Ever have one of those days, when you’ve been out in the yard, working hard, sweat wetting the back of your shirt, grime accumulating under your fingernails? Or how about one of those grueling marathons at the office, when you feel like you’ve been run through a meat grinder? An ice cold pale ale in a frosty mug is the perfect antidote to sweat and stress, isn’t it? Ah yes, just what you need.

Now, imagine yourself as a 1996 BMW Z3. You don’t enjoy malt and hops, because, well, you’re a car with a taste for octane. So, when your four-banger is working itself into a frenzy under your hood, and the media who adored you little more than a year ago are now dismissing you a poseur, what can you get for relief? As a 1996, you can’t get anything for relief, because you’ve already been assembled. But your younger 1997 brothers and sisters can be infused with the 2.8-liter DOHC inline six from the 3-series. Ah yes, just what they needed.

The BMW Z3 2.8 is the ultimate tanning machine. With the exception of a wider rear end, stiffer suspension, new alloy wheels, and a deeper front air dam, it looks identical to the four-cylinder model, inside and out. But the engine swap completely transforms the Z3 from a stylish all show and no go roadster into a refined road-eating ragtop. With an additional 51 horsepower, a 35 percent boost in torque, and only 143 added pounds, the Z3 2.8 whisks you along like the Z3 1.9 never could. Better yet, the 2.8 purrs at idle and growls under throttle, which is much more aurally satisfying than the grumble and wheeze produced by the 1.9. More power, seductive mechanical sounds, and a wider, more stable stance are the three ingredients keeping the original Z3 from "great car" status. And the 2.8’s got ‘em.

Finally, a car that this writer would own over a Mazda Miata, money no object. The styling is outstanding, but in a more muscular and individualistic way than the also beautiful Mercedes-Benz SLK. Inside, occupants find supremely comfortable seats, swathed in red leather with a lizard-skin texture on our silver test car. Quick question, though. Why on earth does such a small car need to be festooned with 10 BMW emblems? Hood, trunk, wheel caps, side vents, steering wheel hub, and key chain all carry blue and white propeller badges. Overkill, in our opinion, and the main styling gaffe on an otherwise drooliscious drop top.

Gauges and controls are simple to find and operate, but understanding them is another matter. Marked with typical Germanic symbolese, drivers will require a glance through the owner’s manual to operate all the features of the Z3 2.8. The manual top is easy to lower, but those with weak arms and shoulders will need to step out of the car to raise it. The vinyl boot, a snap-and-tuck affair that looks easier to install than it is, also requires muscle to wrestle into place. Once up, the top fits snugly and the cabin feels surprisingly open and airy, but the exposed metal framing overhead and plastic (read: easily damaged) rear window are questionable on a $38,000 BMW.

Additionally disappointing for the price of the Z3 2.8 was the mediocre performance of the standard sound system, which, we might note, did not include a CD player or changer. At speed, the stereo was nearly inaudible unless the volume was cranked up high enough to do serious damage to the speakers over time. Fortunately, the exhaust note is all the music enthusiasts will need to remain happy behind the wheel of the Z3.

We drove the Z3 over the same 150-mile test loop on which we’d taken a Mercedes-Benz SLK for a spin a few weeks prior. The verdict? Michelin Pilot HX tires are highly recommended, but be prepared for some tail wiggle on grooved cement. Both the Benz and the Bimmer had these fine tires mounted on aluminum wheels, and both cars gripped the pavement tenaciously. However, we found the SLK to be the better balanced handler, primarily due to the excessive tail-wagging nature of the Z3 during emergency lane change maneuvers. The automatically-shifted Benz couldn’t match the sheer pleasure produced by the BMW’s 2.8-liter six and manual transmission though, so fun-to-drive laurels go to the Z3.

While the Z3 is first and foremost a driver’s car, it also stirs up interest everywhere it is seen. Motorists crane necks as it passes through an intersection. People speed up on the Interstate and follow too closely for what seems like hours, gazing at the bulging sheetmetal. Stop, and be prepared to answer some questions. "Is this the six or the four?" "Fun to drive?" "How fast is it?" "How much does it cost?" My wife and I moved into a new neighborhood while in possession of the Z3. Needless to say, we met our new neighbors right quick.

Stylin’ and profilin’ doesn’t get our hearts racing though, so we just dropped the top and raced around on deserted mountain roads during weekdays when folks with real jobs were nine-to-fiving it in Denver. Mmmmmm. Whiff those damp pines lining the rain-soaked roadway. Ahhhhh. Smell that? Fresh Rocky Mountain air. Powder-capped peaks surrounded us as we tracked a serpentine two-lane highway that ran along a fast-moving river of melting snow. For those who love to drive, such a ride in the Z3 2.8 is pure therapy.

We could complain about the sub-par quality of the center console plastic (which even General Motors might think twice about before letting it go into a Cavalier), the fiddly buttons on the stereo, the digital clock that is easily washed out in bright sunlight, the awkwardly placed cupholders, and general lack of interior storage space, but we’d be missing the point of the Z3 completely. This roadster seems purpose-built for rapid touring in lightly inhabited regions. Driving it scours away the stress of daily life, renewing the soul with vigor. To our way of thinking, the BMW Z3 2.8 is the perfect alternative to that frosty mug of ice cold brew.