Z4MC Future Values
Discussion
Hi Everyone
Not posted on the "M" Forum before but I've been having a look and the Z4MC seems to be a recurring topic and it seems like there's a lot of knowledge about the car on here. I've been looking at getting one for the last 6 months but have finally come to the conclusion (I think) that I can't currently justify one as a long-term daily driver as sadly I:
a. do a ton of boring stop start driving
b. do 15,000 miles a year for work and some more for pleasure
c. the business insurance I'd have to buy seems unbelievably high on a Z4MC
However, the desire to own one won't go away so I'm considering getting one as a second car. Hopefully this would mean I could insure it on a limited milage policy as I'd be keeping the mileage under 5,000 per year. My main concern is depreciation as, although I could afford to buy one, I don't fancy losing a massive amount in depreciation over the next 3-5 years.
I'd be interested to know what people on this forum think about future values, assuming I bought a 2007/08 plate car and added 3-5000 miles a year - do you think I'm in for a massive drop or will values hold in the way that the Z3MC seem to have?
Also, from what I have read service intervals are based largely on mileage rather than time (e.g. doesn't have to be services every 12 months)- please correct me if I've misunderstood.
Thanks in advance
Survivalist
Not posted on the "M" Forum before but I've been having a look and the Z4MC seems to be a recurring topic and it seems like there's a lot of knowledge about the car on here. I've been looking at getting one for the last 6 months but have finally come to the conclusion (I think) that I can't currently justify one as a long-term daily driver as sadly I:
a. do a ton of boring stop start driving
b. do 15,000 miles a year for work and some more for pleasure
c. the business insurance I'd have to buy seems unbelievably high on a Z4MC
However, the desire to own one won't go away so I'm considering getting one as a second car. Hopefully this would mean I could insure it on a limited milage policy as I'd be keeping the mileage under 5,000 per year. My main concern is depreciation as, although I could afford to buy one, I don't fancy losing a massive amount in depreciation over the next 3-5 years.
I'd be interested to know what people on this forum think about future values, assuming I bought a 2007/08 plate car and added 3-5000 miles a year - do you think I'm in for a massive drop or will values hold in the way that the Z3MC seem to have?
Also, from what I have read service intervals are based largely on mileage rather than time (e.g. doesn't have to be services every 12 months)- please correct me if I've misunderstood.
Thanks in advance
Survivalist
Coupes are holding their values excellently against the originally more expensive (IIRC) roadsters.
They were produced in VERY limited numbers. There's only a few thousand in the whole world (exact numbers were on Z4-forum.com at some point). I believe there are somewhere around 1,500 in the UK.
They're occupying their own area of the market at the moment - just under a Cayman S sort of price point, and providing they stay there I reckon they'll do rather well.
The common consensus seems to be that depreciation-wise they'll do quite well. Limited supply + reasonably high demand.
They were produced in VERY limited numbers. There's only a few thousand in the whole world (exact numbers were on Z4-forum.com at some point). I believe there are somewhere around 1,500 in the UK.
They're occupying their own area of the market at the moment - just under a Cayman S sort of price point, and providing they stay there I reckon they'll do rather well.
The common consensus seems to be that depreciation-wise they'll do quite well. Limited supply + reasonably high demand.
interesting position...personally if i really want a car then ..the thought of it sitting idle is hell, yes do miles and it will depreciate, but as it is PH not What Car - balance doing miles driving and enjoying versus bean-counting a dollop of twenties?
i've now done 19K in my Z4MR in about 17 months...why because everytime I get in it is joy and VFM... could be restrictive and drop miles and save a few quid..but I think I'll be keeing car a good few years yet...
and yes service indicator drops in decrements of 25 miles... based on fuel consumption...IIRC. harder you drive, more fuel, quicker it clicks down....
i've now done 19K in my Z4MR in about 17 months...why because everytime I get in it is joy and VFM... could be restrictive and drop miles and save a few quid..but I think I'll be keeing car a good few years yet...
and yes service indicator drops in decrements of 25 miles... based on fuel consumption...IIRC. harder you drive, more fuel, quicker it clicks down....
Edited by physprof on Wednesday 20th January 00:09
Thanks for the replies so far.
I see what you're saying about wanting the car - the only problem is that the list of other things I just spend money on is getting longer. Being based in London means that I really wouldn't want a Z4MC as my daily drive as I'be got to used to a comfy 3 Series Auto (not very PH, but it is a straight six petrol ;-) and the novelty of most cars in stop start traffic (M25) wears off rather quickly.
I can also see the Z4MC being a keeper, but you never know until you've had them a while. And it would look nice in the garage next to another rare Z car.
I see what you're saying about wanting the car - the only problem is that the list of other things I just spend money on is getting longer. Being based in London means that I really wouldn't want a Z4MC as my daily drive as I'be got to used to a comfy 3 Series Auto (not very PH, but it is a straight six petrol ;-) and the novelty of most cars in stop start traffic (M25) wears off rather quickly.
I can also see the Z4MC being a keeper, but you never know until you've had them a while. And it would look nice in the garage next to another rare Z car.
Mine's my daily driver, and had I not been out of work for so much of this year the car would have done 30,000 miles.
My insurance is with Bell, and adding business class 1 insurance only took my premium up by £4 - although the premium wasn't exactly cheap in the first place.
Traffic jams can be a bit of a pain and I wish I'd been able to buy one with an SMG box instead (or the new DCT gearbox thingy), but the only options for me were normal M3 or CSL and I though the normal M3 would not be special enough and the CSL too special to be used as a daily driver. I even considered the e60 M5 as I've driven e34 M5s for 8 years - however the fuel & tyre bill scared the life out of me.
The best bit though is when I hear about a jam on the motorway ahead, as I simply pull off and go cross-country (and not just to miss out the bit with the jam) - sometimes I've come off the M6 after Birmingham and headed right across Wales to Dolgellau and back home through Snowdonia & Cheshire - and surprisingly found it only added about an hour to my journey.
My insurance is with Bell, and adding business class 1 insurance only took my premium up by £4 - although the premium wasn't exactly cheap in the first place.
Traffic jams can be a bit of a pain and I wish I'd been able to buy one with an SMG box instead (or the new DCT gearbox thingy), but the only options for me were normal M3 or CSL and I though the normal M3 would not be special enough and the CSL too special to be used as a daily driver. I even considered the e60 M5 as I've driven e34 M5s for 8 years - however the fuel & tyre bill scared the life out of me.
The best bit though is when I hear about a jam on the motorway ahead, as I simply pull off and go cross-country (and not just to miss out the bit with the jam) - sometimes I've come off the M6 after Birmingham and headed right across Wales to Dolgellau and back home through Snowdonia & Cheshire - and surprisingly found it only added about an hour to my journey.
Edited by mmm-five on Wednesday 20th January 11:00
IIRC 578 M Coupes came to the UK so quite rare, took a massive hit initially but prices seem to have stabilised around the 20K mark and have done for some time. I think it's a relatively safe bet at that price, so long as you don't put mega miles on it.
I've put over 30K on mine in two years using it a daily driver, but now it only gets used a couple of days a week when working locally to keep some of the miles off. Been looking for replacements for the last 12 months and there isn't much about to rival it without splashing a shed load more cash.
I say go for it
I've put over 30K on mine in two years using it a daily driver, but now it only gets used a couple of days a week when working locally to keep some of the miles off. Been looking for replacements for the last 12 months and there isn't much about to rival it without splashing a shed load more cash.
I say go for it
Personally (and as a ZMR owner I am bias!) I would recommend looking at the roadster as well. The prices are slightly cheaper to start with so I think this is a bigger bargain and is likely to fall in line with coupe prices going forward. The big advantage from a 2nd car perspective is that you get to put the roof down too! That for me is a massive win and unless you understand and can exploit the differences in coupe's suspension and chassis set up the performance is identical...
tjlazer said:
Personally (and as a ZMR owner I am bias!) I would recommend looking at the roadster as well. The prices are slightly cheaper to start with so I think this is a bigger bargain and is likely to fall in line with coupe prices going forward. The big advantage from a 2nd car perspective is that you get to put the roof down too! That for me is a massive win and unless you understand and can exploit the differences in coupe's suspension and chassis set up the performance is identical...
An affordable Z8 then 
If your looking its surprisingly worth trying dealers as well.
Things may have changed alst few months but my brother bought a 56 plate Z4m roadster this timelast year from main dealer in Manchester.
Every option (sat nav, DSP, individual leather, etc..) with only 12k on the clock and of course balance of warranty.The car originaly had a sticker price of £26k. Must have been in dealer for months as the dust had built up under the hood (was in showroom roof down). My brother walked away with it for £18k cash with a free umbrella ! He drove it all summer and sold it in November to a couple who drove up from London for £21k. (all he spent was road tax, insurance and oil service).
Obviously extreme example as he bought last winter when dealers were panicing the most but I know there are dealer cars out there that they have had for a while. Don't be afraid to be cheeky.
ps spec is very important with these cars (eg sat nav, windeflector, ideally DSP) and of course the running in service (my brother viewed 1 that had NOT had the running in service = invalid warranty)
ps if your thinking of one as a second fun car then don't ignore the late (2001/02) S54 engined z3m's (ie same as e46 M3 and Z4m's). Roadsters are very rare (74 RHD world wide) c£11k, coupes a little more (160ish made)but demand more money (c£15k).
12 months ago I was getting a Z4m as a second fun car and ended up with a Z3m roadster and am now on my second. Just as much fun for half the cost and mine is now a keeper ;-) Now they will become collectors cars, one of the rarest ///M versions ever made !
Things may have changed alst few months but my brother bought a 56 plate Z4m roadster this timelast year from main dealer in Manchester.
Every option (sat nav, DSP, individual leather, etc..) with only 12k on the clock and of course balance of warranty.The car originaly had a sticker price of £26k. Must have been in dealer for months as the dust had built up under the hood (was in showroom roof down). My brother walked away with it for £18k cash with a free umbrella ! He drove it all summer and sold it in November to a couple who drove up from London for £21k. (all he spent was road tax, insurance and oil service).
Obviously extreme example as he bought last winter when dealers were panicing the most but I know there are dealer cars out there that they have had for a while. Don't be afraid to be cheeky.
ps spec is very important with these cars (eg sat nav, windeflector, ideally DSP) and of course the running in service (my brother viewed 1 that had NOT had the running in service = invalid warranty)
ps if your thinking of one as a second fun car then don't ignore the late (2001/02) S54 engined z3m's (ie same as e46 M3 and Z4m's). Roadsters are very rare (74 RHD world wide) c£11k, coupes a little more (160ish made)but demand more money (c£15k).
12 months ago I was getting a Z4m as a second fun car and ended up with a Z3m roadster and am now on my second. Just as much fun for half the cost and mine is now a keeper ;-) Now they will become collectors cars, one of the rarest ///M versions ever made !
Edited by jonttt on Wednesday 20th January 20:02
survivalist said:
Hi Everyone
Not posted on the "M" Forum before but I've been having a look and the Z4MC seems to be a recurring topic and it seems like there's a lot of knowledge about the car on here. I've been looking at getting one for the last 6 months but have finally come to the conclusion (I think) that I can't currently justify one as a long-term daily driver as sadly I:
a. do a ton of boring stop start driving
b. do 15,000 miles a year for work and some more for pleasure
c. the business insurance I'd have to buy seems unbelievably high on a Z4MC
Get a Z4 Coupe automatic. You won't be disappointed.Not posted on the "M" Forum before but I've been having a look and the Z4MC seems to be a recurring topic and it seems like there's a lot of knowledge about the car on here. I've been looking at getting one for the last 6 months but have finally come to the conclusion (I think) that I can't currently justify one as a long-term daily driver as sadly I:
a. do a ton of boring stop start driving
b. do 15,000 miles a year for work and some more for pleasure
c. the business insurance I'd have to buy seems unbelievably high on a Z4MC
If you shop around, the business insurance shouldn't be a problem. My Z4MC is over £100 less to insure this year than my 3.0Si did a year ago. Simply because the insurance company's are falling over themselves to win busines.
Regarding future values - last year the prices of specialist cars was falling like a stone in a thin atmosphere. The prices overshot down and there were some great buys around, they've bumped back a bit but these cars are great value for a rare sought after high performance car even now.
I can't think of any other car that is so easy to own and gives as much pleasure. The dealer network is great and the indy support is fantastic too.
MPG is good for the class of car, it is a practical every day car and a great weekend toy.
None of this guarantees a good long term level of depreciation but the indications are good.
The one thing which will knock this will be the 20K+ miles per year you want to put on it.
Regarding future values - last year the prices of specialist cars was falling like a stone in a thin atmosphere. The prices overshot down and there were some great buys around, they've bumped back a bit but these cars are great value for a rare sought after high performance car even now.
I can't think of any other car that is so easy to own and gives as much pleasure. The dealer network is great and the indy support is fantastic too.
MPG is good for the class of car, it is a practical every day car and a great weekend toy.
None of this guarantees a good long term level of depreciation but the indications are good.
The one thing which will knock this will be the 20K+ miles per year you want to put on it.
Thanks for all the info.
Seems I will have to do a bit of research into options and what's available, the good news seems to be that there are enough about to find something suitable and within budget.
I guess it depends on whether I recon I'll keep it for a year or 2, in which case I could trade in the 3 series and run it as a daily drive or keep it as a weekend car and resist the depreciation through the reduced mileage this will bring. Option 2 seems more likely as I've had 4 new or nearly new cars over the past 7 years and the depreciation on 3 of them has been pretty steep due to mileage.
The Z3M seems like an interesting option and very encouraging if the Z4M follows a similar pattern - there's a 26k mile one on Auto Trader for 24k from a BMW main dealer. I have heard horror stories about having boot floor, suspension etc rebuilt/welded on heavily used examples, not sure if this is a real issue or not.
I also looked at Z4M Roadsters when they came out and thought they were great cars, but I have to say I'm smitten with the looks of the coupe (both Z3 and Z4 versions). I also have a roadster in the form of a Z1, which comes out on dry days. The reason I keep coming back to the Z4M is performance, looks and the feeling that it's probably one of the most characterful BMWs produced since the E34 M5.
Guess the next step is to go and look at couple and get some insurance quotes in.
Seems I will have to do a bit of research into options and what's available, the good news seems to be that there are enough about to find something suitable and within budget.
I guess it depends on whether I recon I'll keep it for a year or 2, in which case I could trade in the 3 series and run it as a daily drive or keep it as a weekend car and resist the depreciation through the reduced mileage this will bring. Option 2 seems more likely as I've had 4 new or nearly new cars over the past 7 years and the depreciation on 3 of them has been pretty steep due to mileage.
The Z3M seems like an interesting option and very encouraging if the Z4M follows a similar pattern - there's a 26k mile one on Auto Trader for 24k from a BMW main dealer. I have heard horror stories about having boot floor, suspension etc rebuilt/welded on heavily used examples, not sure if this is a real issue or not.
I also looked at Z4M Roadsters when they came out and thought they were great cars, but I have to say I'm smitten with the looks of the coupe (both Z3 and Z4 versions). I also have a roadster in the form of a Z1, which comes out on dry days. The reason I keep coming back to the Z4M is performance, looks and the feeling that it's probably one of the most characterful BMWs produced since the E34 M5.
Guess the next step is to go and look at couple and get some insurance quotes in.
t... Just a quick update and thanks again for all the advice/info/opinions.
Ended up buying a 2008 Space Grey Z4M Coupe, after test driving a few. Based on a few initial outings I've been very impressed with the car overall and especially love the engine sound. I'm delighted that I have what may be the last M Straight Six and it's even better for being installed in a fairly unique looking car (especially as it doesn't look like there will be a coupe version of the current Z4)
Managed to get an almost full spec sheet, with only the CD changer missing and when I bought it it only had 9000 miles on the clock and appears to have been looked after very well for the first 2 years of it's life. The plan is to use it as a daily drive over the summer and then use something a bit more mundane once the cold, rain and snow starts.
The only downside to all of this is that after putting 1000 miles on it in the first week, I managed to break my leg and have been on crutches for the past 5 weeks. Still, hoping to get permission from the doc to start driving again in a couple of weeks and the Z4 is making the prospect all the more exciting.
Ended up buying a 2008 Space Grey Z4M Coupe, after test driving a few. Based on a few initial outings I've been very impressed with the car overall and especially love the engine sound. I'm delighted that I have what may be the last M Straight Six and it's even better for being installed in a fairly unique looking car (especially as it doesn't look like there will be a coupe version of the current Z4)
Managed to get an almost full spec sheet, with only the CD changer missing and when I bought it it only had 9000 miles on the clock and appears to have been looked after very well for the first 2 years of it's life. The plan is to use it as a daily drive over the summer and then use something a bit more mundane once the cold, rain and snow starts.
The only downside to all of this is that after putting 1000 miles on it in the first week, I managed to break my leg and have been on crutches for the past 5 weeks. Still, hoping to get permission from the doc to start driving again in a couple of weeks and the Z4 is making the prospect all the more exciting.
b3kaw said:
well i've had my z3 m coupe up for sale for ages at 12 grand and no interest so far.
both the z3 and z4 m coupe are rare but they are only worth what someone is willing to pay.
My advice is regarding the Z3M is a good advert, if I remember yours on the z3mcoupe forum was 5 lines and no photos.both the z3 and z4 m coupe are rare but they are only worth what someone is willing to pay.
If yours is a good car, it will sell.
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