Z4OOOOOM!

I bought my 2003 Z4 (2.5L) back in August 2003. So far I have no regrets.

Performace: Very good. It isn't the fastest thing on the road, but it sure feels and looks like it is. The powerful sound of this engine may force you to write checks your bumper can't cash =). However, there is definitely enough oomph to give the justified thrashing to those anoying buzzing east asian cars with home-made spoilers on them. My favorite part is how fast it accelerates at high speeds (60+) really handy for when you need something extra to merge onto the freeway or avoid getting t-boned by someone running a red light (Yes it happened and I directly attribute the acceleration to not getting creamed)

Looks: Many of the hard-core car enthusiasts whine about it being ugly. I have yet to hear a single negative comment from anyone (and everyone wants to comment.)

Durability: Over a year and half in and no problems except a minor scratch in the paint (grr). I won't blame BMW for *THAT* one at least. When I bought the car I heard horror stories about the performance tires wearing out in under 20K miles. I am getting close to 30K and still have plenty of good tread left on them.

Power top: Just like it says on the brochure, Down or up in 10 seconds. Appreciated that a Few times I got caught in a sudden rain.

Steptronic transmission: Basically it is an automatic and you can optionally tell it when to shift (no clutch needed). Nice toy, but the only time I ever used it to show it to someone who was riding with me.

Trunk Space: Suprisingly good for this type of car.

Price: Okay it is pricey, but it is a Beemer, whatdya expect. I think this car is every bit as good as a Boxter and comes in around $10K less.

"Say What" dept.: It doesn't come stock with an alarm. In fact it wasn't even on the list of available options when I picked them. I didn't know this until I picked it up and asked the dealer how to work it. he offered to install one for an insane price. My Dodge dakota came with a darn alarm and was less than hald the price of this car!

Options you will hate yourself for if you don't splurge on:
Sport Package - definite improvement, much cooler "turbine" wheels
Auto Top - If you have to get out to put it down/up, you won't do it and you might as well not get a convertable.