drive. It offers 95 percent of the Boxster pleasure with none of the pain, and that’s about as good as combinations come.

BMW Z4 sDrive 30i M Sport

Price from: £42,565
Price as tested: £47,685
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo
Power: 255bhp
0-62mph: 5.6 seconds
Top speed: 155mph

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