A CLOSER LOOK 2008 BMW Z4

(MANUAL)

Handling “Being a German car, the handling is fantastic. Phenomenal,” said Mantenuto. “The way it hugs the road in turns really feels like it’s very well planted. There’s not another word. The car communicates well with the driver and gives you a lot of feedback. (For example) I have a very snowy driveway and there was a little bit of ice on it. The car, in a way, told me it was going to be a little bit slippery. Because it’s a rear-wheel drive, the back wheels stuck out a bit as I was exiting my driveway, but I was able to let go the gas and the car corrected itself in a way, so it handled it really well.”

A “slow” fast car “Essentially the Z4 is a slow car that feels fast,” said Mantenuto. “It’s much more fun to have a slow car that feels fast because you don’t get in trouble the way you do when you have a fast car that doesn’t feel fast (which you can get carried away with in something like an exotic car and lose track of how fast you’re going on the road). With this car, you can push it if you want to and not endanger anybody and at the same time also not break any laws, because it’s not by any stretch of the imagination a fast, fast car.

“I differentiate a car that you can take to the track with a car you use daily: Just because is built to handle 250 km/h doesn’t mean that you should push it that way. If I go to the track, or if I want to go fast, then I will have a purpose-built car to do that. Essentially, a race car does not make a great daily driver and a daily driver does not make a great race car because they’re built for very different things.”

All-season convertible “You know, people always think that driving a convertible on a sunny day is a fun thing to do, but it’s actually the opposite,” said Mantenuto. “You don’t really want to drive a convertible on a sunny day because it gets really hot, really fast. The best time to drive the car is during summer evenings when the temperature is 25 degrees with the top down and a breeze. I thoroughly enjoy it.”

THE SPECS

Body style Two-door roadster/twoseat coupe

Drive method Rear-wheel drive

Engine 3.0-litre in-line 6, 255-hp; 220 lb.-ft. torque

Fuel economy (city/highway) 13.1/ 8.4 litres per 100 km

Cargo volume 260.5 litres

Price MSRP started at $55,300. The Z4 Mantenuto got is valued at $20,000.