Z4 M40i

Some roads seem drawn for a roadster, and the coastal stretch between Alghero and Bosa is one of them: forty kilometres suspended between maquis and sea, griffon vultures wheeling above the cliffs and asphalt that never stops curving. With the Z4's roof down you feel the wind change scent — helichrysum, salt, myrtle — at every fold of the coastline. It is an experience no closed coupé can reproduce.

The best part is that the island is full of roads like it: the sunset climb to Capo Caccia, the coast at Santa Teresa Gallura, the rises and dips around Castelsardo. There is a reason we included it among the seven perfect convertibles for the Sardinian coast: agile where larger open cars start to feel cumbersome, quick enough never to leave you wanting.

The 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six has been BMW's sonic signature for generations: a full, metallic timbre that climbs with the revs, punctuated by brief crackles on the overrun when you drop a gear with the paddles. With 340 hp serving just two seats and drive going to the rear axle, the Z4 M40i is steered from the wrist: quick rack, a short wheelbase that rotates the car in an instant, and a limited-slip differential that lets you meter out the tail on corner exit.

The 4.5-second 0–100 km/h figure says little about how entertaining it is at the true rhythm of Sardinia's coast roads, from one corner to the next. And the fabric roof opens in around ten seconds, even on the move: you watch the light change above Capo Caccia, press a button, and you are under open sky before the next hairpin.

The Z4 M40i pretends to be nothing else: two seats, an engine up front, drive at the rear and the sea alongside. The fabric roof, as well as being lighter and faster than a folding hard-top, steals not a litre from the boot: two soft cases, or a holdall and a rucksack, always fit — roof up or down.

It is the ideal entry point to open-air driving in our fleet: those who try it often come back to explore the other convertibles for rent in Sardinia or to step up within the available BMW range. And in San Francisco Red, you will never have to search for it in a car park.