Test drove 2 z4mcs last week, my thoughts.
Discussion
Further to my post about going from boxster to above i drove 2 last week, a showroom car with 20 miles on the clock and a dealer car with 4k on the clock. My opinions are as follows.
The first car i drove was red and looked stunning but in the flesh very small. Getting in the car the driving position was good if a little tighter than the boxster. Everything felt nice especially the thick chunky steering wheel which is fatter and smallerthan my own (no rude comments. i disliked the plastic on the dash and door tops which made the car feel a bit cheap.
Firing up the car it indeed sounds less raspy than the m3 and a little deeper in tone. Pulling away was hard to do smoothley as was engaging second gear. the whole gearbox was very clunky and quite frankly ruined tha drive, for instance you could not approach a roundabout put it into 2nd and eccelerate without getting wiplash trying to do it. Heel and toeing was not happening either.
I was pleasantly suprised by the handling as critics say it is harsh and skittish but i found it firm and well planted, hitting man hole covers was hard but the car did not seem upset by hit. I would say it is harder than my boxster pasm off but slightly softer than pasm on. The sports mode was a waste of time as it was hard enough to drive in 1st and 2nd on the normal setting.
Overal i liked the car but felt that the car is ruined by the terrible clunkiness of the gearbox. It did ease off slighty after being warmed up but still unacceptable to me, i thought the car with 4k on would be better but this was in fact worse.
The first car i drove was red and looked stunning but in the flesh very small. Getting in the car the driving position was good if a little tighter than the boxster. Everything felt nice especially the thick chunky steering wheel which is fatter and smallerthan my own (no rude comments. i disliked the plastic on the dash and door tops which made the car feel a bit cheap.
Firing up the car it indeed sounds less raspy than the m3 and a little deeper in tone. Pulling away was hard to do smoothley as was engaging second gear. the whole gearbox was very clunky and quite frankly ruined tha drive, for instance you could not approach a roundabout put it into 2nd and eccelerate without getting wiplash trying to do it. Heel and toeing was not happening either.
I was pleasantly suprised by the handling as critics say it is harsh and skittish but i found it firm and well planted, hitting man hole covers was hard but the car did not seem upset by hit. I would say it is harder than my boxster pasm off but slightly softer than pasm on. The sports mode was a waste of time as it was hard enough to drive in 1st and 2nd on the normal setting.
Overal i liked the car but felt that the car is ruined by the terrible clunkiness of the gearbox. It did ease off slighty after being warmed up but still unacceptable to me, i thought the car with 4k on would be better but this was in fact worse.
In mine the gearbox improves as the oil heats up. I doubt that in a shortish test drive you will have got the oil up to working temp. As for heal and toe it really does depend on the shoes you are wearing at the time. I have no problem in my work shoes but struggle a bit with my casual stuff as they are a bit too narrow.
In comparison to the old Z4 (I had a 3L) the Z4M is a smoother more supple ride which avoids a lot of bumps and crashes of the old car. But never having driven a boxster I don know how it compares.
In comparison to the old Z4 (I had a 3L) the Z4M is a smoother more supple ride which avoids a lot of bumps and crashes of the old car. But never having driven a boxster I don know how it compares.
baxster said:
Further to my post about going from boxster to above i drove 2 last week, a showroom car with 20 miles on the clock and a dealer car with 4k on the clock. My opinions are as follows.
The first car i drove was red and looked stunning but in the flesh very small. Getting in the car the driving position was good if a little tighter than the boxster. Everything felt nice especially the thick chunky steering wheel which is fatter and smallerthan my own (no rude comments. i disliked the plastic on the dash and door tops which made the car feel a bit cheap.
Firing up the car it indeed sounds less raspy than the m3 and a little deeper in tone. Pulling away was hard to do smoothley as was engaging second gear. the whole gearbox was very clunky and quite frankly ruined tha drive, for instance you could not approach a roundabout put it into 2nd and eccelerate without getting wiplash trying to do it. Heel and toeing was not happening either.
I was pleasantly suprised by the handling as critics say it is harsh and skittish but i found it firm and well planted, hitting man hole covers was hard but the car did not seem upset by hit. I would say it is harder than my boxster pasm off but slightly softer than pasm on. The sports mode was a waste of time as it was hard enough to drive in 1st and 2nd on the normal setting.
Overal i liked the car but felt that the car is ruined by the terrible clunkiness of the gearbox. It did ease off slighty after being warmed up but still unacceptable to me, i thought the car with 4k on would be better but this was in fact worse.
The first car i drove was red and looked stunning but in the flesh very small. Getting in the car the driving position was good if a little tighter than the boxster. Everything felt nice especially the thick chunky steering wheel which is fatter and smallerthan my own (no rude comments. i disliked the plastic on the dash and door tops which made the car feel a bit cheap.
Firing up the car it indeed sounds less raspy than the m3 and a little deeper in tone. Pulling away was hard to do smoothley as was engaging second gear. the whole gearbox was very clunky and quite frankly ruined tha drive, for instance you could not approach a roundabout put it into 2nd and eccelerate without getting wiplash trying to do it. Heel and toeing was not happening either.
I was pleasantly suprised by the handling as critics say it is harsh and skittish but i found it firm and well planted, hitting man hole covers was hard but the car did not seem upset by hit. I would say it is harder than my boxster pasm off but slightly softer than pasm on. The sports mode was a waste of time as it was hard enough to drive in 1st and 2nd on the normal setting.
Overal i liked the car but felt that the car is ruined by the terrible clunkiness of the gearbox. It did ease off slighty after being warmed up but still unacceptable to me, i thought the car with 4k on would be better but this was in fact worse.
So, what about the second car???
[/quote]
So, what about the second car???[/quote]
Read the last sentence of the post.
Both cars were fully warmed up. The second car was driven around the outskirts of sheffield, onto M1, down 2 junctions and round some back roads. Yes I probably would get used to it but the pedals are wider apart than the boxsters making it feel hard work.
I have a z4m and understand the points raised about the gearbox. It does improve as the car warms up and if you adapt your driving style then you can get smooth gear changes. There is an aftermarket modification which several owners now have which is to change the clutch delay valve, this has eliminated all jerky gear changing issues and I believe has improved the car markedly. When driving on track the gear box works exceptionally it is just unfortunate that slower and smoother road driving can be compromised. I think a tv review commented that this is car that you cannot just get in and drive quickly, you have to take your time and learn its characteristics and adapt your style slightly. Not as accomplished as a boxster but a hell of a lot more exciting.
The CDV could well change my decision if it works. I normally get most of my satisfaction from driving when i get my braking sorted and a really nice rev matched downchange and by being smooth on the throttle. My daily drive means that this normally happens when im down changing from 3rd to 2nd and I guess thats whay i was dissapointed. I actually saw a coupe on the road today. I think that is the 2nd one and I have yet to see an m! I hope they get the kind of status the old zmc has.
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