RE: BMW Z4M Roadster

RE: BMW Z4M Roadster

Author
Discussion

dinkel

26,889 posts

257 months

Monday 10th July 2006
quotequote all
DoctorD said:
My Alpina Roadster that I will be selling (hint, hint) sounds exactly like a Porsche 911 from outside, . . .


Ai, than something's seriously wrong

DoctorD

1,542 posts

255 months

Monday 10th July 2006
quotequote all
dinkel said:
DoctorD said:
My Alpina Roadster that I will be selling (hint, hint) sounds exactly like a Porsche 911 from outside, . . .


Ai, than something's seriously wrong



If you read Colin Goodwin's review in Autochuff that's exactly what he said when they ran one as a long-term test car.

www.alpina-automobiles.com/downloads/testberichte/en1111396709autocar0305_03.pdf

NickmHall

40 posts

245 months

Tuesday 11th July 2006
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Zoe

I did indeed used to work on CCC, back in the good old days! We had lots of laughs and seemingly far less work back then, and working on the mag was real fun. I still work with the same snappers and editors today, which I guess is a good sign!

And as for the other question, if a car is absolute cack I will say it. Luckily I mostly drive prestige and well-sorted performance machines these days, and don't go on Korean microcar donkey launches, so bad experiences are few and far between!

Cheers
Nick

sweatysock

130 posts

243 months

Thursday 13th July 2006
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broccers said:
Must say I wasnt impressed with the loan of one for 24 hours.

Nice noise thats about it.


Agreed, I drove an M Roadster a few weeks back and it just didnt feel special at all. It wasn't that quick and felt heavy and cumbersome, not what i expected at all. Almost immediately afterwards I test drove a Cayman S and they are leagues apart. The Cayman was better in every aspect apart from looks, where i'm not sure which i prefer. The handling and the brakes on the Cayman were the outstanding aspects for me.

ss

G4HKS

2,673 posts

218 months

Thursday 23rd August 2007
quotequote all
Hi

I bought a nearly new Z4M Roadster on Saturday and sold it the following Thursday. Nice car but used to more torque from V8 engined machines. Won't knock it though, went like stink and nicely built.

I was trying to find a substitute for the TVR Griffiths I owned previously and for sheer grunt and performance the Z doesn't come close. It will stay on the road however and sort of went around corners a damn site better... (and probably wouldn't have fallen to bits)

Shame about the crap American paint finish but I understand BMW are dragging the build of the next Z series out of the US and bringing it back to Germany.

Edited by G4HKS on Thursday 23 August 23:12

trackdemon

12,149 posts

260 months

Thursday 23rd August 2007
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What a strange post? confused

I'd be surprised to find a Griff that would outperform a Z4M. The Z doesn't feel as fast, but alongside each other on a runway you'd need a very healthy Griff to match or beat one. Circuit? Goodbye TVR

I find it strange you'd buy a (not inexpensive!) car and dislike it sufficiently to sell within days? Did you test the car beforehand?

Don't understand your build quality gripes either - our Coupe feels like it was hewn from solid. Very good build quality & great paint finish. Perhaps yours was a wrong 'un?

jezzaaa

1,867 posts

258 months

Friday 24th August 2007
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That's bizarre...cos the Cayman is way under the Z4M Power wise...and way more expensive. Nice car though...I went from a Boxster S to a Z4MC...looked long and hard at the Cayman but just couldn't understand why it's so much more expensive than the Boxster...especially now they both have the 3.4 engine. Weird.

sweatysock said:
broccers said:
Must say I wasnt impressed with the loan of one for 24 hours.

Nice noise thats about it.
Agreed, I drove an M Roadster a few weeks back and it just didnt feel special at all. It wasn't that quick and felt heavy and cumbersome, not what i expected at all. Almost immediately afterwards I test drove a Cayman S and they are leagues apart. The Cayman was better in every aspect apart from looks, where i'm not sure which i prefer. The handling and the brakes on the Cayman were the outstanding aspects for me.

ss

AdvocatusD

2,277 posts

230 months

Wednesday 13th December 2017
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A decade from this article, how does PH think the Z4M roadster has aged?

cerb4.5lee

30,197 posts

179 months

Wednesday 13th December 2017
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It's still a real marmite car for me, I didn't really get on with it and didn't like the ride or gearbox. It's chassis felt unresolved to me and I don't mind a bit of lairyness(my Cerbera could be a handful), yet the Z4M just never felt that altogether to drive.

Tea Pot One

1,842 posts

227 months

Wednesday 13th December 2017
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I didn't get on with mine either - nowt went wrong with the car and it looked great in blue but the ride, the lurching when cold coupled with a gearbox from hell meant I got rid after just over a year.

I tried to love it but did not regret selling it on. I didn't find the performance startling either which was a shame.

Billy_Whizzzz

1,991 posts

142 months

Wednesday 13th December 2017
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I have had one for about 3 years now and like it rather than love it. I love the engine, like the looks but as others have said elsewhere the suspension is unresolved. I’ll be swapping to a different set up this year. However, for the money I struggle to tho knit what I’d replace it with. I guess one option would be to replace it and my M140i with a Boxster but it would cost a lot more to run and deprecation that the two combined. I did look at a 987 Boxster S as an option when I bought the Z but wanted something more lairy that felt more special and would depreciate less. I haven’t regretted it.

SebringMan

1,773 posts

185 months

Thursday 14th December 2017
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Billy_Whizzzz said:
I have had one for about 3 years now and like it rather than love it. I love the engine, like the looks but as others have said elsewhere the suspension is unresolved. I’ll be swapping to a different set up this year. However, for the money I struggle to tho knit what I’d replace it with. I guess one option would be to replace it and my M140i with a Boxster but it would cost a lot more to run and deprecation that the two combined. I did look at a 987 Boxster S as an option when I bought the Z but wanted something more lairy that felt more special and would depreciate less. I haven’t regretted it.
I'm surprised that the Boxster could cost more to run. Servicing a Z4M is not exactly a cheap exercise.

citizen smith

743 posts

180 months

Friday 15th December 2017
quotequote all
G4HKS said:
Hi

I bought a nearly new Z4M Roadster on Saturday and sold it the following Thursday. Nice car but used to more torque from V8 engined machines. Won't knock it though, went like stink and nicely built.

I was trying to find a substitute for the TVR Griffiths I owned previously and for sheer grunt and performance the Z doesn't come close. It will stay on the road however and sort of went around corners a damn site better... (and probably wouldn't have fallen to bits)

Shame about the crap American paint finish but I understand BMW are dragging the build of the next Z series out of the US and bringing it back to Germany.

Edited by G4HKS on Thursday 23 August 23:12
Totally agree about the BMW's roadsters. A number of years ago I bought a very low milage "M" Roadster, because of all ot the rave reviews and the simplicity of an Automatic Roof. What a MISTAKE that was, the car felt Gutless compared to the Griff and build quality was appauling (bit's of windsreen trim falling down all the time) - hence quickly SOLD the "M" Roadster and another Griffith purchased (Comfort and Grunt)!