The first time I saw the BMW Z3 I fell in love. Its glorious shape promised more fun than a dream date with Cameron Diaz. The fact that the Z3 is infused with the magic transmission, steering, and suspension dust found in all BMWs did nothing to quell my desire for this little roadster from Munich. (OK, we know that it's from South Carolina, but it's a BMW in the grandest of traditions.) Our managing editor, Chris Wardlaw, was quick to point out that although the new BMW was a pleasure to behold, it had serious competition from the venerable Mazda Miata, the car that reintroduced America to the pleasure of two seats and no top. Knowing that the big guy had a special place in his heart for the Miata, I smiled and nodded my head, secretly assured that there was no comparison between these vehicles.

As luck would have it, we received a BMW Z3 a few weeks ago, just as the weather was turning nasty here in Denver. We only had one week with the Z, and I positioned myself to drive it during what was supposed to be the warmest part of the week. Once again our local meteorologists failed miserably in their extended forecast, and I took possession of the car on a cold day with ominous clouds building in the west. Nonetheless, I dropped the top, a remarkably simple affair; sped out of downtown Denver, and headed for the hills. Murphy's Law held true that day, and as I decided to skip the exit nearest my house for an extended romp in the foothills of the Flatirons, it began to snow. Since I was on a 65 mph highway with no exit in sight, I had little choice than to turn up the heater and pray that the weather wouldn't turn to sleet or hail. After finally exiting the highway, I doubled back through my buttoned-down, minivanned suburb. God only knows what my fellow Westminsterites thought when they saw a young man sitting in this exotic-looking vehicle with the top down during a light snow on our burg's main drag. Oh well, it probably just gave them something to talk about, other than the unusually early snow, at their next canasta marathon.

The following morning, our photographer, Greg Anderson, appeared bright and early to take some photographs of this stunning auto. Unfortunately, we had to spend about 20 minutes de-icing the windshield and dusting snow off the hood before he could begin. When the car was finally prepped, Anderson took the keys from me, and with a funny glint in his eyes said, "I'll be back later." He returned at 10 p.m. Anderson is a great photographer, and very meticulous about his work, but I doubt that even he could spend fifteen hours snapping photos of a car that is only slightly longer than he is tall.

Such is the effect of the Z3 on anyone who has ever viewed cars as something more than a means of transportation. Strict adherents to any religion should not even look at one of these cars, such is the covetousness that it will stir in their hearts. In my glorious three days, twelve hours and 15 minutes with the Z3, I was stopped 14 times by people who had to ask me about the vehicle. The questions can be lumped into three categories. First, "how fast is it?". Not very, came my apologetic reply. Second, "how does it handle?" Remarkably well, was my enthusiastic response. Third, "how much did it cost?" Not too much, was my snobbish rejoinder. (Unable to admit to the unwashed masses that the car was not, in fact, mine.) Not surprisingly, I received few if any questions about the Z3's gas mileage, interior comfort, storage space, or usefulness; questions that I am used to getting from my neighbors, friends, and family whenever I pull up in a new set of wheels. It's as if even the most naive autophiles know that this car has nothing to do with practicality and everything to do with image.

Since this car is a BMW, however, it has the goods to back up its image with a healthy dose of performance, function, and fun. The Z3 is equipped with the 1.9-liter engine that is standard on all 4-cylinder 3-Series cars. This engine produces 138 horsepower at 6000 rpm; not earth-shattering, but good enough to move this lightweight car down the road. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the Z3, and is recommended for anyone who doesn't suffer from a debilitating right hand injury. Running the Z3 through its close-ratio gears is more fun than a week in Vegas on Daddy's credit card. The interior of the Z3 has the same spartan functionality that we have come to expect from 3-Series cars. What we didn't expect to find was the copious passenger space. This car is certainly not going to be confused with a Cadillac DeVille, but passengers in the Z3 will enjoy more room than is typical of two-seat roadsters. Additionally, the trunk is large enough to hold two large duffles and a couple of tennis rackets; perfect for that weekend getaway in the mountains or at the shore.

Top-down driving is fantastic in the Z3 except for one glaring problem: the stereo is nearly inaudible at speeds above 50 mph. Other than that, the experience is without reproach. Top-up driving is also pretty good, but we didn't like the distortions caused by the plastic rear window. Nor could we discern why this $30,000 car should have an unlined convertible top. We know that most people will drive the Z3 with the top down, but on those few occasions when the top must be raised it would be better if the occupants didn't feel like they were sitting inside of a pup tent with all of those exposed bars overhead.

On a run through the mountains, the BMW handled very well. No surprise, since it rides on the same basic underpinnings as the highly acclaimed 3-Series coupes and sedans. A strut-type front suspension and semi-trailing arm rear suspension soak up bumps nicely while communicating important information about the road surface to the driver. The Z3's 16-inch performance tires and front and rear anti-roll bars guarantee that the car will grip capably through tight corners without much squeal or excessive body roll. The steering in this car is superb, but the little Bimmer did have more understeer than we have experienced in other 3-Series models. The Z3 accelerates well, and when the traction assist is turned off has no trouble squealing its rear tires. Since the Z3 is the most fun to drive in the 3,000-4,000 rpm range, the manual gearbox requires constant attention. While this doesn't bother us, we think that driving a model equipped with an automatic would sap the car of much of its fun since the transmission would be constantly hunting for the proper gear.

Most people won't worry about driving the Z3 fast, though, because the whole point of this car is to be seen. Beautiful green paint, a tan leather interior, nine BMW propeller badges, and an almost musical exhaust note guarantee that people will stop and stare. At a few stop lights in town we even had people get out of their own car to come and talk to us about the Z3. On the freeway during rush hour people would courteously open up a space to let the Z3 in, just to get a better look at this rolling masterpiece. (We think that this amazing courtesy alone is worth the Z3's price of admission.)

All good things must come to an end, though, and after our joyous week we had to send it back. After mourning the loss of the Z3, despite my fervent prayers to the Almighty that BMW would forget which publication they had lent it to and just decide to leave it in my garage, I engaged in a discussion with Edmund's staff about this car. The consensus among the junior staffers was that the BMW Z3 is unmatched by any sports car that has a base price under $30,000. We felt that its wonderful handling, eager engine, sensible interior, and drop-dead styling were far superior to the other roadster or 2+2 offerings from Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Ford, Chevy, and yes, even Mazda. Then Wardlaw, the Miata lover, asked when any of us had last been in a Miata. We all looked a bit sheepish, and it occurred to me that outside of sitting in a Miata at last year's auto show, and taking a quick spin around the block in a one way back in 1990, that I had never really tested a Miata. Upon confessing this, Wardlaw decided that I needed to indulge in the Miata experience before I could proclaim the BMW Z3 the best sports car under $30,000.