Discussion
Hi Everyone
I have taken the plunge and bought a Z4M. 26k £18,800, main dealer ex-management car I picked up 22 December. M car Blue (cant remember name of the colour) with black leather interior. Upgraded stereo and blue-tooth. No Rear parking sensors (not standard at this time) but auto dimming mirror and auto lights and rain sensors (standard i guess).
God the car is quick....
I keep going out for random drives, with laughing - a good sign. It's fun driving anywhere but when using its potential its bonkers!! It does achieve 23mpg average actually meeting the claimed figures (and can do more on boring journey to work 29mpg from cold start).
Ride quality much better than I expected, its firm but not 'jiggly' like the Nissan 350z. It is definitely a car you can use every day. Interestingly cheapest main dealer M3 prices are still £18.5k for 2004 with 40k. Makes the Z4M look like the bargain of the centuary given how few of them are around.
Obviously being new to rwd cars all I need now is some tuition so I can get the most out of it if I turn the stability control off and the rear gets 'mobile'!!
I have taken the plunge and bought a Z4M. 26k £18,800, main dealer ex-management car I picked up 22 December. M car Blue (cant remember name of the colour) with black leather interior. Upgraded stereo and blue-tooth. No Rear parking sensors (not standard at this time) but auto dimming mirror and auto lights and rain sensors (standard i guess).
God the car is quick....
I keep going out for random drives, with laughing - a good sign. It's fun driving anywhere but when using its potential its bonkers!! It does achieve 23mpg average actually meeting the claimed figures (and can do more on boring journey to work 29mpg from cold start).
Ride quality much better than I expected, its firm but not 'jiggly' like the Nissan 350z. It is definitely a car you can use every day. Interestingly cheapest main dealer M3 prices are still £18.5k for 2004 with 40k. Makes the Z4M look like the bargain of the centuary given how few of them are around.
Obviously being new to rwd cars all I need now is some tuition so I can get the most out of it if I turn the stability control off and the rear gets 'mobile'!!
dan101smith said:
Sounds fantastic! Glad to hear you're enjoying your //M.
I'm assuming it doesn't have run-flats fitted? Your comment about it not being jiggly intrigues me - we've got a 3.0, and the ride is, frankly, terrible. Not been in the Z4m, but wonder how it compares?
Hi DanI'm assuming it doesn't have run-flats fitted? Your comment about it not being jiggly intrigues me - we've got a 3.0, and the ride is, frankly, terrible. Not been in the Z4m, but wonder how it compares?
You're right, no M cars have run-flats. I had heard really bad things about the ride on the Z4 3.0 and thought as the reputation for 'M Sport' cars is that they are unforgivingly hard that the ride would be too hard on the Z4M. However, the 'M Sport' tuning still uses run-flats which the Motorsport division won't! I haven't tried the Z4 3.0 I'm afraid so can't comment but I am guessing that normal tyres and proper 'M division' suspension is better. I have driven an E46 M3 from 2004 and the ride of that was even better!
Gouki said:
Congratulations! Is this car from BMW? I'm only asking but I don't recollect it appearing on the AUC site!
Thanks - Yes it was an AUC car and was sold by the Leicester main dealer. I bought it before it even appeared on the list, they had only just got it off the transporter when I bought it having test driven a bronze one! I only went there to actually test drive one.......Vinny09 said:
Welcome to the club!!! The challenge is to try and drive somewhere "sensibly" - after owning mine for a year I don't think I've managed it once yet! Great car.
Cheers. I think your're right there. Every time there is room the speed limit becomes a memory....... I blasted the car up a road the other day (dual carridgeway) and my wife laughed and said 'again, again'! So no help driving sensibly there...... I have a 'road angel' and won't go for a drive without it!!David111 said:
dan101smith said:
Don't forget, we're going to need pictures posted...
I will post pics as soon as the car can stay clean for more than 10mins iin this weather!If you haven't already, get yourself over to the Z4-forum (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/) for some really good advice and info - there's also a couple of meets and/or trackdays being talked about already.
David111 said:
Hi Everyone
I have taken the plunge and bought a Z4M. 26k £18,800, main dealer ex-management car I picked up 22 December. M car Blue (cant remember name of the colour) with black leather interior. Upgraded stereo and blue-tooth. No Rear parking sensors (not standard at this time) but auto dimming mirror and auto lights and rain sensors (standard i guess).
God the car is quick....
I keep going out for random drives, with laughing - a good sign. It's fun driving anywhere but when using its potential its bonkers!! It does achieve 23mpg average actually meeting the claimed figures (and can do more on boring journey to work 29mpg from cold start).
Ride quality much better than I expected, its firm but not 'jiggly' like the Nissan 350z. It is definitely a car you can use every day. Interestingly cheapest main dealer M3 prices are still £18.5k for 2004 with 40k. Makes the Z4M look like the bargain of the centuary given how few of them are around.
Obviously being new to rwd cars all I need now is some tuition so I can get the most out of it if I turn the stability control off and the rear gets 'mobile'!!
Bloody Hell that's a bargain. Roadster or CoupeI have taken the plunge and bought a Z4M. 26k £18,800, main dealer ex-management car I picked up 22 December. M car Blue (cant remember name of the colour) with black leather interior. Upgraded stereo and blue-tooth. No Rear parking sensors (not standard at this time) but auto dimming mirror and auto lights and rain sensors (standard i guess).
God the car is quick....
I keep going out for random drives, with laughing - a good sign. It's fun driving anywhere but when using its potential its bonkers!! It does achieve 23mpg average actually meeting the claimed figures (and can do more on boring journey to work 29mpg from cold start).
Ride quality much better than I expected, its firm but not 'jiggly' like the Nissan 350z. It is definitely a car you can use every day. Interestingly cheapest main dealer M3 prices are still £18.5k for 2004 with 40k. Makes the Z4M look like the bargain of the centuary given how few of them are around.
Obviously being new to rwd cars all I need now is some tuition so I can get the most out of it if I turn the stability control off and the rear gets 'mobile'!!
Ayee quick..nah half
David111 said:
Vinny09 said:
Welcome to the club!!! The challenge is to try and drive somewhere "sensibly" - after owning mine for a year I don't think I've managed it once yet! Great car.
Cheers. I think your're right there. Every time there is room the speed limit becomes a memory....... I blasted the car up a road the other day (dual carridgeway) and my wife laughed and said 'again, again'! So no help driving sensibly there...... I have a 'road angel' and won't go for a drive without it!!I have never since I bought the car (also about a year ago) managed to drive the car slowly (it just isn't that kind of car!) but I still LOVE driving it every time I take it out and as you say because its so rare there's a fair chance it'll become a classic if you keep it long enough, unfortunately my timing was not quite as good as yours so I would lose a small fortune if I sold the car now! Never mind though its a good car to have in your collection no matter what else you drive!
On the third point it is well worth getting familiar with the car as soon as you can. Although it is by no means an easy to drive and it will catch you out on occasion it is a fantastic, responsive and reactive car when driven at and beyond the limits of traction!
Lastly I dont know if any other owners have noticed this but when I first bought the car I found it totally impossible to drive with the sport button on! It seemed almost pointless having it?! After 3-4 months I started using it and since then I have never driven the car with it off. The car just comes alive with the traction control off and sport mode on. So much so its become a routine now key in and round to third click, hit the two buttons as the screen pops up and then start the engine
I wish you as much enjoyment from the car as much as I have had
Edited by Niffty951 on Wednesday 7th January 08:58
Every credit, something of a Germanic TVR in spirit: lairy Teutonite.
These seem to exist far under the radar but I know Hector Asbo, Aberdeenshire's answer to Andreas Priaulx, a serial //M-phile, has been waxing lyrical of late and now has one firmly in his sights.
The coupe is a proper vat of compact autohedonism.
These seem to exist far under the radar but I know Hector Asbo, Aberdeenshire's answer to Andreas Priaulx, a serial //M-phile, has been waxing lyrical of late and now has one firmly in his sights.
The coupe is a proper vat of compact autohedonism.
dan101smith said:
Do the coupe and roadster exhibit significantly different driving dynamics?
Not really, but the coupe is stiffer, and the roadster is noisier/windier 
derestrictor said:
Every credit, something of a Germanic TVR in spirit: lairy Teutonite.
These seem to exist far under the radar but I know Hector Asbo, Aberdeenshire's answer to Andreas Priaulx, a serial //M-phile, has been waxing lyrical of late and now has one firmly in his sights.
The coupe is a proper vat of compact autohedonism.
I hope Fraulein Asbo does pick up one - he'll love it and stop going on about M3s!These seem to exist far under the radar but I know Hector Asbo, Aberdeenshire's answer to Andreas Priaulx, a serial //M-phile, has been waxing lyrical of late and now has one firmly in his sights.
The coupe is a proper vat of compact autohedonism.
I bought mine after seeing a couple at the 'Ring, and then seeing the Duller Motorsport one trounce everything else at the BritCar 24-hour at Silverstone last year. Once I'd seen them and driven one, I said to my mate that the only thing I'd replace/complement my M5 with would be a Z4MC, and when I saw the prices dropping I had to get one.
3000 miles in a little over a months and I'm loving it - can't wait to get it onto the track and over to the 'Ring.
carl_w said:
dan101smith said:
Do the coupe and roadster exhibit significantly different driving dynamics?
I think the coupe is more stiffly sprung as well as being more rigid generally.Niffty - I'd have to agree with your comments on the sport button. Even after a year I am still reluctant to use it in stop start traffic for fear of looking like a total ars* when bunny hopping around in 1st / 2nd gear.
I did scare myself quite a lot when I first tried a "traffic light launch" with the sport button on!!!
Great fun when you're messing around in 3rd gear on those country roads though.
I did scare myself quite a lot when I first tried a "traffic light launch" with the sport button on!!!
Great fun when you're messing around in 3rd gear on those country roads though.
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff