Well the good news is I now own a 2008 Z4MR with 67k miles
The car comes from the dealer (Vroom/AutoAmerica), with a limited warranty of 90 days/6000 miles administered by Safe-Guard Products International, LLC. It looks like this Safe-Guard company has an A rating on the BBB, so I guess thats good. Anyways, the warranty states that it covers mechanical breakdowns which is defined as: manufacturer defects/workmanship defects, as well as normal wear and tear.
The PPI revealed that the timing cover (BTW - is that equivalent to the VANOS?) was leaking and needed to be fixed, but the warranty has a clause that says "the engine block and heads, valve covers, timing cover, and oil pan are covered only if damaged by the failure of an internal part." I'm assuming this means I'm SOL?