Autoblog UK

The BMW Z4 has to be the most beautiful roadster of them all. 306 horsepower of pure pleasure. The Z4 was actually designed by a woman, Juliane Blasi. She is just 31 years old and should most definitely keep at it!

TOP 10 roadsters: Cadillac XLR, Opel GT, Mercedes SL, Porsche Boxster, Tesla Roadster, Lotus Elise, Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes SLK, Mazda MX-5

There has long been a link between BMW and art. The latest creation is unusual by any standards. Up to now, the bodywork has served as a canvas for all types of artist, but South African action artist Robin Rhodes decided to try something different. While everyone else was busy painting Easter eggs , he got behind the wheel of a BMW Z4 and used it as a brush.

It looks like this 'creative navigator' (his own words) alternately dipped the tyres in red, yellow, green and blue paint before trying out all of the gears on the car at short bursts. The gallery provides artistic inspiration for us all as we contemplate our next choice of auto or wheel trim purchase.

It has always been problematic trying to reconcile the Z4 with the rest of the BMW stable. Somehow, the Bavarian roadster stuck out like a sore thumb. As a product of the divisive Bangle era, this purist BMW has now followed the 7 series in having a makeover. All totally consistent with the new style of the marque whilst (surprisingly enough) not disowning its predecessor.

Along with the SLK and TT, the other two members of the German trio, the original Z4 was always a purist's idea of a daredevil motor. Yet the design scared off a lot of potential purchasers. Not that there was anything essentially incongruous - the proportions with long bonnet and short tail end certainly have the edge over the competition in terms of sheer aesthetics. It was rather the eccentric details such as the sagging lines of the side panels that caused a few furrowed brows. These are precisely the weaknesses that the new Z4 has ironed out. The attractive proportions have been retained and even accentuated by extra length plus width and slightly reduced height.

A clinical setting, a flickering fluorescent tube, blood-smeared tools. The new BMW teaser website could have come straight from the latest horror movie or shoot'em-up game.

Yet suddenly, we see yellow, blue and green colours floating across the screen. "What colour is driving pleasure? What shape is passion?" asks the website, leaving the viewer somewhat bemused. The invisible promises to become visible, namely on 14th December. Meanwhile, a clock counts down the time remaining in seconds.

The rumour merchants already claim to know what awaits us: a redesigned BMW Z4, which is what we were all expecting to see at the LA Auto Show but which then turned out to have stage fright. Apparently, there is also a Z2 in the making, destined to appear both as a coupé and as an open-top. So we'll just have to wait and see what happens on 14th December when the blood is eventually wiped away to reveal what lies beneath.