Faults:

A bit rattly & squeaky. Bits of trim sometimes emit strange sounds, which can be tricky to pin down. I suppose it's part of the lightweight sports car thing.

Misfired a few times and an engine warning light came on. Took it to BMW specialist, who fixed it. The interesting thing was that the misfire was caused by dirt in the fuel, which meant that the valves had not closed properly, leading to the misfire. The specialist cleaned the valves, and then upgraded the engine software, so that when I switch the engine off, the engine bounces the valves a few times to remove any deposits. (Wow!)

First thing I did when purchasing the car was to switch the run-flats for regular tyres. I bought it in winter, and the cold temperatures on UK B-roads made it tramline badly. I was really a bit worried about it and thought I had bought a lemon. Since the new tyres (Khumo), it has been excellent - taut & controllable, and relatively comfortable for a low profile design.

General Comments:

I think that this car has quite an exotic design, and is the best example of flame surfacing. I think this could even be a future classic, as most people missed this car when they bought a Boxster.

The car has 2 main driving types. Normally it is happy to cruise, and the 3 litre torque means it can potter about a low speeds safely and easily. It's not scary and is mostly relaxing. When you change with the paddles or hit the sport button, things get a lot more lively. It is fast and handles well. You are reminded that this is a FE/RWD car, and at speed you can feel the balance of the car and steer on the throttle. Exciting and powerful enough to scare - so be careful!

The hard top reinforces the design and is worth having for winter.

Practical enough with a good boot/trunk.

The Z3 was a bit soft - and the current Z4 is a bit heavy. I think that this model Z4 is the best modern sports car BMW have made.

Faults:

Roof motor failed when car was 6 years old. This was replaced under warranty by BMW (a separate policy I had taken out).

Other than that, nothing aside from usual tyre/brake replacement, in line with expected wear and tear.

General Comments:

This car gives a great combination of looks, performance, reliability, affordable running costs and driving entertainment.

Firstly; the performance. Mine has the 231 BHP 3.0 litre engine. Yes, there are quicker cars out there, but it goes well, is quick off the mark, pulls happily even at high speeds, and the engine sounds great too.

It's also fun to drive. The run flat tyres do have a habit of "pulling" a little on certain road surfaces, but overall it handles well, and on a good "B" road, with the roof down, it cannot fail to put a smile on my face!

For this type of car, I've found it incredibly reasonable to run. I use my local BMW dealership where the service is always excellent. It generally advises c15k miles between services, which on my mileage lasts for 2 years, at which point I get it serviced regardless of mileage. The standard service only costs around £300 though. Obviously brake/tyre replacement is more pricey than a family hatchback, but other that that, it's been amazing reasonable to run.

On a long drive I can get 35 MPG. Obviously around town/on short blasts it's a lot lower - but even then I still see 20+ MPG.

It's not let me down once. As you'd expect, you get BMW reliability and build quality.

My only complaint would be the alloys (mine has the 108's). They have corroded badly and are now in need of a full (and probably quite expensive) refurb.

Other than that, a great car.

It can be driven hard for fun, or can easily do long journeys in comfort. You can even get a decent amount in the boot!

I will be keeping mine for a good while longer, and would happily own another.