TO THE POINTWhat's New? Plop the M3's powerful inline six, a hydraulic rather than electric steering system, a revised suspension, and styling tweaks both functional and decorative into the BMW Z4, and the result is the excellent new M Roadster. Selling Points: Tons of torque, macho looks, impressive handling Deal Breakers: High price, lacks refinement, only a tick faster than a stock Z4
Bolder styling front and rear clearly define the BMW M Roadster as a serious sports car. An all-new front fascia with larger air intakes for cooling the engine and brakes gives the M Roadster a more aggressive appearance, and the hood also gets new creases that run from the grille to the windscreen. The rear of the car gets a new diffuser, bold cutouts for the dual exhaust tips, and an M badge that accentuates the look of the BMW M Roadster. Overall the M Roadster looks meaner yet retains the look of the Z4 without straying too far from the original design. Inside, the aluminum trim is a nice accent but the overall feel of the interior falls short of expectations for a car at this price thanks to the cheap plastics panels. Additional accents worth mentioning are the embossed M on the leather headrests and the M-colored stitching used on the steering wheel.