Maybe its time to let her go???

[TexasZed4MC]

HACK I agree with you completely, I have looked at EVERYTHING
Camaro Z28 - Just NO!
Mustang GT350R - its a Mustang!
Porsche 911 - only the 996 is adorable and we all know their problems
Lotus - at 6'3" that ain't working
M3/4 - BIG car, nannies, and turbos
1M - that car still bringing $50k+ is CRAZY
M2 - hmmm well......its a really nice car
Cayman GT4 - becasue of connections I have at a Porsche dealership I can get oone and at build sheet prie, but $90,000 is a ton of money.
SO saying all that, are ANY of those cars really that much better than the M Coupe to justify the money you spend on them??? Personally I don't think so.

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by TexasZed4MC

HACK I agree with you completely, I have looked at EVERYTHING
Camaro Z28 - Just NO!
Mustang GT350R - its a Mustang!
Porsche 911 - only the 996 is adorable and we all know their problems
Lotus - at 6'3" that ain't working
M3/4 - BIG car, nannies, and turbos
1M - that car still bringing $50k+ is CRAZY
M2 - hmmm well......its a really nice car
Cayman GT4 - becasue of connections I have at a Porsche dealership I can get oone and at build sheet prie, but $90,000 is a ton of money.
SO saying all that, are ANY of those cars really that much better than the M Coupe to justify the money you spend on them??? Personally I don't think so.

That's almost my entire list of cars I might want. And some on the list I might still get, but it will be in addition to the MZ4 Coupe because NONE of them replaces it, IMO. Except maybe the GT4.

I've driven the newest Camaro. If you can get past the stigma, it is an incredibly well put together car. Put aside all the subjectives, it's better put together than anything BMW makes RIGHT NOW. I would seriously consider one if it weren't for the fact that if I were to EVER buy a GM product, it is most likely going to be a Corvette anyway (talk about STIGMA). Or the new Bolt (but the Bolt will replace the Fiat 500e).

Mustang GT350R...Oh boy. I'm trying to convince my boss to get one as a company car. I've gone as far as configuring one and pricing it out. I think in about 12 months I might actually make this a reality. It's THAT good. This one tugs at the heart string for a variety of reasons, more so because I LOVED the 67' Fastback.

Porsche 911: GT3 of any age is high on the list, and I WOULD replace the MZ4 Coupe with one...Primarily because I'm sick and tired of seeing a particular yellow GT3 in my mirror at almost every event I go. Sadly, though, I would pull the string for a C7 Vette before I would pull the trigger for a used GT3. With the C7 Vette, there really is no reason for me to consider the 911 besides the power of the Dark Side.

Lotus: Exige 240S. I would make some very serious consideration if the right one came along. I seriously would. My only reservation would be I would have to find the entire electronic schematic of the car and repair manuals online before I would commit. I recall my experience at Auto Club Speedway in '08 driving an Exige 240S angry, and it was simply orgasmic. But the fact that out of 3 Exige S there for me to drive, only 2 worked, and one couldn't be turned off because there's no way to fire it back up*.

I like the fact that my MZ4 Coupe has been relatively foolproof and bulletproof so far. Knock on wood. But if the right Exige 240S came along...

BMW: I wouldn't touch ANY of the newer BMWs with turbos, except maybe the Diesel (which I have). My friend just had a $4,000 bill slapped on his 335is with 37,000 miles. If they (BMW) think turbo charged engines are a suitable replacement for individual throttle bodied NA inline 6s, they've truly lost their soul to the devil.

On the GT4...I would spend that kind of money, if I have it, on a GT4. I would. And it would replace the MZ4 Coupe. It ticks off just about every single box on my wish list of cars that I can see replacing the MZ4 Coupe, and the cost wouldn't be a big issue, I've been without car payment for the last 2.5 years, I'm itching to take on another car payment. The hurdle for me, is I wouldn't be able to find a dealership within a 100 mile radius that has an allocation within the next 18 months.

Which means...The last sign of the impending apocalypse ain't coming.

* P.S.: The third Exige S they had there for me to enjoy, that was down and down for good, had a small electrical fire in the engine bay. The one I drove was pretty much the only one they had in actual working order. The other one had some sort of issue with the starter that if they shut it down, there was no way to restart it unless they push start it, which, for whatever reason, they were hesitant to do. Out of all the manufacturers represented that day, Lotus and the Exige S team was the only one with a team of mechanics trying desperately to keep all the cars running. All the other manufacturers basically sent their marketing team to make sure the car looks nice for all the journos to drive.

But man...when it worked it worked SO well. Nothing I've ever driven comes remotely close. NOTHING. And I've driven my share of über exotics on track. At speed. Angry.

[TexasZed4MC]

HACK, we are in the same boat, and same ocean , with a different location.....the Cayman GT4 is "THE" car that is my #1 on my list. Having driven one is , well to me anyway "PERFECT" knowing I can get one at a lower cost than most people makes it even more desirable. We could talk for days and more than a few beers about this terrible problem.
c'est la vie

[86Zed]

FYI the Porsche 996 911 Turbo and 911 GT3 variants do not have the IMS issue. Don't mind me, pouring gasoline on the fire

[baege]

Originally Posted by TexasZed4MC

HACK, we are in the same boat, and same ocean , with a different location.....the Cayman GT4 is "THE" car that is my #1 on my list. Having driven one is , well to me anyway "PERFECT" knowing I can get one at a lower cost than most people makes it even more desirable. We could talk for days and more than a few beers about this terrible problem.
c'est la vie

if budget is an issue, you may want to give a run of the mill Cayman S or GTS a go. While I have not driven the GT4, from what I have read from others who have made the switch, the Cayman S or GTS offer 70% of the Gt4 experience at 70% of the cost.

FOR ME, the 981C in S or GTS variant surpasses the Z4MC in driving experience and enjoyment. I LOVE Z4C's and in fact you can see from my posts that I have often contemplated going back to one and may do so one day when I can have more than one car .

I actually test drove a 2008 Z4MC with only 20000 km about a year and a half ago in contemplation of making the move back, but FOR ME, the driving experience of the 2014 Cayman S I had at the time was better than the Z4MC, it sounded better, was more precise, had a better low end, better throttle response and just put more of a smile on my face.

just sayn maybe give a regular 981CS or GTS a go, you might be surprised how much you actually like it

having said that, if you can swing a GT4, then that is a no brainer...

best with this awful dilemma

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by TexasZed4MC

HACK, we are in the same boat, and same ocean , with a different location.....the Cayman GT4 is "THE" car that is my #1 on my list. Having driven one is , well to me anyway "PERFECT" knowing I can get one at a lower cost than most people makes it even more desirable. We could talk for days and more than a few beers about this terrible problem.
c'est la vie

I'm a bit confused. Why is the GT4 (or the GT350R or Lotus) even be on your list? I thought the main reason originally for moving on was more room and a back seat? That looked more of a wish list like some of ours

[KevinM]

Agree with comments here - last of its kind, values sure to go up (if that matters to you). That said, if you can buy a GT4 at list price jump on it. Now.