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Am I way off base, or can you gear the Z4M about 10-15% lower than the 1M and still achieve the same speed in each gear? I realize it's "area under the curve" and the S54 is peaky, but that peak should still be noticeably higher in the Z4M when you look at the effective torque put to the ground.
Straight Line - tie?
Looks - Z4M
Handling - probably Z4M
Braking - probably a tie
Endurance - Z4M
Reliability - cam bolts aside, Z4M
Price - Z4M
Fun factor - Z4M
Uniqueness - Z4M
Gas mileage - 1M... but this should be a bonus and not a deal breaker for an M car
As far as the ability to tune the car, an ESS supercharged Z4M is hard to beat. The S54 has a greater upper limit because of its iron block, although no 600+ hp options are available. Even with custom parts, I think a Z4M would be cheaper to take into the 600+ hp territory. The only time the 1M will be cheaper to tune is in the <400 hp range.
I remember firing my 3.0i up at night one time in Texas. A little kid walking with his parents by the seawall started screaming, "Daddy! Daddy! Look at the car!!" I used to be that excited kid whenever I saw an amazing car, and I don't think I would have gotten wound up like that over a 1 series.
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