I am considering a Z4m coupe

Guest · Jan 10, 2007

My Boxster s warranty runs out in May this year and although I have already extended the warranty to May 08 I think it may be a good time to sell around April this year.
Ive read all the write ups and the Z4m sounds good but flawed.
I had dismissed it really as the boxster is such a complete car I didnt really want to change and I didnt really think it sat that well. That all changed when a guy on one of the z4 forums swapped the car from contis onto ps2s and upped the rim size to 19s on csl alloys, he also stuck a bmw srut brace on. The car is in last months evo and they have said that it is a major improvement. Another owner did the same and was instantly impressed by the difference from standard. the car looks awesome and with these small bmw mods sounds as though its now up to the job. Can anyone comment on driving it standard or otherwise, things like comfort for tall drivers, seating position compared to the boxster s, the way it reacts over cambers in the road etc etc. Thanks

gdavison · Jan 10, 2007

Would posting this Q on a BMW forum not get you a better response ???

David W. · Jan 10, 2007

"Car" mag Feb

"BMW Z4
For - Lightning quick hood
Aganst - ride, steering, cabin space.
Verdict - No Boxster"
nuf said?
DW

Dapster · Jan 10, 2007

I too read the Evo report, and they said that it should have been the car that BMW produced in the first place. A major improvement.

I've driven a 3.0 Z4 cab. The engine was lovely, and the interior was superb. The ride though, was appalling and the car didn't handle any where near as fluidly as the Box (and I had a 986 2.7 at the time as a reference point). If it matters to you (as it did to me) the Beemer just doesn't feel that special and while it is a great car, if you're going to slap 40 plus grand of hard earned on someone else's table, you want the end product to make you feel a million bucks and the Box does that for me.

Even with all the mods you talk about, the Z4 Coupe still isn't as well resolved at the core as a 3.4 (or indeed any Box/Cay) would be out of the box.

Put it this way, if you pulled up to the lights in your Z4 Coupe and a spanking new 3.4 Box with all the nice toys and a sports exhaust pulled up next to you, would you not think that you had bought the wrong car.....

Elliot Davies · Jan 10, 2007

I must say i like the looks of the MCoupe Z4 and would consider one, I actually asked for a brochure a few days ago for a peek [

]
Its a very pretty looking car, i had a softspot for the Z3M Coupe but when i was looking they were getting a bit long in the tooth.
http://www.autoblog.it/post/bmw-z4m-coupe-piu-veloce-della-m3

There is a Cayman S / Z4M video here and also the Viper / Z4m shootout for interest,
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=34&article_id=3754
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/339384/viper_vs_z4m/

Guest · Jan 10, 2007

ORIGINAL: gdavison

Would posting this Q on a BMW forum not get you a better response ???

No and I will tell you why as I thought someone would ask.
The Boxster/Caymans are really the bench marks in their class. Most Z4m coupe owners wont of driven a boxster so I need comparitive views. if your used to a metro then an Allegro Vanden pla is going to seem the bees knees.
It appears that these guys are getting the front to work alot better with Ps2s/csl alloys and a strut brace. I know the contis on my car were abissmal and it was transformed when I put ps2s (19" for ref). I just love the look, with the csl alloys. But if it substantially inferior to my boxster then its not even worth looking at. The thing that appeals is as with the old Z coupe there seem to be very few about.

Elliot Davies · Jan 10, 2007

ORIGINAL: Bax
The thing that appeals is as with the old Z coupe there seem to be very few about.

A bit like the Boxster then [

]

Guest · Jan 10, 2007

ORIGINAL: Dapster
Put it this way, if you pulled up to the lights in your Z4 Coupe and a spanking new 3.4 Box with all the nice toys and a sports exhaust pulled up next to you, would you not think that you had bought the wrong car.....

If its signicantly inferior then yes, but with the csl alloys on (and ive seen quite a few pics from different angles over on the bmw forum) I prefer the looks to my boxster. The evo track times are showng the z nearly 2 secs quicker but this means nothing really as the beauty of the pasm equipped boxster is its ability on normal roads.

Guest · Jan 10, 2007

What do you think?

Alex Postan · Jan 10, 2007

It is quite a nice car made worse by the Maxpower wheels. For goodness' sake, buy what you want if it's your money; if it's mine you can have a 10 year old Astra [

].

Don't believe all that EVO Mumbo Jumbo - remember that they are writing prose to sell their magazine by inviting you to feel as if you are all proper racing drivers capable of doing scandinavian flicks along the A34 in the rush hour.

mojo · Jan 10, 2007

Just out of interest which Z forums have you been on?

Having owned a Z3M moved to a Z4 (not one but two) then through massive build quality issues (Z4 no1 was replaced by BMW because of these with an equally shoddy example) a Boxster then Cayman I would stay with the Porsche as not only is build quality better but the car is in a different league. I've heard that the build quality on the Z4M is still somewhat hit and miss with a friend now on his second Z4M.

Guest · Jan 10, 2007

ORIGINAL: Alex Postan

It is quite a nice car made worse by the Maxpower wheels. For goodness' sake, buy what you want if it's your money; if it's mine you can have a 10 year old Astra [].

Don't believe all that EVO Mumbo Jumbo - remember that they are writing prose to sell their magazine by inviting you to feel as if you are all proper racing drivers capable of doing scandinavian flicks along the A34 in the rush hour.

And the constructive comments keep flooding in. [

]
Please guys, im just after first hand experiences of the base car. Thanks.

tiskev · Jan 10, 2007

Had any thought on the new Audi TT? The 3.2? FWD is said to be great..Most premium cars are so good these days i think it is worth changing manuf. from time to time.I guess if you swop back in a few years it probably wont matter very much from a residuals point of view which make you buy now Audi,Pch or BM.

mojo · Jan 10, 2007

I gave you first hand experience of the base car. Did you not see the post?

drummerboytom · Jan 10, 2007

A colleague drives an early 2.5 Boxster , his wife has a Z4 cab .
He reckons he hates having to drive her car .
They will be changing the Z4 before they change the Boxster .

okellyt · Jan 10, 2007

A friend had Z3M and Z4M (albeit soft tops) -lots of reliability problems, not as well put together as you'd expect. Shocking ride

Despite on paper diffreiences he conceeded that my Boxster felt quicker and more controlled into corners

Interestingly EVO prefered the Z4 3.0Si over the M.

Its the old story though - if you like how it looks and you like how it drives and really want one thats all that matters

You should still buy the Boxster 3.4 S of course but thats my view not necessarilly yours

Guest · Jan 11, 2007

Thanks for the comments, Mojo, yes i read your post, thankyou. I assume it was the Z4m coupe you owned yes?

Guest · Jan 11, 2007

ORIGINAL: tiskev

Had any thought on the new Audi TT? The 3.2? FWD is said to be great..Most premium cars are so good these days i think it is worth changing manuf. from time to time.I guess if you swop back in a few years it probably wont matter very much from a residuals point of view which make you buy now Audi,Pch or BM.

To be honest Im not really that keen on them. If the z4m coupe with bits is not the right car then im happy to keep my 987s. Im not sure if id buy another boxster not because I dont like it but because i made that mistake with an s2000 and the second one never felt as special. I do like the csl shod coupe and the fewer numbers are attractive. Boxsters, TTS, 350z, even 911s are a common site on our roads today when I had my first s2000 back 2000 they were few and far between. I would love a 993 c4s.

Guest · Jan 15, 2007

Had a look at a Z4 Coupe at my BMW dealer on the weekend and does look rather nice as a coupe, and I'm sure the M is a real hooligan [

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Off topic, next to the blue Z4 Coupe in the showroom was a pristine white 325i coupe that looked rather tasty, when others of it's ilk have appeared very bland. This is the same dealer that scoffed at my inquiries of a white car a few years ago [

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GOOFY · Jan 16, 2007

A work collegue bought a new Z4 just before Xmas. I tried to convince her to go for the Cayman but price and style swayed her to the BMW. Bumped into her today and asked how it was going - to which she replied it wasn't...the BMW has to keep going back to the garage for failed central locking on more than one occasion. She was seen later this evening swooning over a 997 which a supplier offered her a ride in !!

Boxter 2.5