It’s a bit of a shame, really. The new BMW Z4 M Roadster is, in all honesty, an absolute ripper of a car, so more’s the pity that you’ll more than likely never give it a start in your list of cars you must own before shuffling off this mortal coil.

This article was first published in MOTOR’s June 2006 issue.

Why all the negativity? Well, at the same time as BMW foist upon us this most lovely of playthings, it’s busily putting the final touches on a pair of cars that will, according to Those That Know, position the bar just that little bit higher; the V8 M3 and the Z4-based M Coupe. And while the bread-and butter 3.0-litre Z4 is, as a basic tool, far better than the Z3, it hasn’t exactly ignited blazes of pure unadulterated lust amongst guys like you and I, has it?

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It’s not just an engine bolt-up job, either. With the upcoming Coupe in mind, the Roadster sports completely revised front and rear suspension, M3 CS-spec brakes and a subtle yet highly functional body makeover. This includes incorporating a trick reprofiled underbody to clean up airflow under the car and to direct cooling air to the M Diff, as well as a more aggressive front valance, complete with brake cooling ducts.

It sports a pretty handsome set of figures, too, with BMW claiming a 5.0-second pass to 100km/h, thanks to 252kW (at 7,900rpm) from the 3.2-litre straight six pushing a mere 1485kg around. Its 365Nm of torque comes on thick and strong from around the 2000rpm mark before peaking at 4900rpm. It’s electronically hobbled at 250km/h, though its final drive of 3.626:1 gives it longer legs than this.

With the Sport button switched on, throttle response is as sharp as Cockburn’s specially cellared Stilton, and it’s a do-before-death experience to roost hard in second gear with the roof off.

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The interior is a bit of a halfway house between E46 and E90, and with no iDrive wheel in sight, the centre console-mounted switchgear seems to work just fine… The M Sport seats are ultra comfortable for long hauls and are adequately supportive, but miss out on the side bolster-inflation devices of the 130i and 330i.

Yummy.

The M Roadster is lively, eager and a damn good giggle on tight, chopped up bitumen. It’s a little hesitant to take its set unless initial inputs are firm and decisive, and it’s a tough step to take to trust a short-tail roadster, but it’s worth the committment in this case. There’s plenty of mechanical grip on offer at both ends from the ‘regular spec’ tyres, BMW choosing not to equip any of its sportys with run-flat tyres. Coincidence? The car’s fitted with a low-pressure warning system and the rims will hold a deflating tyre firmly until the driver gets it sorted.

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As with all M cars, the Roadster does away with the electric steering setup of the lower end cars and adapts a quicker-geared hydraulic rack and pinion assembly. It’s not a class leader in steering feel, but it’s not bad by any means, with plenty of bite, sufficient if hazy feel and feedback and reasonable weighting.

The viscous fluid-driven M diff is the secret spice in the pie, its clever combo of shear pumps and a multi-plate clutch maximising the potential of the robust chassis tune.

It’s eminently more emotive than the iconic two-door – it’s the most emotionally involving BMW of recent years, yet it’s nothing like hard work. Want the best six-banger in the world in a chassis package that’s truly worthy of it? Don’t overlook the M Roadster.