If we get back to the Z4 sDrive35is, the main reasons why BMW wants a Hyundai Accent’s worth more money for it over the basic Z4 sDrive35i can be found under the bonnet. The aforementioned 7-speed MDC transmission is a triumph of a box. The shifts are lightning fast; response to paddle tap is instantaneous, at least as quick as those of Porsche’s wonderful PDK. Problem with the paddles is that they are of the two-mode toggle sort. BMW is one of the last makers in the World to utilize this type of interface for switching gears.

The other is the divine turbocharged 3.0L inline 6-cylinder engine. Power is up to 335 hp from 300 and torque climbs to 332 lb-ft. With the overboost function, that number jumps to 369! This is the best ever iteration of one of my favourite 6-cylinder motors! In the “is”, it's loud, almost crude and ever so powerful!

The power of the divine turbocharged 3.0L inline 6-cylinder engine is up to 335 hp from 300 and torque climbs to 332 lb-ft. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)

On the road and track
The Z4is is very much at home on the track as I discovered during a Jim Russell racing school course I participated in. It took place at the always excellent Circuit Mont Tremblant. Known for its elevation changes, blind corners and long straights, this track puts every mechanical aspect of the car to the test.

With truck-loads of torque, the Z4 will pull out of a corner much quicker than you anticipate. For those that have limited track experience, I would suggest you leave the dynamic stability control active. The large disc brakes are very strong at first but like a few other Bimmers I’ve driven in the past, they prefer not to be pushed for too long, as they have a hard time standing the heat.

Negotiating Tremblant’s esses and other tight corners is pure joy in the Z4is. The adaptive M suspension, the 50:50 weight distribution and the dynamic driving control in Sport+ transform the innocent-looking little roadster into a sheer terror for those sharing the tarmac with you. Steering is sharp and heavy, body movements are null and void and the car just wants to keep going.

To get to the Circuit, highways and byways are travelled on, and here as well as in the city, the car’s driving modes and rigid body shell allow it to be just as at home wherever you may want to go.

The adaptive M suspension, the 50:50 weight distribution and the dynamic driving control in Sport+ transform the innocent-looking little roadster into a sheer terror for those sharing the tarmac with you. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)