2014 BMW Z4 sDrive35i

The Z4 is BMW's two-seat roadster, the one you cross-shop with the Porsche Boxster and the Audi TT. It's a sharp driver's car, with quick steering and a chassis that feels eager through corners. The ride is on the firm side, which is the trade for how flat it stays when you push it. The retractable hardtop is the party piece, and it folds away to turn the cabin into an open-air cockpit. Stepping up to the sDrive35i swaps the four-cylinder for BMW's silky six, along with a firmer sport suspension and wider tires as standard equipment. That inline-six makes 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, and it pulls smoothly all the way to redline, helped by the six-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. The optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission swaps the torque converter for snappier shifts, though the standard six-speed auto is already well-matched to the engine.