But all was not well however. The frowning bystanders, it seemed, weren’t ready to accept the fact that I belonged in this car – a middle-aged chap in a sports car with an extensively long bonnet, an aggressive front end, chrome standing out markedly against the brown body, and a roof that was actually the hair on his head. They assumed I was one of those rich spoilt brats showing off the benefits of an inherited business that I received as a birthright. The only thing is that my father isn’t a businessman, and the Z4 was lent to us by its manufacturer for this review.

That’s the irony of the automotive space in India though. The market here may be maturing fast, but it’s not there just yet. So, the sight of a dude driving a two-seater sports car is immediately construed to be a flash-of-cash – instead of real enthusiast stuff, which is what we’re talking about here. Even a rather wealthy person I came across asked, “Why would you spend 70-odd lakhs, and buy a car that can’t drive your family to your favourite restaurant? Get a proper sedan instead – a 5 Series perhaps.” I don’t blame him. I get his point.

But, rest assured, things are changing. With disposable incomes increasing, and the concept of the micro-family becoming fashionable, the traditional scenario is leaving room for change. And, sooner rather than later, sports cars such as these are going to be hot sellers – and for all the right reasons too, such as the laughter they evoke when going around a corner for instance.

Back to these two incredibly rewarding machines for the moment though. The Z4 and 370Z are as different from each other as Shakira is from Anna Netrebko – the latter is a much celebrated Soprano by the way. The one characteristic that’s common between Shakira and Anna, however, is that they’re both gorgeous women with beautiful smiles.

But, back to the cars again, a friend of mine had a BMW Z3 back in the day, and it had the same effect that Unilever broadcasts in its AXE deodorant adverts on the tele these days – the opposite gender always came flying towards him. I never liked the Z3 though. It just didn’t move ferociously enough for me. The Z3 didn’t quite move at all actually, let alone ferociously. You’d be embarrassed by a souped up Zen at the lights. But that can be attributed to an underwhelming 1.9 litre straight-four engine. The Z4 was the spiritual successor to the Z3, and it had to be special. There was no other option.

When it first came out in 2002, the Z4 made Anders Warming – its designer – instantly famous. The car won Automobile Magazine’s Design of the Year Award in 2003. It also drove pretty well too, according to Dhruv. The new Z4, then, had a lot to match up to. So, it won a design competition for starters. It walked the ramp and took the Red Dot Design Award – neat. Job well done Juliane Blasi and Nadya Arnaout.

With the soft-top making way for a hard-top, and the ride being softened, I couldn’t help but think that BMW was no longer aiming at its arch rival – the dynamically incredible Porsche Boxster, but gunning instead for the prettier and cushier Merc SLK. We recently drove the Z4 and Merc E Cabrio while getting our December 2010 issue together. I still blame the official commitments that kept me at bay from being a part of this test. Anyway, there are only a handful of people whose advice on all things motoring I pay heed to. So, when Dhruv went on to describe the Z4 as “a hooligan in a bomber jacket with a hip flask,” I wondered – even though it’s a BMW, with that long and heavy front end, there’s no way it won’t understeer into the weeds rather than be sharp and precise. How much of a hooligan can this really be? So, I drove it and the nose seemed a bit lethargic at first, needing more than a wrist-flick to respond. I was disappointed – so I stopped, got out, and got chatting with Dhruv. After he’d finished, I understood two things – I didn’t comprehend what most of it meant, and that I wasn’t really driving this thing. I was merely petting a dog.

So, I decided to give it some stick and see if it would really get playful. As it turns out, this thing is puppyishly cheerful. All my notions about the front being heavy were dismissed with brilliant changes of direction and massive rear-end traction. The tyres do surrender to physics eventually, but their predictable nature was uncanny. Thank God for the well-bolstered seat and the delightful steering – both of which ensured that the Z4 was always pointing in the right direction. The engine was throbbing with the anger of those 302 horses, and the seven-speed DCT gearbox was both sufficiently sporty and cleverly convenient at the same time. Put it into Sport+ mode, and you’re rewarded with a sharper throttle response, extra steering weight, and more relaxed DSC intervention. But I do believe that the 6-speed manual would be more rewarding in light of the tomfoolery we got up to.

I’m not going to talk about the taut and smart interiors of the Z4, or its magnificent convertible hard-top, because this report is chiefly about driving – and driving two of the best driver’s cars we can get our hands on. And that brings me to the other end of the spectrum – the Nissan 370Z.

Let’s start in 1969, when a motoring blunder was made. A performance car called Fairlady was introduced. You can’t have a name like that for a sportscar – it’s just wrong. Things, however, got better from there, and the 240Z grew to gain cult status the world over. Its latest iteration – in spirit at least – is what we now call the 370Z. It’s been quite a transformation. And let me tell you straight away – it’s one heck of a car.

But before you can get down driving it, you need to get in. And, for that, many of you would have to go on a diet I’m sure, because squeezing your belly past the steering that’s only adjustable for rake – which moves up and down with the entire instrument cluster mind you – will be quite a challenge. But once you manage to get in and turn the key – there’s no going back. The aural brilliance itself captivates you, and eggs you on to keep feathering the throttle pedal – thereafter, your resulting groans of satisfaction would be far better suited to the privacy of your bedroom.

And then, when the next gear is selected and the pedal floored, which causes an artillery shell to explode – all 3.7 litres of it! Shifting through the cogs, it sounds ferocious. It’s raw and it growls – it just sounds proper. When you downshift, via the paddle on the left, there’s a blip to match the revs and even that sounds deep throated.

Coming back to where we started this piece – with researchers and doctors – they say laughing for 15 seconds adds 2 days to your lifespan.

Wrong again. My laughter was proportional to the distance the accelerator pedal was depressed. The more the pedal was pressed, the more my laughter grew – and that surely isn’t conducive to extending your lifespan. You see, I’m told it increases my chances of going straight into a wall, and that could kill me. Well, I couldn’t care less!

The flagship Nissan GT-R – with all the tech stuff going on – seems like it was made in Intel’s high class laboratory. In comparison, the 370 feels like it was built in an industrial ruin. And I mean that in the best way possible. You see, I found the 370 to be fairly straightforward in today’s world of sportscars. It’s a simple rear-wheel drive layout without any more electronics than a basic ESP – which, when you turn off, amazing things happen. It let’s the driver feel every bit of the road. The steering feels like it’s a good friend having a useless argument with you – the more aggressive you become, the more it reacts with an even greater response. The same theory is true for the way the 370 handles. If you’re soft when going around a bend, it’ll laugh at you for the lack of guts. You need to be on the throttle to have this car and it occupants smiling all the way.

The 370Z is brutal. It’s naughty. It invites you to play harder. It makes you feel like a fool for not being good enough for it. It’s hardcore. And I don’t care that there’s plenty of hard plastic on the inside. Because even the ride is damn good – good enough to actually tackle our potholed roads with aplomb.

So, it’s back to Shakira and Anna Netrebko. Anna is sophisticated, elegant, and composed. But when it comes to tunes and lyrics, she’s a transformed woman. She’s passionate, intense and breathtakingly involving. She’s the BMW Z4.

Shakira though – she’s mad from the word go. I can’t think of anyone who could have pulled off words like ‘Waka Waka’ in a song, and gotten applauded for it. She moves in ways you can’t believe, and she’s got some curves too – love her or hate her, you can’t ignore her. The Nissan 370Z is Shakira.

Let’s face it – with either of these two, the grin on your face will be permanent. And while I can’t say if your lifespan will actually be extended, I can say that your life itself will be forever enriched.