I picked up my new 2022 Z4 M40i a few days ago (and promptly put ~800 miles on it driving around winding roads in Western Massachusetts over the weekend). This is my first fast car since I wrecked my '68 Camaro back in 1987, so it's super fun but takes some getting used to
I decided I wanted a fast fun roadster a few months ago - the house we rented in Florida for the winter had a MX5 parked in the garage and it got me thinking. I looked at everything out there, and ended up with the Z4 because it checks all the boxes for me, both performance and looks. Of all the other options, the Corvette looks a little too much like a spaceship and the Porsches are all 2-3-4x the price to get what I want. I'm thrilled with it so far.
One slight disappointment - it turns out with a convertible there are a bunch of extra requirements in order to be able to do high-performance driving / racing school type events. Harnesses, roll cage maybe (?)... I don't want to actually race, but I'd have liked to learn to drive it close to its limits, both for general fun and for "normal driving" safety margin.
It's not a big deal - I never even considered tracking it when I was shopping around. 'Fast convertible' was my requirement, not 'race ready', and if it turns out I can't go on tracks without a bunch of extra work that makes it less street friendly, I'll live without. But my last car was a Jeep, and within 2 weeks of buying it I'd joined a club and had it offroad in the trees and rocks (after which I poured money into it for the next 3 years on lifts, tires, etc. to make it do that even better!) I'd hoped to similarly be able to drive this as it was meant to be driven. Do any of you have any experience getting the Z4 into HPDE-type contexts, or recommendations for places where I can learn how to drive it aggressively (I'm in Massachusetts, USA)? The local BMWCCA chapter has some stuff, but the calendar is pretty empty this year.
