I had on a 3 series bimmer and now three new porsches (different models over the years). In looking for a new car this time, I considered a wide range of vehicles. I wanted a real sports car, not some sedan.

I started looking at Elise/Exiges, really liked how they looked, pure sportscars. Moved on to Z06s. Nothing like the rumble of American muscle . Then seriously considered the Z4M Roadster and Z4M Coupe. My wife always liked the looks of Z3s and Z4s. We rejected a 997 because it's more of a GT to us than pure sportscar anymore.

So when the time came to actually buy the car, and we did have a 944 and 911 before, I seriously considered the Z4Ms, after all they are cheaper. But after reading the auto journalists reviews, the CS always came out ahead. It always does because its the holistic thing, the overall experience, not just 0 - 60 numbers or price that matters.

But the killer was when my wife asked me:

"If you saw a neighbor had a new BMW in their driveway and another neighbor had a new Porsche, which one would you go see first"

I knew then she was right. If you answer BMW, then maybe that is the right car for you. But that put it into perspective for me real quick. Despite the fact she like the Z4's look and design, well as they say, "there is no substitute" or as she remembers the old advertisement "nothing else even comes close"