Would a Z4 Coupe be a good upgrade for me?
Discussion
I bought my black, manual 07 Z4C in 2012, and use it for commute from Worcs to Bournemouth once/week. It manages between 37 and 42 mpg of super-unleaded for this trip; less for short journeys but always 25+. I quickly discarded the run-flats. I use the cruise-control a fair bit to stay ~within limits (using a GPS for speed-reading); I fitted it myself using info from the web (grateful for this) and new BMW parts, and now wouldn't be without it. Now has 95K on the clock - bought it around 45K; has FBMWSH.
My only negative criticism is the headlights - to say the std Halogens are barely adequate is to exaggerate. The lights on my KSeries Midget (154bhp/700Kgs; does 4 or 5 TDs per year, some with LoT) are far better. I recently upgraded to Philips Xtreme 130% and they are now just about OK.
Love the car... for all reasons above. Was looking for Cay but was put off by tales of engine woes. Might still buy a Cay/981 in next few years... but maybe after I've finished with my 15K+ miles / year commute. One thing I'm sure of... I won't be swapping for the later Z4, which IMO is a downgrade.
Since I bought the Z4C my 2 sons have acquired a 330i coupe and a 330i estate of the same era as mine; makes you a proud father! My elder son (estate) is a car enthusiast and works on high-speed stability for a peformance car-maker; my younger son knows *nothing* about cars (well, he might be able to fill up the screen-wash...) except... it has to be 6-cyls; maybe he's not so dumb.
My only negative criticism is the headlights - to say the std Halogens are barely adequate is to exaggerate. The lights on my KSeries Midget (154bhp/700Kgs; does 4 or 5 TDs per year, some with LoT) are far better. I recently upgraded to Philips Xtreme 130% and they are now just about OK.
Love the car... for all reasons above. Was looking for Cay but was put off by tales of engine woes. Might still buy a Cay/981 in next few years... but maybe after I've finished with my 15K+ miles / year commute. One thing I'm sure of... I won't be swapping for the later Z4, which IMO is a downgrade.
Since I bought the Z4C my 2 sons have acquired a 330i coupe and a 330i estate of the same era as mine; makes you a proud father! My elder son (estate) is a car enthusiast and works on high-speed stability for a peformance car-maker; my younger son knows *nothing* about cars (well, he might be able to fill up the screen-wash...) except... it has to be 6-cyls; maybe he's not so dumb.
BTW - I've removed the Z4 badge - it looks like it was stuck on at the last minute as the car left the factory... did the same with my Accord Type-R, which lost the spoiler, too. I did 153K miles in the ATR with some track-days; in this time, the only non-service item was a n/s/f side-light bulb. Now has 190K+ on clock, and run by nephew; looks and sounds like the day I bought it ~new in 2001. A phenonmenal machine.
(Sorry some OT here...)
(Sorry some OT here...)
TameRacingDriver said:
I know what you mean about the lights. Candles would seem to be a more appropriate description. One for the upgrade list I think.
I'd forgotten about that! I too was in the process of researching an upgrade, but sold the car before I got round to it.The clutch delay valve is the other thing I wanted to do. You can get the valve modified pretty cheaply to give a direct clutch connection - I found a guy in America who modded them for about £30 IIRC. I think details were on the Z4 forum.
Regarding MG Ant's comment about the newer Z4 model, I agree entirely. The newer Z4 has heavy folding hard roof, something BMW and Porsche always avoided in the past. BMW finally putting this on the Z4 is, from my point of view, slipping the car's intentions from sports car to GT. The result was that the new car was the same weight as the saloon, which is a bit pointless; but not only that the CofG is either rearward with the roof stowed or high up with the roof up, the latter being well known to affect a car's handling quite noticeably (cf SLK).
TameRacingDriver said:
Well I wont keep adding to this thread, as its pretty much done now, but I went out for my first proper hoon today with my mate in his RX-8 and obliterated 3/4 of a tank of petrol. Not exactly the best weather and driving conditions at times but some stunning scenery. I'm in love with the Z4, what an absolutely cracking car it is. The engine note is intoxicating (which will explain the 18 MPG I got
I bet the RX-8 got about the same - if all drives were like that, their fuel consumption would be less of an issue for people!otolith said:
I bet the RX-8 got about the same - if all drives were like that, their fuel consumption would be less of an issue for people!
Yeah I think they hover around that no matter how they are driven. I suppose at least mine has the potential to do alright on a run if it needs to! Although with most of my driving as town driving or hooning, its unlikely I'll ever see much better than mid - high 20s... not that I bought it with fuel economy in mind, so not complaining!At least I can HEAR where my money is going though, who needs a stereo?!
RobM77 said:
Regarding MG Ant's comment about the newer Z4 model, I agree entirely. The newer Z4 has heavy folding hard roof, something BMW and Porsche always avoided in the past. BMW finally putting this on the Z4 is, from my point of view, slipping the car's intentions from sports car to GT. The result was that the new car was the same weight as the saloon, which is a bit pointless; but not only that the CofG is either rearward with the roof stowed or high up with the roof up, the latter being well known to affect a car's handling quite noticeably (cf SLK).
I agree entirely I am not a fan of the tin top Z4 I just love my old school rag top Zhilly10 said:
RobM77 said:
Regarding MG Ant's comment about the newer Z4 model, I agree entirely. The newer Z4 has heavy folding hard roof, something BMW and Porsche always avoided in the past. BMW finally putting this on the Z4 is, from my point of view, slipping the car's intentions from sports car to GT. The result was that the new car was the same weight as the saloon, which is a bit pointless; but not only that the CofG is either rearward with the roof stowed or high up with the roof up, the latter being well known to affect a car's handling quite noticeably (cf SLK).
I agree entirely I am not a fan of the tin top Z4 I just love my old school rag top Z
The "tin top" would surely be the coupè, which is the lightweight super stiff version this thread's about.Interesting thread . I've never driven the E 85/6 coupe but I owned a 3.0s1 roadster for 7 years and it was great alround and I only changed it for a 2.5 E 90 as when I saw it many boxes were ticked . I'll admit boot space with the roof down is comprised and it's not so nimble but it has grown on me.im sure that future classic is a great possibility with the Zed coupe
Could well find that I eventually regret selling my E 85.
Could well find that I eventually regret selling my E 85.
How easy is it to retrofit cruise. I have just bought a 2007 car, has some options, (PDC/Bluetooth/Piano Black) but no cruise or Xenons.
MG Ant said:
I bought my black, manual 07 Z4C in 2012, and use it for commute from Worcs to Bournemouth once/week. It manages between 37 and 42 mpg of super-unleaded for this trip; less for short journeys but always 25+. I quickly discarded the run-flats. I use the cruise-control a fair bit to stay ~within limits (using a GPS for speed-reading); I fitted it myself using info from the web (grateful for this) and new BMW parts, and now wouldn't be without it. Now has 95K on the clock - bought it around 45K; has FBMWSH.
My only negative criticism is the headlights - to say the std Halogens are barely adequate is to exaggerate. The lights on my KSeries Midget (154bhp/700Kgs; does 4 or 5 TDs per year, some with LoT) are far better. I recently upgraded to Philips Xtreme 130% and they are now just about OK.
Love the car... for all reasons above. Was looking for Cay but was put off by tales of engine woes. Might still buy a Cay/981 in next few years... but maybe after I've finished with my 15K+ miles / year commute. One thing I'm sure of... I won't be swapping for the later Z4, which IMO is a downgrade.
Since I bought the Z4C my 2 sons have acquired a 330i coupe and a 330i estate of the same era as mine; makes you a proud father! My elder son (estate) is a car enthusiast and works on high-speed stability for a peformance car-maker; my younger son knows *nothing* about cars (well, he might be able to fill up the screen-wash...) except... it has to be 6-cyls; maybe he's not so dumb.
My only negative criticism is the headlights - to say the std Halogens are barely adequate is to exaggerate. The lights on my KSeries Midget (154bhp/700Kgs; does 4 or 5 TDs per year, some with LoT) are far better. I recently upgraded to Philips Xtreme 130% and they are now just about OK.
Love the car... for all reasons above. Was looking for Cay but was put off by tales of engine woes. Might still buy a Cay/981 in next few years... but maybe after I've finished with my 15K+ miles / year commute. One thing I'm sure of... I won't be swapping for the later Z4, which IMO is a downgrade.
Since I bought the Z4C my 2 sons have acquired a 330i coupe and a 330i estate of the same era as mine; makes you a proud father! My elder son (estate) is a car enthusiast and works on high-speed stability for a peformance car-maker; my younger son knows *nothing* about cars (well, he might be able to fill up the screen-wash...) except... it has to be 6-cyls; maybe he's not so dumb.
I found this document online, and retrofitting cruise control seems fairly straightforward.
http://thegannet.bulldoghome.com/CCInstructions.pd...
http://thegannet.bulldoghome.com/CCInstructions.pd...
Mine has cruise retro-fitted, and I don't know whether its just not a great install of it or whether that's just how it is, but it's borderline pointless. It will do the whole cruise thing when you set it, but you can't add or remove speed using the stalk, doing so simply disengages it. Additionally you also can't resume it with the press of a button. Literally all it does is you can set it, it will cruise, then doing almost anything with the stalk will disable it, or braking will disable it. If I had to try and fit it myself I'm not sure I'd have bothered.
It's very straightforward on earlier cars, as the connector is already in place.
For the later cars, the kit has the switch and a loom fragment with the connector (and several long pins and other strange objects...). You need to splice power and ground into 2 connections on the light-switch, and (*slightly* more tricky) you then chase the 3rd longer lead across/behind the dash through the bulkhead into the CPU box, then into the box in front of that via a connecting duct; take one of the connectors apart, insert a new pin, attach the wire to this pin and reassemble and reconect. This part took me some 60 minutes and some head-scratching, as the instructions weren't clear (but maybe more obvious after the event).
BMW must has saved a heap of ££ not including the connector and 3 wires in the loom. My son fitted a cruise control in his 07 Golf GTi (with superchips conversion - it showed rated power at Aldon within a couple of bhp and lb-ft as on the tin; really excellent!) and the connector was in place, ready. Sorry... OT again...
BTW I used the connector ID and pin in the instructions from the web, not those in the BMW guide - and, it works fine. I'm not sure if the BMW guide is wrong... or if the connector pin referenced therein is actually the same signal. It's not something you try after to find out...
For the later cars, the kit has the switch and a loom fragment with the connector (and several long pins and other strange objects...). You need to splice power and ground into 2 connections on the light-switch, and (*slightly* more tricky) you then chase the 3rd longer lead across/behind the dash through the bulkhead into the CPU box, then into the box in front of that via a connecting duct; take one of the connectors apart, insert a new pin, attach the wire to this pin and reassemble and reconect. This part took me some 60 minutes and some head-scratching, as the instructions weren't clear (but maybe more obvious after the event).
BMW must has saved a heap of ££ not including the connector and 3 wires in the loom. My son fitted a cruise control in his 07 Golf GTi (with superchips conversion - it showed rated power at Aldon within a couple of bhp and lb-ft as on the tin; really excellent!) and the connector was in place, ready. Sorry... OT again...
BTW I used the connector ID and pin in the instructions from the web, not those in the BMW guide - and, it works fine. I'm not sure if the BMW guide is wrong... or if the connector pin referenced therein is actually the same signal. It's not something you try after to find out...
Reply to TRD post:
The std BMW switch on mine has functions:
- push away - engages and speeds up whilst pushed
- pull towards - engages (I think!) and lowers speed whilst pulled
- up/down - disengages
- press button on end: resumes
On my sons' 3-Series of same era: short push away increases speed by one mph; longer push (or is it double push?) by 5 mph.
As an aside, using the up/down motion would be more natural to increase/decrease speeds, but what do I know...
The std BMW switch on mine has functions:
- push away - engages and speeds up whilst pushed
- pull towards - engages (I think!) and lowers speed whilst pulled
- up/down - disengages
- press button on end: resumes
On my sons' 3-Series of same era: short push away increases speed by one mph; longer push (or is it double push?) by 5 mph.
As an aside, using the up/down motion would be more natural to increase/decrease speeds, but what do I know...
RobM77 said:
You mean the new folding hard top one? The "tin top" would surely be the coupè, which is the lightweight super stiff version this thread's about.
Yes I do mean the new folding hard top one. I do like the Coupe reminds me of my GT6 from many moons ago. But I like my Roadster more The "tin top" would surely be the coupè, which is the lightweight super stiff version this thread's about.hilly10 said:
Is that Aldon Eng down in BH if so I had my MG Midget sorted there for sprinting. They are great outfit
Yes; we have an MG Midget (MGCC) day there every year; they let me tune the KSeries Midgets that have ECUs (since the map updating happens after the session, based on 'live adjustments' and corresponding notes taken; quite different from sorting out carbs and points...). Roger and co on the 'road' are the most helpful guys.MG Ant said:
Reply to TRD post:
The std BMW switch on mine has functions:
- push away - engages and speeds up whilst pushed
- pull towards - engages (I think!) and lowers speed whilst pulled
- up/down - disengages
- press button on end: resumes
On my sons' 3-Series of same era: short push away increases speed by one mph; longer push (or is it double push?) by 5 mph.
As an aside, using the up/down motion would be more natural to increase/decrease speeds, but what do I know...
I'll give that a go. Cheers The std BMW switch on mine has functions:
- push away - engages and speeds up whilst pushed
- pull towards - engages (I think!) and lowers speed whilst pulled
- up/down - disengages
- press button on end: resumes
On my sons' 3-Series of same era: short push away increases speed by one mph; longer push (or is it double push?) by 5 mph.
As an aside, using the up/down motion would be more natural to increase/decrease speeds, but what do I know...
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff