z4mr as weekend/track car

[e46m3c]

Hi All,

Considering my next car purchase. Cant seem to shake Z4MR.

Only rivals i can think would be SLK55AMG (auto box and cant turn tcs off) and Elise/vx220.

After a car less than 15k (id be going for the 10k bottom end of the market just incase i bin it), topless, good engine sound, decent power, lsd & Driftable.

All i would do to the car is brembos, kw's maybe shorter diff.

Usage would be weekend blasts, road trips, a few trackdays and probably a ring trip and a couple drift days.

Only worries are its not raw enough.

Something fun on road an track is the goal. My previous cars have been a mix of both. My old e46 m3 was probably the best bang for buck, all it lacked was a folding roof and a bit more power.

[mmm-five]

The Z4 won’t get you any more power than the M3, it’s not much lighter, but is definitely more raw.

A bit of lightweighting (especially the not very supportive seats) can make it a very good weekend & occasional track day car.

I’ve got the coupe and have put 150,000 commuting, hooning, track day and ring miles on it since I got it in 2008.

Haven’t done a lot to it other than to upgrade parts as the OE stuff wore out - such as replacing the standard suspension for Bilstein B16 PSS10; pads for Pagid RS29 or EBC OrangeStuff; Continental M3 tyres for Michelin Superports: and soon it will have Pole Positions and Alcon callipers (they not from an off-the-shelf kit though, so is taking a bit of time to get the motorsport callipers to fit).

There are a few guys on the Z4-Forum who’ve taken it further than me, and have track wheels & rubber, big brake kits, harnesses, etc.

[Billy_Whizzzz]

I tired of the lack of muscle in an Elise and ended up with a Z4M as a summer/weekend car. It feels muscly, and certainly raw enough. If it isn’t you can add an induction kit. Mines on 42000 and I’m about to change suspension as it’s a little skittish but otherwise I love it.

[custardkid]

Ex z4mc owner and currently 535d, m135, and e36m3 owner

The z4 will feel faster than the e46 due to being closer to the road and more connected
The 3.2 is much nicer than the later turbo engines, if not faster, and obviously will be older maintaince wise

Just do it, the chassis set up means it a bit of a hooligan and the power is enough.
Id have another but doesnt make sence on 20k miles per year vs a low milage m135
For a weekend car JFDI

[cerb4.5lee]

As a weekender I'd go for one aswell, I had mine as a weekender and it ticked the box nicely. Although after my TVR I did find it a little underwhelming in terms of rawness...but that's German cars for you and they do lack excitement/noise/thrills in comparison.

[e46m3c]

cerb4.5lee said:

As a weekender I'd go for one aswell, I had mine as a weekender and it ticked the box nicely. Although after my TVR I did find it a little underwhelming in terms of rawness...but that's German cars for you and they do lack excitement/noise/thrills in comparison.

That is indeed the worry. I've had some serious machinery. Looking for someone less costly to bin and run and therefore more money for play

I'd like another caterham but not sure I could tolerate it on a road trip to the Alps which we do every other year. Never had one with a roof or windscreen so perhaps I'll try that.

Honda powered s1 or s2 could be good. But getting pricey in terms of crashing it. Again also not sure they are comfy enough as I'm getting old.

I could always charge the z I suppose if I want a bit more go. 400-450 would be a sweet spot I rekon.

[Fishy Dave]

The Z4M Roadster fits the brief perfectly. I too had a similar shopping list, wanting an LSD, decent noise, power, convertible and a non-chocolate engine for under £15k ideally. I have had mine coming on 3 years, using it for holidays, trackdays and summer driving to work. With a brake upgrade (APs all round in my case), intake, exhaust and possibly suspension the character of the car is completely transformed. I have a switchable exhaust valve so it's as quiet as standard or as noisy as you could possibly want at the press of a button.
It is the best all round car I have owned, having said that a new house purchase and Corvette C6 will mean it will sell in the spring.

I moved to the Z4M from an Elise which I just didn't get along with.

[e46m3c]

Sounds good.

What suspension did you go for?

[bennyboysvuk]

e46m3c said:

I could always charge the z I suppose if I want a bit more go. 400-450 would be a sweet spot I rekon.

I'm sure someone on PH did just that with their Z4. Must make it a hilarious handful.

I loved my Z4MR and wouldn't have got rid of it if I'd have found a way to fit two people and a baby in it.

[Fishy Dave]

e46m3c said:

Sounds good.

What suspension did you go for?

Only Eibach springs, which improved things on road and track, but was floaty and uncomposed when going over Avon Rise. If I were keeping the car this would be the next upgrade, probably some Bilstein PSS adjustables.

[doclip]

Ive had several 7's before as weekend/track toys which were epic fun but i wanted something with more protection and a decent roof and more comfort -hence the Z4MR -hard to beat in terms of bang of buck IMHO
Have to say the MR is a nice all round car and always feels special when i take it out .
Also had an S54 Z3MR which wasnt a patch on the Z4MR in terms of handling

[doclip]

e46m3c said:

That is indeed the worry. I've had some serious machinery. Looking for someone less costly to bin and run and therefore more money for play

I'd like another caterham but not sure I could tolerate it on a road trip to the Alps which we do every other year. Never had one with a roof or windscreen so perhaps I'll try that.

Honda powered s1 or s2 could be good. But getting pricey in terms of crashing it. Again also not sure they are comfy enough as I'm getting old.

I could always charge the z I suppose if I want a bit more go. 400-450 would be a sweet spot I rekon.

Have you thought about a Caterham 21 instead of a 7 -especially with the 190bhp VHPD k series engine -probably out of your budget unless you managed to find a high miler of which there are few

[e46m3c]

I am still on this idea. Currently wondering if the E92 M3 would be a better fit. I do like a V8 howler and a bit of power! Anyone gon Z4M to E92?

The Z4M purchase list is getting on.

[cerb4.5lee]

I sold my Z4M for a (manual)E92 M3, if I'm brutally honest I didn't really like either of them. The M3 really feels its weight and genuinely only gets really going at 6k revs, and the brakes are crap but it does have a lovely chassis/induction noise. The Z4M felt much lighter and had a better sense of occasion but for me the ride/gearbox/chassis are pretty poor.

Collection day.

[e46m3c]

Have you found something which does tick the box?

[cerb4.5lee]

e46m3c said:

Have you found something which does tick the box?

I much preferred my Nissan 200sx and my TVR Cerbera to the M cars I had. The M cars I had were only fun at crazy speeds and they lacked some engagement/excitement for me. I think because they're so muted in terms of exhaust noise and have loads of sound deadening it separates you from the car too much. Plus Bmw's are quite heavy cars too.

Currently running a Mini Cooper S and don't get me wrong it's slow, but it's engaging at much lower speeds than the M cars. Plus it weighs around 1200kg(same as the 200sx/TVR) so it feels lighter and more nimble than the beemers. The N/A M cars are all about very high revs, whereas in the Mini I can use all the performance for most of the time which suits my needs currently.

I would love a M4 though(as a daily) and I think I could live with it feeling a heavy car, because it offers the same performance as my Cerbera without the need to rev its arse off like the E92 M3. Plus I believe the M4 can be a handful in terms of getting the power down, which then adds to the lower speed fun.