Thread: M Coupe review
View Single Post
      07-29-2010, 11:12 PM   #1
Eccentric
Lieutenant
Eccentric's Avatar
51
Rep
576
Posts

Drives: Interlagos Z4 M Coupe
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: In a van, down by the river.

iTrader: (0)

M Coupe review

Hey guys, heres my initial review of the M Coupe- it drags on a bit, sry haha i just love the car!


To start off my first impressions, I will say that there are many cars that are faster, lighter, and more nimble than the M Coupe. It’s six speed transmission, and naturally aspirated straight-six engine have quickly become inefficient technologies, and are detriments to the cars performance. However, with that said, there are few available luxury sports cars that more embody the spirit of a vintage, focused, driving machine. Hopefully the car will be able to outlast its technologies, and provide the purist car fans a car to take them into the future.

The first time driving the Coupe I was a little shaky using the transmission. The leather wrapped shift knob requires a firm hand, and serious confidence. While the last standard transmission car I drove was an Audi R8, by comparison the tranny in that car seemed soft and easy. I had heard the gear lever felt firm, and masculine in the Z4 Ms but to make the Audi supercar feel almost girly by comparison sets the M on a whole different level of cool. I loved the hard feel of the transmission, but for the first few hours driving the Z4 M, I could not always prevent it from grinding into second gear under hard acceleration. This wasn’t good. Supposedly the M Coupe does this because it is fitted with the standard Z4’s transmission -rather than an upgraded one from the e46 M3- and mechanically tries to prevent you from putting too much strain on the clutch and driveshaft. After 250 miles of driving the car from Wilbraham Auto down to my house, I was appalled that BMW had gotten away with such dirty play in an M car. However, after reaching the one thousand mile mark on day five I realized that I had only ground the gears once in the last two days. I guess subconsciously I’ve learned to drive the car a more proper way. It seems that like all truly great cars, the M Coupe will constantly be improving the driver’s talents.

On night two of owning Natasha (my pet-name for the ///M. I’m not a slave owner) I decided to pick up my gearhead buddy to go for a nighttime drive down to the beach. After I pulled up to his house, we bench-raced for a little, then set off on our thirty minute road trip. Though we planned on heading straight to the highway for the beach, we decided that it was the perfect time to test the car’s burnout capabilities. As we pulled up to a red light on an empty street, a small group of middle school kids walked past Natasha, checking out her flashy Interlagos Blue paint scheme. Because I had the windows down, I heard a brief part of their conversation. None of the kids knew it was an M. In fact, one of the kids said that it was “just a Z4.” I turned traction control off, and as the light turned green i dumped the clutch at about 4k rpm. As the tires screamed and scrambled for traction, a hazy gray cloud was born behind my rear tires. All the kids pointed at the car, cheering and smiling. Everyone was happy. Maybe it’s just me but there is just something thrilling about impressing someone younger than yourself. We then continued down the suburban road, which would eventually lead us to the beach’s connecting highway.


Shortly after, we encountered another red light where a busty twenty-something in a Lexus IS250 had her windows rolled down. “Hey, sexy car!” she yelled. I never had that happen before. I’ve driven 911 Turbos, Audi R8s, XK8s, and plenty of other cars, but never had some random (attractive) woman tell me that she liked my car. I found this strange, but she had probably never seen an M Coupe before. So I waved, and thanked the woman, and got back to the drive. Actually, much to my passenger’s amusement I even put my driving gloves on. With the clutch depressed, and my foot on the break, I made sure I was in 1st gear. Then when the light flashed green, I floored it all the way to its screaming 8000 RPM redline, before shifting into second. The six individual throttle bodies of this last ‘true’ M Car howled and cried into the night. As the entrance to the highway approached, I slowed and took the ramp at around 40 mph. The ramp curled tighter than expected and I felt my foot hover nervously over the brake pedal. To my surprise, the car handled the ramp without any drama, pushing my buddy and me back into the supportive, leather M seats and we continued on our way. This car feels like a spaceship. Whether it is the very long hood, the placement of occupants toward the back, or the cozy interior with a large dashboard, the Z4 M Coupe feels like it should have a button for warped-speed. If it does, I still haven’t found it yet, but I do know where the Sport button is. Unlike some other M’s the Sport button’s sole purpose is to drastically increase the sensitivity of the throttle. To be frank, at casual acceleration, the car is too sensitive, and bucks back and forth if the driver is unsure of how fast he wants to go. I rarely use this feature, but if there was ever a moment to engage the button on public roads, it was on the way down to the beach under total acceleration. As I pushed the little circle, the car instantly increased its speed. It was as if because i subconsciously wanted to go fast, the car knew this. I was at one with the machine. Those of you who have experienced this divine feeling understand having total confidence in your car’s abilities, and knowing where your own limits as a driver exist. I completely depressed the gas pedal, and as the cylinders pumped faster and louder, my heart did the same. I looked at the seemingly size 8 font in the speedometer, and the needle rotated nervously quick. It looked like a clock with time in fast-forward. With smooth gear changes I ripped the car down the deserted road, which was now right on the beach. As I reached about 80, I slowed down, blipped the throttle, and downshifted. Never have I smoked a cigarette, but this is as close to having a physical addiction as I ever will be. The car feels faster than the R8 I recently drove, and is considerably more fun to drive. Sure, even a eunuch could get laid driving the R8, but when you’re in the Z4 M, you don’t care because you’re having more fun spinning the tires, wagging the tail out and rev-matching the engine. Also, if you need $120g exotic cars to get you laid, your cheaper route would probably include hiring hourly escorts.

As long as driving is the owner’s main focus, the M coupe will never fail to make him (and sometimes a really cool ‘her’) smile. That is what sports cars are made for. Whether sitting in the drivers seat, the passenger seat, or just standing on the sidewalk, seeing my car seems to make people’s day. At least, until they realize that I’m 18 years old. Anyway, the trunk is moderate, and the fuel milage isn’t great, and the adjustable cup-holders aren’t perfect, but this is a car that you don’t mind sacrificing for. You’ll pack your bags lighter, sacrifice dinner for gasoline, and put your children up for adoption. Some say that it’s the last of a dying breed, but all we know is, fun never goes out of style.

Hope you liked it- Please no driving lectures
Appreciate 0