I want one, but the guy next to me at work says it's a girl's car. Is it?

I'd actually say it's more a guy's car. Masculine, chiseled lines and all that.

The guy next to you at work doesn't want to be embarassed when you blow by his ass on the highway. Listen up close brother. Any BMW you buy is designed for the driver. A girl specific car does not exist in the entire fleet. With the kind of performance and power they are famous for, the fact that your co-worker even opened his mouth shows his true ignorance. Buy your beemer, drive your beemer, enjoy the hell outta your beemer and let your co-workers eat thier hearts out. Happy MotorSport-ing!!

Roadsters are sports cars. Some purists argue that roadsters are the only sports cars, and that anything with a top is a 'sports coupe'.

The Z4 is a modern interpretation of the classic British sports cars, in the same vein as the Mazda Miata, Porsche Boxter, and Honda S2000. Some people (invariably young males) claim the Miata is a 'girlie' car, although many people in the automotive publication biz, along with many, many hardcore driving enthusiasts, believe that the Miata 'saved' sports cars. It proved fun-to-drive cars could be made when many believed that sporting cars would soon become extinct due to tighter emissions and fuel-mileage requirements. It is considered one of the most fun-to-drive cars ever made. The Porsche Boxter is considered to be one of the 'purest' sports cars ever, in terms of driving involvement, and the S2000 is regarded as a highly capable sports car, as well.

The Z4 doesn't quite have the sporting credentials as the other cars mentioned, but is built with the same philosophy. It is not about rocketship acceleration, but driver satisfaction.