2008 BMW Z4

Do you remember your first bicycle? After you'd learned to ride it you felt like you owned the world. Wind in your hair, pedaling as fast as you could to where ever you wanted to go. You were free. That's about the feeling that you get driving a BMW Z4. This is wind in your hair motoring at its finest.

BMW's Z4 is small and agile, like a sports car should be. It goes right where you point it and has more than enough power to get you a speeding ticket. Power comes from three twin-cam, inline 6cyl engines. Each one is a computer controlled masterpiece and horsepower ranges from 184 to 330. But even the least powerful engine is a delight to drive.

Transmission choices include an automatic with manual shift mode, BMW's SMG clutch-less paddle shift 6-speed, or a standard 5 or 6-speed gearbox. The top is operated either manually or electrically and there's all sorts of other electronic gadgets available too. However, the more stuff you have on your car, the more problems you'll eventually have. Let's face it, BMW makes superb engines, but everything else on the car Will eventually break.

Z4's use run-flat tires, which means the stiff sport suspension is going to feel even less forgiving over bumps and creases. So be prepared for an extra stiff ride (those tires cost a small fortune to replace too).

The interior is a nice place to be. It's a BMW, so of course fit, finish and material quality is top notch, but it's surprisingly roomy as well. With the top down, you get an expected amount of wind noise. But with the top up, it's surprisingly quiet.

All in all, the Z4 is an excellent sports car. But they are expensive to maintain. You can expect to pay between $800-$1,500 for routine service. These cars are also known to have electrical and accessory problems, which are of course, expensive to repair.