BMW Performance seats

[mr_z4mc1m_oz]

Has any one installed those lovely BMW Performance seats in their z4m?

If so are they a fairly straight forward installation (ie no modifications etc required)?

Also some pics wouldn't go astray

Thanks

[psygnosis]

It's not an M but bmwZ put them in his Z4 2.2i

[GuidoK]

Those are lovely.
Sadly very expensive...

Based on the recaro sportster CS I think.

[jdoublehcubed]

Someone put a stupid amount of money into that car. 2.2i, really?

[GuidoK]

Depends on the price mate.
Did you look at the numberplate?
It says norwegian, and in norway cars are stupendously expensive (even more expensive than where I live).
Cars are not everywhere as cheap as in the US.

For example:
The e89 35is costs in the US (base price): $65,800 MSRP (lol my daily volvo costs more than that )
In the Netherlands (where I live): $111,533 (almost twice as expensive..)
Norway: $ 161,202 (2,5 times the price in the us).

So that 2.2 might be just as expensive in norway as your z4m is in the US....

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

Depends on the price mate.
Did you look at the numberplate?
It says norwegian, and in norway cars are stupendously expensive (even more expensive than where I live).
Cars are not everywhere as cheap as in the US.

For example:
The e89 35is costs in the US (base price): $65,800 MSRP (lol my daily volvo costs more than that )
In the Netherlands (where I live): $111,533 (almost twice as expensive..)
Norway: $ 161,202 (2,5 times the price in the us).

So that 2.2 might be just as expensive in norway as your z4m is in the US....

But you guys are also making almost 2.5 times more than us So, it's all relative

[GuidoK]

No we don't.....
(although average wage in Norway is considerably higher, about 1,3 times US average wage)
Netherlands is (on average) about the same as the UK, and probably lower than average wage in the US
But that is all before taxes....

Cars (and other material goods) are extremely cheap in the US, and taxes are extremely low (tax on wage, tax on cars etc etc)
But social securty is also about non-existent (compared to northern europe)

So if you're willing to work and have mastered a trade/knowledge, northern europe is not the place to be....

[Vanne]

yep, gotta agree with G, stuff is dead cheap in the US. and the cost of living is pretty cheap too, besides some of the massivly popular areas. oz is bloody deer for luxery cars, the tax on them is shiet loads, the manager for Mercedes Oz was quoted saying the taxation department makes more on a merc when slod new than Merc does.. pretty crap that. dxb is also very cheap for cars, but bloody deer to live here. not sure if its all relative.

[jdoublehcubed]

Its not really about the absolute price of the car, its the difference in price between different trim levels versus the amount of money spent on mods.

I see an aero bumper, aero side sills, M hood, OEM spoiler, aftermarket wheels, stoptech brakes, the performance seats, etc., etc., etc. Those items alone are at least $12-15k at US prices, so probably more at EU prices. If someone can afford to drop that kind of money on mods, they could have afforded to buy a better car to start. Enough to buy an M? I don't know, maybe. But definitely enough to buy something better than the 2.2, that's just embarrassing. Buying the lowest trim level of any car is a bad choice.

[jdoublehcubed]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

... taxes are extremely low (tax on wage, tax on cars etc etc)

Not everywhere in the US is like the midwest, with low/nonexistent income taxes. Last year I paid over 30% in income taxes between federal, state, and local.

[GuidoK]

30% is about the base federal tax where I live (I'm in the 52% tax scale..(it scales up the more you earn...))
Not counting local and state taxes of course.....
Believe me, the highest tax rates in the us are about as high as te lowest rates in (northern) europe.....

So 30% tax still sounds ridiculously low in my ears

And did I mention that gas is currently about $ 8,90/us gallon?

You have no idea how high taxes can get

[chickdr]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

30% is about the base federal tax where I live (I'm in the 52% tax scale..(it scales up the more you earn...))
Not counting local and state taxes of course.....
Believe me, the highest tax rates in the us are about as high as te lowest rates in (northern) europe.....

So 30% tax still sounds ridiculously low in my ears

And did I mention that gas is currently about $ 8,90/us gallon?

You have no idea how high taxes can get

52%. So for every dollar you earn you take home .48.... How pathetic.

[GuidoK]

For every dollar I earn in the end I might actually be spending only 25ct (there's also 21% VAT on every consumer good).
Then again, the various state departments (mostly defence) are my largest customers, so I have absolutely no regrets to send them huge bills for my work...

But there is a large difference between the wealth (or at least buying potential) between a US citizen with an average wage and a european citizen with an average (and certainly above average) wage.

Then again we don't have to drive around with those ridiculous bumper reflectors so it's not all bad

[psygnosis]

I think someone is just upset that a pedestrian 2.2i is better than his precious ///M

[mr_z4mc1m_oz]

Ok lets get this thread back on track.

[jdoublehcubed]

Originally Posted by psygnosis

I think someone is just upset that a pedestrian 2.2i is better than his precious ///M

Now there is some impressive delusion.

[nekky]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

For every dollar I earn in the end I might actually be spending only 25ct (there's also 21% VAT on every consumer good).
Then again, the various state departments (mostly defence) are my largest customers, so I have absolutely no regrets to send them huge bills for my work...

But there is a large difference between the wealth (or at least buying potential) between a US citizen with an average wage and a european citizen with an average (and certainly above average) wage.

Then again we don't have to drive around with those ridiculous bumper reflectors so it's not all bad

Similar in Canada but not to the extent that it is in Scandinavia or Western Europe like where you are, GuidoK. I'm in the highest tax bracket at 46.1% federal/provincial combined. Plus we pay 13% on everything we buy, so reality is, after tax, we only make 40 cents on the dollar. Pretty depressing. Really, that's the reason I'd like to move to California. I can afford to take a decent pay cut, and still live a similar lifestyle, but with all the sun and accessibility to badass parts... plus every day off you have it feels like you're on vacation.

But I digress. I'd probably rather live in Scandinavia too, but there's no way, being a foreigner, that I could come in and earn the €100k-€150k I would need to.

I think people in Europe have it better than a lot of Americans might think...

[pokeybritches]

What's so "bad" about a 2.2i? It's the same car with a slightly smaller straight six, making 3/4 of the power of the 3.0i. It's the same sheet metal (better in this case) with roughly the same chassis.

Love the seats, but out of my price range.

[VinnieAces]

i think that is one badass 2.2

back to the seats though, if there could just be a sale on them....say about 50% off? haha

[jdoublehcubed]

Originally Posted by VinnieAces

i think that is one badass 2.2

back to the seats though, if there could just be a sale on them....say about 50% off? haha

I would buy them for 50% off.

I think you should call BMW and organize a group buy for us.

[Lightning87]

great seats, great Z def. 1 of my favourate Z4's out there.

but Guido is right, i\m just below average. and i'll pay around 37 % income tax. gas is F*ing expensive thoug, of wich 80 % goes to the state. only good thing here is the afforddable healtcare and some social benefits ( my dad had serveral strokes etc).

but the goverment here is way to expensive, and emision rules etc are sometimes even harder than the one in Cali. poor imigrants don't come to work here they just come and juse all kinds of social benefits etc. so you guess who's pay'in it aint the rich folks, it ain't the poor Guy's ether its just joe the Plumber who gett's to pay for all that.

[ricanbandit]

So, just for my edification, how expensive are these seats?