BMW Z4M Coupe - Tell me about your experiences with this car

[[OcUK]Gibbo]

Hi there

I've test driven a Z4M Coupe and thought it was a great car, but did not have enough time in the car to get fully to grips with it.

What I want to know from owners is how they handle. Can these car corners extremely fast whilst keeping composed or do they tend to want to get into oversteer to easily?

Whats good about the M3 and even the 335i is they corner very well with perfect balanced and hence can get round corners very quickly. If you want oversteer its easy to get.

So with the Z4M Coupe can it corner as quick, is the balance good or do they tend to oversteer a little to easy due to the setting off the LSD?

Is more horsepower extractable safely and reliably? What basic suspension mods are done for improved handling and fast cornering?

[cheburator]

I have done 8000 miles in mine and about 80 odd laps of the Nurburgring this year.

I think that the Z4M Coupe is much more of a driver's car than either the outgoing M3 or the new 335. Think of it as a halfway CSL.

You can carry a lot of speed into a corner and balance the car beautifully on the throttle once the intrusive DSC has been turned off. The steering rack is very quick and direct, and initially can spook you as the car would appear twitchy, but after a few miles or laps it becomes a pleasure - sort of a grown up Elise. The brakes are miles better than both the M3 and the 335, since they were donated by the CSL.

The only criticism - the awful Conti Sport, which come as standard... Swap them for MPS2 or even better, get MPCs on a second set of M3 wheels, which are cheap as chips on eBay, dial more camber at the front and less toe-in, and go CSL hunting...

[[OcUK]Gibbo]

cheburator said:

I have done 8000 miles in mine and about 80 odd laps of the Nurburgring this year.

I think that the Z4M Coupe is much more of a driver's car than either the outgoing M3 or the new 335. Think of it as a halfway CSL.

You can carry a lot of speed into a corner and balance the car beautifully on the throttle once the intrusive DSC has been turned off. The steering rack is very quick and direct, and initially can spook you as the car would appear twitchy, but after a few miles or laps it becomes a pleasure - sort of a grown up Elise. The brakes are miles better than both the M3 and the 335, since they were donated by the CSL.

The only criticism - the awful Conti Sport, which come as standard... Swap them for MPS2 or even better, get MPCs on a second set of M3 wheels, which are cheap as chips on eBay, dial more camber at the front and less toe-in, and go CSL hunting...

Hi there

So when one wants to go road B-Road driving, eating up the twisties in a rather fast manner can one just leave the DSC on and basically get from A-B rather quick with little fuss, or is the cars rear-end/LSD always trying to slide?

My current car is a 500BHP RWD Mustang and I've owned an S2000 before so don't mind tail slides but I also like to be able to corner fast and a car to feel like its on rails. Now the Mustang and S2000 had this, but does the Z4M Coupe too?

[cheburator]

OcUKGibbo said:

Hi there

So when one wants to go road B-Road driving, eating up the twisties in a rather fast manner can one just leave the DSC on and basically get from A-B rather quick with little fuss, or is the cars rear-end/LSD always trying to slide?

My current car is a 500BHP RWD Mustang and I've owned an S2000 before so don't mind tail slides but I also like to be able to corner fast and a car to feel like its on rails. Now the Mustang and S2000 had this, but does the Z4M Coupe too?

Of course you can leave the DSC on and trust me, you will be amazed how quick the car is. When I said "intrusive" - it was describing situations on the track, where you want 9/10 of the car all the time. For normal road driving I always leave it on - I don't get any prizes for reaching Cambridge along the B188 10 mins earlier

As with regards to handling like it is on rails - BMW are still the King of chasis and suspension engineering when it comes to stock cars. I doubt it that either the Mustang or the S2000, which undoubtedly are both great cars, can match this. Moreover, the BMWs LSD is an inteligent one - it operates on a "on demand" basis, providing 0-100% lock. You can slide the tail out, but you really have to be doing silly speeds to loose it...

[jezzaaa]

The drive is great and the engine's a stonker. However, one of the best aspects of it is it's relative rarity and the admiring looks and thumbs up you get from people. Is that posing?? I suppose it is in a way, but everyone loves the shape and the aggressive stance. I love owning it cos it's a bit different to all those other coupes.

[[OcUK]Gibbo]

HI there

There is not by any chance in the midlands/north west area who'd be willing to give a demonstration is there? I don't want to drive your vehicle so don't worry I just want someone to show me what the car is capable off basically. I have test driven one but unfortunately a 20-30minute test drive does not give the full picture.

[Rich_Alpina]

[OcUK]Gibbo said:

HI there

There is not by any chance in the midlands/north west area who'd be willing to give a demonstration is there? I don't want to drive your vehicle so don't worry I just want someone to show me what the car is capable off basically. I have test driven one but unfortunately a 20-30minute test drive does not give the full picture.

I'm not the best of drivers!!!! but concur with all comments above. Only had the car just over a week and already put 500 miles on it. This car is so quick, it scares me sometimes... If ever your in London one evening let me know and i'll gladely take you out for a spin....

My advice would be if you like the car - go for it you won't regret it. A test drive only tells you 60% of what the car can do, the rest comes over time.