Is there much of a difference between a Z4M and a 3.0i..?

[Dover Nige]

Hi all,

I'm considering a change of car from my current Impreza STI.

Today I drove a Z4 3.0i with (or so I was told) M suspension and a few other M bits. It ticked most of the boxes and felt quite "special" compared to other cars which just feel a bit anodyne to me.

Apart from the rear view mirror getting in the way and having to limber up before getting in and out I was quite taken with it. The boot was bigger than I though too.

The Z4M is the car I have more in my sights though as prices seem good right now and the performance is more comparable to my Impreza.

I took the 3.0 over some rough roads and didn't think the ride was anywhere near as bad as the salesman had made out before the drive, in fact I'd say it was better than my Impreza. The rear end seemed a bit fidgity and jumpy on a very bad road even without being pushed, but apart from that it was fine.

Is the ride on the Z4M any harder than the 3.0 with the M suspension..?

Also, could anyone detail the price difference in the servicing/running costs for me please?

Thanks in advance...

[Dover Nige]

I'm liking the sound of this chaps.....

[Dover Nige]

This is all sounding very positive.

What are the drawbacks..? Surely there must be one or two?

What's the clutch valve business I keep seeing mentioned..? Any tips on what to look for and what to avoid? I know that the 1000 mile service is essential. Does this engine suffer from any of the vanos issues? What's the range like from a full tank, how much to "fill 'er up"..? School me here chaps....

Oh, and is there a technique for big lads like me to get in and out easily..?! ;o)

Where's the best place to find the M's apart from the PH classifieds? What's the warranty situation, is it transferable owner to owner? 3yrs/60k..?

Will I be able to bag myself a nice example for up to around 23k..?

Thanks for all the replies so far, all information greatly absorbed....

[Dover Nige]

fridaypassion said:

Your going in with the right budget you can take your pick of the best at that price.

Things to watch as you rightly say the 1200 mile service is essential. Check which service is due next and how many miles to go till it's due. You can ring a dedicated bmw phone line to double check service history as it's quite common for books not go be stamped. Watch out for ex fleet cars. 50% of the cars I enquired about were ex fleet with imminent inspection 2 serices due.

Petrol wise expect 20 mpg and you can eek 300 miles out of a tank but 200 is probably nearer. 45 quid should fill her up.

The MPG seems near identical to my Impreza then.

It seems my difficulty is going to be finding a good one to really hook me in.

Thanks for all your help so far chaps. It's very much appreciated. apart from the z4-forum, is there anywhere else I can read up and absorb all the info on these cars..?

[Dover Nige]

mikez328 said:

mmm-five said:

...I might have hunted down a nice 3.0si Coupe.. Still over the moon with the ///M though...

I'm interested in this? Why would you have looked for the 3.0Si over the M? I'm only interested as I've read that the 3.0 is the easier car to live with day to day and I'm keen to get a balanced opinion as opposed to a biased one....?

[Dover Nige]

Ok chaps, the search has progressed slightly on my quest to Z4M owbership.

How does the spec on this 2007 57plate coupe read:

4,000 miles, Interlagos Blue, Champagne Nappa leather - BMW Individual, Bluetooth phone prep + telematics, BMW Connected Drive-Assist, Cruise control, Extended storage, Loudspeaker system - LOGIC7 Professional, Navigation-system Professional, Park Distance Control rear, Seat heating, , Auto-Dim Interior Mirror, Elec Fr Seats + Driver Memory, Rain Sensor.

Your input is very much appreciated.....

[Dover Nige]

It's with a BMW dealer so as you can guess, it's somewhat above £24k and much nearer £29k.

The dealer claims car was retailing for circa £50k new..!


The other one that's caught my eye is the following spec, it's somewhat less at just shy of £26k on a 56 plate. Again it's at a BMW dealer:

Coupe, 9,000 miles, Silver Grey, Black Full Nappa leather, Bluetooth phone prep + telematics, BMW Connected Drive-Assist, CD changer, Electric Folding Exterior Mirrors, Leather interior, Navigation-system Professional, Park Distance Control, Seat heating, Voice Control, Remote Control Alarm, Auto-Dim Interior Mirror, Electric Seats + Driver Memory, Rain Sensor.


Your advice is hugely appreciated chaps.

PS: Budget has gone a bit out of the window, I'll stretch it out for a cracker as I'm getting zip return on my savings, so I might as well enjoy it whilst I still can!

Edited by Dover Nige on Thursday 5th March 22:49

[Dover Nige]

Why does everyone want to sell me their Z4MC?

I'm guessing the dealer cars with BMW are both hugely overpriced judging by what I'm reading?

Why has no one offered to sell me their Cayman S yet...?

[Dover Nige]

Gentlemen, thank you for your assistance. My search is over.

I struck a deal on a Z4M today and am a very happy chap indeed...!!

I'm fully aware I paid a premium to buy directly from a dealer, but I struck a good deal that I was happy with.

A drive of a Cayman S prior to the drive of the Z4M swung it for me by a large margin....

My new Z4M

[Dover Nige]

derin100 said:

Lovely car, Nigel! Congratulations...I'm very envious!

Thank you Derin, it's all your fault anyway as you started me on the BMW slippery slope! I'll put some decent pics up when I collect it.

I was also looking at M3 CS's, Z3M's and E39 M5's, but decided to go for the Z4M as they are more appealing to my eye. Amazingly, Hexagon of Highgate had an example of every car I just mentioned, plus a particularly droolworthy Z8..!

Just hope I made the right choice as I followed my heart rather than my head on this occasion..!!