BMW Z4M – talk me into one!
Discussion
I would be grateful if the Mods could leave the thread in GG as this is likely to develop into quite a general chat and not just restricted to BMW.
If I go out with the wife and baby, we take the family mobile. We got rid of the two seaters when the baby arrived.
However, I do tend to still do some driving on my own, so I thought why not try and buy a car that I can enjoy?
I am looking for something small, top down and analogue. The Z4M does seem to fit these boxes, though I am also considering a juiced up Mini JCW as well for fun. The Z4M is ahead in the theoretical race because it’s RWD and I think it’s aging very well.
So, I hope PH can talk to me about Z4M Roadsters, the high and the lows.
What do we think the credible rivals are and why would you chose a Z4M over something like a Boxster (and vice versa) given the Boxster seems to generally get the nod. For me it’s seems that the Z4M has more presence and character even if it is no as capable.
Also, if we could touch upon little upgrades that bring the best out of the car whether dynamically or cosmetically, that would be ace too. Grateful for links, etc.
Also, what are the must have options or the little subtleties that only owners will be aware of?
If there are any good cars for sale, I’d be happy to be contacted. I’m quite happy to look at higher mileage examples as I’ve set my budget at about £13,000 for a private sale (happy to be told if that’s unrealistic).
Am I better off just buying a "standard" 3.0 roadster?
If I go out with the wife and baby, we take the family mobile. We got rid of the two seaters when the baby arrived.
However, I do tend to still do some driving on my own, so I thought why not try and buy a car that I can enjoy?
I am looking for something small, top down and analogue. The Z4M does seem to fit these boxes, though I am also considering a juiced up Mini JCW as well for fun. The Z4M is ahead in the theoretical race because it’s RWD and I think it’s aging very well.
So, I hope PH can talk to me about Z4M Roadsters, the high and the lows.
What do we think the credible rivals are and why would you chose a Z4M over something like a Boxster (and vice versa) given the Boxster seems to generally get the nod. For me it’s seems that the Z4M has more presence and character even if it is no as capable.
Also, if we could touch upon little upgrades that bring the best out of the car whether dynamically or cosmetically, that would be ace too. Grateful for links, etc.
Also, what are the must have options or the little subtleties that only owners will be aware of?
If there are any good cars for sale, I’d be happy to be contacted. I’m quite happy to look at higher mileage examples as I’ve set my budget at about £13,000 for a private sale (happy to be told if that’s unrealistic).
Am I better off just buying a "standard" 3.0 roadster?
Edited by CKQC on Tuesday 31st October 17:24
cant completely answer your question, Think the best idea would be to drive one and see for yourself.
I drive a z4c. Its definitely a great car and doesn't seem to get the reputation it deserves. still a very quick car, Great handling, awesome seating position down low just infront of the rear wheels and a short screen with a small thick steering wheel making for some fun driving on the twisties. Not as comfy over a long distance though and driving round town that really long bonnet can become a pain.
The exterior of the coupe and the roadster has aged well, my coupe gets lots of compliments and people thinking its something much fancier than it is.
The interior is a bit dated but alot of cars from that age have due to the jump in technology, so the pop up sat nav etc is redundant, cd changers and all that malarkey.
Theres a common phrase that keeps coming up with the e85/e86 is that the 3.0si gives you 80% of the performance without the M running costs which are pretty substantial in comparison to the 3.0si. Having never drive the M versions i couldnt say. It really depends if your happy with a quick sports car or need the full balls out car. I would say its still a narrower gap than say a 330 vs m3 though.
As for mods there isnt any stick on ones like other cars sometimes have. Wheels it is usually ditch runflats immediately. If going 19's instead of 18s its usually to CSL's or replicas.
People seem to mention the steering being vague etc but I have never noticed this. Proper geo set up seems to be highly recommended on the z4 forums but that could be said for any car.
Standard suspension is good as it but some people to go to bilstein shocks and eibach springs if refreshing suspension.
I drive a z4c. Its definitely a great car and doesn't seem to get the reputation it deserves. still a very quick car, Great handling, awesome seating position down low just infront of the rear wheels and a short screen with a small thick steering wheel making for some fun driving on the twisties. Not as comfy over a long distance though and driving round town that really long bonnet can become a pain.
The exterior of the coupe and the roadster has aged well, my coupe gets lots of compliments and people thinking its something much fancier than it is.
The interior is a bit dated but alot of cars from that age have due to the jump in technology, so the pop up sat nav etc is redundant, cd changers and all that malarkey.
Theres a common phrase that keeps coming up with the e85/e86 is that the 3.0si gives you 80% of the performance without the M running costs which are pretty substantial in comparison to the 3.0si. Having never drive the M versions i couldnt say. It really depends if your happy with a quick sports car or need the full balls out car. I would say its still a narrower gap than say a 330 vs m3 though.
As for mods there isnt any stick on ones like other cars sometimes have. Wheels it is usually ditch runflats immediately. If going 19's instead of 18s its usually to CSL's or replicas.
People seem to mention the steering being vague etc but I have never noticed this. Proper geo set up seems to be highly recommended on the z4 forums but that could be said for any car.
Standard suspension is good as it but some people to go to bilstein shocks and eibach springs if refreshing suspension.
I had one as a weekender(although not for long because I didn't really get on with it), I found the ride and gearbox annoying and it was far too quiet for me even with the roof down, the chassis isn't that great either when compared to other M cars.
On the plus side because of its flaws it is a challenge to drive(a good thing), and make sure you switch off the traction control because when it's on it just holds the car back far too much, on paper it's a car that should be a belter because of it's ingredients, it doesn't quite deliver though.
On the plus side because of its flaws it is a challenge to drive(a good thing), and make sure you switch off the traction control because when it's on it just holds the car back far too much, on paper it's a car that should be a belter because of it's ingredients, it doesn't quite deliver though.
Interesting, not a lot of love for these cars! I thought they had a bit of a cult following. The reviews by Hammond (not that Top Gear counts for much), Plato and a few others said it was a really characterful machine (both 3.0 and M) and they preferred it to a Boxster, even though the Boxster was more capable?
CKQC said:
Interesting, not a lot of love for these cars! I thought they had a bit of a cult following. The reviews by Hammond (not that Top Gear counts for much), Plato and a few others said it was a really characterful machine (both 3.0 and M) and they preferred it to a Boxster, even though the Boxster was more capable?
I watched both those vids when I was looking for mine and they were both complimentary, in group tests it didn't fair as well though, take one out and see what you think, because there are quite a few owners on here that do wax lyrical about them. I had one for nearly 3 years.
Pros:
- sound great
- lovely engine with a good amount of low rev torque you don't expect
Cons:
- Handling is knife-edge - does not inspire confidence at all
By comparison, I've got an E92 M3 now (again, owned >2 years) and it's night and day better for actual driving. I do things in that M3 I wouldn't dream of trying in the Z4 - it would have probably killed me.
Pros:
- sound great
- lovely engine with a good amount of low rev torque you don't expect
Cons:
- Handling is knife-edge - does not inspire confidence at all
By comparison, I've got an E92 M3 now (again, owned >2 years) and it's night and day better for actual driving. I do things in that M3 I wouldn't dream of trying in the Z4 - it would have probably killed me.
I have a 3.0i roadster and love it.
Comfort really isn't that bad IMO. Mine still has run flats on 17" but I do have a set of 18" in the middle of a re furb and some non RFT tyres to makes things better.
It is a fun car that has enough spec to make it very useable for more than just the odd blast too. Auto lights, wipers, dip rear view, cruise, parking sensors, heated seats, AC.
Turn off the traction, push on and they are a fun, predictable little car. Only thing I miss is not having a LSD.
Having owned an E46 M3 I would love the ///M version but funds won't allow that.
Good investment too as prices are on the up.
Take one for a spin and see how you get on with it. If you aren't already, get registered on the Z4 forum.
Comfort really isn't that bad IMO. Mine still has run flats on 17" but I do have a set of 18" in the middle of a re furb and some non RFT tyres to makes things better.
It is a fun car that has enough spec to make it very useable for more than just the odd blast too. Auto lights, wipers, dip rear view, cruise, parking sensors, heated seats, AC.
Turn off the traction, push on and they are a fun, predictable little car. Only thing I miss is not having a LSD.
Having owned an E46 M3 I would love the ///M version but funds won't allow that.
Good investment too as prices are on the up.
Take one for a spin and see how you get on with it. If you aren't already, get registered on the Z4 forum.
GroundEffect said:
By comparison, I've got an E92 M3 now (again, owned >2 years) and it's night and day better for actual driving. I do things in that M3 I wouldn't dream of trying in the Z4 - it would have probably killed me.
Agree with this as well having had both, the E92 M3's chassis is world's apart from the Z4M, it's like BMW couldn't be bothered to spend time setting the Z4M up correctly, the Z4M feels like a car that was an afterthought for BMW to me. cerb4.5lee said:
GroundEffect said:
By comparison, I've got an E92 M3 now (again, owned >2 years) and it's night and day better for actual driving. I do things in that M3 I wouldn't dream of trying in the Z4 - it would have probably killed me.
Agree with this as well having had both, the E92 M3's chassis is world's apart from the Z4M, it's like BMW couldn't be bothered to spend time setting the Z4M up correctly, the Z4M feels like a car that was an afterthought for BMW to me. Your posts suggest that a Z4M could be "set up" correctly. In your opinions, what would that entail?
I like the idea of an M3 in many ways, but it's too big for what I want. I'm looking to squeeze into little parking spaces as part of the usage as well. The M3 is a big car...
I've had one for about 18 months. The Z4M was a halo car for me so it was always something I have always wanted to own.
I didn't want to get a Boxster/Cayman at the time due to the engine worries. The 2.7 seemed better in this respect, but spec on these seemed a bit all over the place.
SLK55 I like the idea of, but price was they are usually around £18k so not directly comparable pound for pound when I was looking.
S2000 handling/reputation put me off, as well as price as I remember these being about half the price!
350Z/370Z I thought would lose value quicker than the Z4M.
Pros and cons of the car itself:
I like the noise (mine has a lightly modified exhaust), electric roof is good, I've got the DSP stereo which I think sounds pretty awesome. It's plenty fast enough for me and has that bit of drama when driving properly.
Cons would be rude is a big rough. I'm on H+R springs just now having had eibach before. Can be a little moody to drive when cold. Cabin quality could be better.
Overall I like mine and it's one of the most complete cars I've owned and a bit of a jack of all trades.
Generally I struggle to think what to replace it with as cost to change to something significantly better is quite high. I'd probably go for something either more practical (M3/M5?) or more hardcore (Elise) if selling up. The Z4 is somewhere in between, which is probably the best and worst thing about it!
I didn't want to get a Boxster/Cayman at the time due to the engine worries. The 2.7 seemed better in this respect, but spec on these seemed a bit all over the place.
SLK55 I like the idea of, but price was they are usually around £18k so not directly comparable pound for pound when I was looking.
S2000 handling/reputation put me off, as well as price as I remember these being about half the price!
350Z/370Z I thought would lose value quicker than the Z4M.
Pros and cons of the car itself:
I like the noise (mine has a lightly modified exhaust), electric roof is good, I've got the DSP stereo which I think sounds pretty awesome. It's plenty fast enough for me and has that bit of drama when driving properly.
Cons would be rude is a big rough. I'm on H+R springs just now having had eibach before. Can be a little moody to drive when cold. Cabin quality could be better.
Overall I like mine and it's one of the most complete cars I've owned and a bit of a jack of all trades.
Generally I struggle to think what to replace it with as cost to change to something significantly better is quite high. I'd probably go for something either more practical (M3/M5?) or more hardcore (Elise) if selling up. The Z4 is somewhere in between, which is probably the best and worst thing about it!
Edited by CrouchingWayne on Tuesday 31st October 21:10
I have a Z4M Coupe which has recently been retired from daily duties to be used as a weekend toy, having used it daily for around 3 years. In that time it has required nothing more than a new battery over and above normal servicing and maintenance. It has been a joy to own. The engine is spectacular; the driving position is spot on (I'm 6' 5"); it sounds amazing (with Supersprint race exhaust and Eventuri intake) and looks great. It feels extremely special to drive and gets so many compliments.
The main complaints leveled at the Z4M in both coupe and roadster forms are the firm ride and the less than confidence inspiring handling. With regards to the ride I would highly recommend at least switching the springs to a set of Eibach's. I was looking for a slightly lower ride height but had read reports that they also improved ride quality which I was sceptical of. I was pleasantly surprised when I fitted them to find that low speed ride around town was far nicer, and that on country roads, the car felt a lot less busy. For 200 quid they are a bargain.
The most transformative thing you can do to these cars however is change the the suspension geometry. I'm pretty confident the BMW wussed out when developing the Z4M. It runs loads of toe-in on the rear as standard which makes the rear end way too locked down, resulting in the safe, understeery balance so many complain about. I, like a few others, have had mine set up to mirror the M3 CSL, the rear toe-in has been dialled out and it is running more negative camber on the front. The results are extremely noticeable. I would never drive the car with DSC off before I had this done, as you had to be very abrupt with the throttle to get the back end to do anything, and once it went it went quite violently. Now I find myself switching it off a lot, the front end is much sharper and the rear is controllable, you can have a play around on quiet lanes, roundabouts and junctions with confidence. I can't recommend this enough.
The main complaints leveled at the Z4M in both coupe and roadster forms are the firm ride and the less than confidence inspiring handling. With regards to the ride I would highly recommend at least switching the springs to a set of Eibach's. I was looking for a slightly lower ride height but had read reports that they also improved ride quality which I was sceptical of. I was pleasantly surprised when I fitted them to find that low speed ride around town was far nicer, and that on country roads, the car felt a lot less busy. For 200 quid they are a bargain.
The most transformative thing you can do to these cars however is change the the suspension geometry. I'm pretty confident the BMW wussed out when developing the Z4M. It runs loads of toe-in on the rear as standard which makes the rear end way too locked down, resulting in the safe, understeery balance so many complain about. I, like a few others, have had mine set up to mirror the M3 CSL, the rear toe-in has been dialled out and it is running more negative camber on the front. The results are extremely noticeable. I would never drive the car with DSC off before I had this done, as you had to be very abrupt with the throttle to get the back end to do anything, and once it went it went quite violently. Now I find myself switching it off a lot, the front end is much sharper and the rear is controllable, you can have a play around on quiet lanes, roundabouts and junctions with confidence. I can't recommend this enough.
I wouldn’t discount the M in any way at all but I would say have a look at the 3.0si as well .. it is a bit of an M car “lite”
With the Sport spec it is a quick useable and sporty car
The N52 engine is reputed to be the best ever BMW straight six and appears more robust than the M engine
Buying .. you can get a lovely Si for 7-8k about half what an M costs
Servicing .. an Insp 2 on an Si is about £370 at BMW v £1200 for an M
Tax .. £310 v £550
Both do 155 but the Si is a whole half second slower to 62 than the M
Bang for bucks i dont think anything compares to the Si whereas the M is up against tougher competition at its price point
I own an Si and as a weekend car it does what I want at a much more affordable cost ...
It’s worth a look .. but I’d certainly get over to the z4 forum
With the Sport spec it is a quick useable and sporty car
The N52 engine is reputed to be the best ever BMW straight six and appears more robust than the M engine
Buying .. you can get a lovely Si for 7-8k about half what an M costs
Servicing .. an Insp 2 on an Si is about £370 at BMW v £1200 for an M
Tax .. £310 v £550
Both do 155 but the Si is a whole half second slower to 62 than the M
Bang for bucks i dont think anything compares to the Si whereas the M is up against tougher competition at its price point
I own an Si and as a weekend car it does what I want at a much more affordable cost ...
It’s worth a look .. but I’d certainly get over to the z4 forum
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