It does not tolerate fools gladly. It is capable of sudden spinout in the hands of a careless driver. My '93 RX-7 twin turbo was much like that. With 255 hp in a very light rear drive car, sudden application of the accelerator could have surprising consequences. My local Mazda dealer sold about 8 to 10 of them in 1993. One was totalled in a test drive by a would-be buyer. Enough said.

 

I can see someone comparing a Z4 with SLK but not an S2k. There is no luxury in an S2k. Its a performance car. The BWM Z4 is a wana be, in my opinion. I have an 06. You CAN get an S2000 very sideways even with VSA on in slippery conditions. The M is another story.

 

As someone with both I am not sure this can be answered. I have a 2000 S2000 (prior to stability control) and a 2007 Z4 M Coupe (has beefy tires and M Dynamic Stability Control but not the Dynamic Traction Control found on the normal Z4). Tires can also make a difference.

I can comment though that i feel like the M version makes me feel more confident taking curves at high speed or letting off the gas at high speed (might be the M differential) than the S in terms of fear of spin out.

But I wouldnt choose a car on spin out; I'd drive them both and then go with your heart (or should I say pulse?). Avoiding a car because of spin out is like avoiding Jessica Simpson because she occassionally throws a temper tantrum. I'd say risk it!

Ted