2011 BMW Z4

The hood of the Z4 is long and low, with the short-deck proportions of a classic roadster. The front end's been brought up to speed with the lines of other new BMWs, and the sides have seen their aggressive creases and flares softened. The silhouette flows with far more elegance, seen in smooth, long arcs connecting the hood to the rear fenders. The rear wheel wells are pronounced in their size-and taper toward Porsche Boxster-like tail lamps. The Z4 side view shows a slim bubble when the roof is raised. The only interruption of these otherwise tight proportions is in back, where the long overhangs are more noticeable and the Z4 needs the length for stowing its retractable hardtop.

The Z4's richer, more sophisticated feel extends to the cabin; it's arguably the most upscale of all its competition. The rakish design divides some controls in a strong, graphic trim panel, and cants them slightly toward the driver. The layout is a little more cluttered, but also a little more useful. There's an iDrive controller and an electric parking brake in the center console; the navigation screen, when so equipped, pops up from the top center of the dash. Altogether, the chosen metallic trim and contrasting leather trim gives the Z4 a hint of nostalgia, but it's nothing overt.

The base six has a familiar BMW growl and builds even power all the way up its rev range; with a manual shifter, its acceleration and feel are pure classic roadster, not overwhelmingly exotic. It invites foot-to-the-floor driving, though it's by no means underpowered. The turbo version's more guttural and more of a high-speed-hammer drop-top, with effortless high-speed passing and strong power for sinewy mountain roads. In the sDrive35i, there's a rush of boosted power on tap even from low to mid revs, so revving it all the way up isn't rewarded in the same way.

A delightful six-speed manual gearbox is standard on both versions. A conventional six-speed automatic is available on the sDrive30i, while even enthusiast drivers are likely to enjoy the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic that's available on the sDrive35i; it includessteering-wheel paddle shifters so that shifts can be ordered up at the tap of a thumb (for downshifts) or fingertips (upshifts). The dual-clutch gearbox lets drivers choose gears and then reverts to an automatic shift mode, or it can be locked in Manual mode for all-paddle control.

The Z4's two seats have longer, adjustable seats, with longer cushions than those that are used in other roadsters, but taller drivers will have issues with the low windshield header, which can make seeing traffic lights difficult and invite a hunched-forward driving position. That said, the seats themselves are supportive enough for long trips.

What the 2011 Z4 lacks in interior space, it makes up for in storage; there's a small cargo shelf behind the seats, a low cargo net to trap objects nearby, and a center console tray, as well as clamshell door pockets. A cold-weather package adds seatback netting, luggage straps, and a storage box at the bulkhead. And you're best to pack for that weekend trip with smaller bags; the trunk space is big enough for a couple of carry-on suitcases, plus a camera bag or several duffels.

Standard safety equipment includes dual front airbags, as well as seat-mounted airbags that inflate to cover the head and thorax. Pop-up roll hoops are built in behind the rear seats and deploy with the airbags in a rollover. The stability control system also has a sport-driving mode and simulates a limited-slip differential to help the Z4 corner more effectively, while the brakes have a drying function as well as a Brake StartOff function for uphill starts. Active cruise control is standard; automatic headlamps are a new option for 2010, but lane-departure systems and a rearview camera are not offered.

Visibility is a step better than in most roadsters, too. Compared to the previous Z4, the side windows are 40 percent larger and the back window is 52 percent larger, which means you don't get the issues that make it a pain to drive in the city with the top raised.

The feature list in the BMW Z4 is pretty extensive and enough to satisfy tech-savvy shoppers—provided the right option boxes are checked. Dynamic cruise control, HD radio, and xenon headlamps with cornering lamps are all standard, but items like satellite radio and a USB port are optional, as are Bluetooth and smartphone integration. Bluetooth, for instance—standard on many inexpensive cars—is only offered as part of a $3,900 BMW Assist package. The available premium sound system gets 14 speakers and 650 watts, and the base system has ten speakers and subwoofers, though our editors aren't very impressed with its top-down sound.

The optional navigation system includes iDrive—in its much-improved fourth-generation form—along with an 80-gigabyte hard drive-15 gigs of which are partitioned for personal music storage.

You'll see pretty good mileage—low 20s, likely, in combined driving—with either engine. Curiously, the turbocharged engine actually gets slightly better mileage, with the manual gearbox, than the naturally aspirated engine.

Those who value fuel economy in a sports car might want to wait until the 2012 model year, when a new base turbocharged four-cylinder engine is expected to offer improved fuel economy.