German Roadsters - Conclusion - Comparison

In 1918, Germany conducted a famous fly-off of potential new fighters. Although some 30 different planes showed up, Tony Fokker's D-VII was not only selected but proved so effective that Article IV of the Armistice Agreement uniquely required every last one of them to be turned over to the Allies, the only German aircraft so mentioned.

Our version of a German sports-car fly-off hasn't been quite so slam-dunk, but if there's a D-VII here, it's the Boxster. Even being Porsche's mere bottom-rung offering, like all Zuffenhausen ware, it's still the full-strength dose of sports-car charisma.

What drops the TT below the Z4 boils down to two issues: price-as equipped, the Audi, including its Rabbit-tinged DNA and all, is a sobering 51 big ones (versus the BMW's 48.5, and the Boxster's 51-yikes). The other problem is its unrelenting civility. With its light-effort steering, creamy ride, and kickback attitude, the car never seems quite on its toes like the Z4 and Boxster. Understand, the TT would be a splendid choice for the commuter sports-car driver or anyone capable of producing a decent snowman in wintertime. But in a dry-asphalt dogfight consider yourself kaput if a Boxter ever gets on your tail.

1ST PLACE: Porsche Boxster
Building exceptional sports cars is something Porsche doesn't even think to do anymore. Its sole chink is to spend the money on the hardware and not the grade of the interior materials.

2ND PLACE: BMW Z4 3.0si
Our test car's sport suspension is worryingly thumpy on concrete, but the Z4's road-shark looks and cast-as-a-piece feel make it worth the wear. If you're craving a traditional front-engine/rear-drive sports car-bingo.

3RD PLACE: Audi TT 3.2 Quattro
In fairness, it's certainly the best sports car here for everyday commutes and crummy weather. But all its technical goodies-its double-clutch transmission, AWD, and the trio's highest torque-haven't added up to a compelling road experience.