What are people paying for E86 Z4Ms these days?

[dekaliber]

Curious whether anyone who purchased a Z4M recently would be willing to share what they paid for it, where they got it (dealer vs private), with condition & mileage. List prices seem to range quite a bit from what I've seen, so I'm wondering how hot the market is right now and what cars in clean condition are going for.

Seems fairly certain this will become a collector car down the road, it being the last naturally aspirated, fully mechanical BMW sports car ever made.

Planning to sell my car ('07 fully loaded Z4MC w/ ~53K miles) pretty soon so curious what I should expect. I'd keep it around if I had a bigger garage, but just wouldn't make sense at this point and I'd rather it find a new owner who would appreciate it as much as I do.

[86Zed]

The largest differentiation factors in the market today are miles, color (exterior/interior), coupe vs roadster, nav presence and maintenance. While the whole market has not shifted to the tune of the E46 M3 or Z3M appreciation, strong examples in desirable colors have moved steadily up in the past 3-4 years.

http://www.z4mcoupebuyersguide.com/ and Bring a Trailer are the best places to track real cars and pricing.

[The HACK]

$32K for an easy sell, list for $35K to give it room for negotiations. If the car is in excellent condition with zero mechanical issues, getting $35K with some patience is not out of the realm.

Plus/minus $1K for year ($$36K for '08, $34K for '06) and plus minus $1K for every 10,000 miles.

My opinion.

[PLCZ4MC]

Wonder will the ///Z4M Coupe will reach the price of a E30 M3 Coupe. x-x

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by PLCZ4MC

Wonder will the ///Z4M Coupe will reach the price of a E30 M3 Coupe. x-x

Unlikely. You've got people paying STOOPID prices for the E30 M3s, because they (like me) idolized the car growing up. I remember seeing an E30 M3 on the school bus at 14, and I've wanted one bad since. You can almost say the E30 M3 is the reason why I love BMWs.

I don't think the MZ4 Coupe is well know outside of the ownership community, and BMW enthusiasts in general. The "rarity" will keep the price relative high, but it's never going to have demand like the E30 M3, especially now people like me who the E30 M3 was their first automotive love have gotten to prime earning age.

In the early 2000s I had come across several E30 M3s in the mid to low teens (high mile, runner, but needed tender loving care) and passed. Any of those ratty M3s would have fetched $60K+ today.

I suppose, overtime, as fewer and fewer of these cars become available, it's bound to drive the prices up. But I doubt you have young adults today that "loved" the MZ4 Coupe in their teens, that 10-15 years from now that's going to want to plunk down $100K for the "car of their dreams." I think prices will stabilize at around $40-50K in the next 5-10 years, and maybe get to $60-70K for a nice example in good mechanical condition between year 10-15, sort of like the Z3 M Coupe (at about 17 years since they ceased production, S54 Z3 M Coupes are starting to command that kind of price, and no one really "loved" the Z3 M Coupe back then).

[KevinC]

I paid $34.5k for mine last November. 34k miles, outstanding condition. Private party who advertised it right here at z4post.com, but never listed it anywhere else, so it flew under the radar and was buried 3 pages deep when I found it. He wanted $38k, but it had 4 owners, and some paintwork on the driver's door, which almost chased me away. Also past due for Inspection 1, and I had to truck it home to Arizona from Philly, so I had to factor that into my cost. He convinced me that the paintwork on the door was top quality and undetectable, and he was right. I countered his $38k ask with $34k, noting the car's needs and my overhead, and he agreed with my observations and countered at $34.5k and the deal was done, following a quick weekend trip to see & drive it first. I have all the maintenance records going back to the all-important 1200-mile break-in service. I had Inspection 1 done by his indy shop before trucking it home. Michelin PS2's had lots of wear left, but were 7 years old so I replaced them. Overall - zero disappointments and I think I got a good deal at that mileage. Also Space Gray, 1 of 48 in the USA, and carbon leather/non-nav, both of which were requirements for me.

EAG just sold a 55k-mile Silver Gray '07 for $39,900, in just 12 days. For comparison, in 2015 I traded my original to them at 57k miles, and it sold for $29,900, and took several months to move. So the market was probably about at bottom then, and is clearly on the rise now - for clean, low-mileage, stock or relatively stock examples. Will prices ever get crazy, like the E30 M3? I tend to think not, but these cars are a LOT more rare than that car, and seem to finally be getting their due appreciation by a wider audience.

If you are the original owner of your car, and it has a clean history with full service documentation - $35k is probably pretty easily achievable, if not a little more if a desirable spec and the right buyer comes along. My advice? KEEP IT! I sold my original after 8 years and regretted it almost immediately. 3 years later I righted that mistake. This one's a keeper.

[David70]

I disagree on the market having gone up significantly over any time period. I bought my car 7 years ago with 31k miles on it for $31k. Now has around 38k miles. Quick "inflation calculator" and just inflation would put $31k at $34,300. My car likely has gone on more than inflation but I doubt significantly.

Also, I live near EAG and get some work done there and using there listed prices as an indicator of the market is at least somewhat off. Every car I have seen there, they make sure it has new or close to new tires, refinish wheels very often, fix small dings, scratches, etc. and because of this, being a dealer, likely make financing and the purchase process easier, and their reputation get higher prices than the general market. They also are willing to negotiate some amount. They have to buy from the same market we do, do these things and still make a good profit.

[dekaliber]

Originally Posted by 86Zed

http://www.z4mcoupebuyersguide.com/ and Bring a Trailer are the best places to track real cars and pricing.

Didn't know about that site — thanks for sharing! Seems like there's a real gap between the the sub 40K mile "collector" ones listed for over $40K and the 70K plus mile DD examples listed for under $30K...

Thanks all for chiming in. I think $35K was right around my mental benchmark. I'm in no particular hurry so definitely willing to wait for the right buyer. I'm the 2nd owner, California car that has never seen snow, maintained religiously with all records, zero curb rash on wheels, all original paint, etc. so I think it should be pretty competitive.

Is presence of navigation a plus or minus? My guess is no one really gives a crap that it cost $1800 when new and the presence of that option is probably neutral to negative at this point.

[The HACK]

Minus. I live in fear that my screen would fail someday in the near future. There's been a couple of times where the screen failed to respond, and now-a-days I basically leave it down in the hopes that lack of use will extend it's life, in the irrational fear that I would one day sell the car and the NAV screen won't work and embarrass me in front of my co-workers.

But it shouldn't be a huge deal breaker. On this car, it's all about the right buyer at the right time. If you come across someone who WANTS NAV? Maybe it's a plus. It wouldn't affect the actual price by more than a few hundred bucks in my opinion.

[David70]

I also thought of navigation as a negative but not a big enough of one to cancel out an otherwise good car. If I found the car I wanted and it had nav. it wasn't perfect but I would have still bought it (although found one that doesn't have it).

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by David70

Also, I live near EAG and get some work done there and using there listed prices as an indicator of the market is at least somewhat off.

I think EAG is a great indicator - as long as you compare EAG prices, not EAG to anyone else - then the numbers don't make sense for the reasons you cite.

My 57k-mile, 1-owner, fully documented history, zero body or paint work, always an Arizona car, sold there for $29,900 in late 2015. A car with similar mileage just sold for $39,900. It took him months to move mine, this latest one moved in 12 days. The market is definitely trending upward, exactly how much is open to debate, but it's headed in that direction for sure.

[David70]

Originally Posted by KevinC

I think EAG is a great indicator - as long as you compare EAG prices, not EAG to anyone else - then the numbers don't make sense for the reasons you cite.

My 57k-mile, 1-owner, fully documented history, zero body or paint work, always an Arizona car, sold there for $29,900 in late 2015. A car with similar mileage just sold for $39,900. It took him months to move mine, this latest one moved in 12 days. The market is definitely trending upward, exactly how much is open to debate, but it's headed in that direction for sure.

How do you know what it sold for? I agree it is headed up, unclear to me if significantly more than inflation.

[Azeka1]

Originally Posted by The HACK

Unlikely. You've got people paying STOOPID prices for the E30 M3s, because they (like me) idolized the car growing up. I remember seeing an E30 M3 on the school bus at 14, and I've wanted one bad since. You can almost say the E30 M3 is the reason why I love BMWs.

I don't think the MZ4 Coupe is well know outside of the ownership community, and BMW enthusiasts in general. The "rarity" will keep the price relative high, but it's never going to have demand like the E30 M3, especially now people like me who the E30 M3 was their first automotive love have gotten to prime earning age.

In the early 2000s I had come across several E30 M3s in the mid to low teens (high mile, runner, but needed tender loving care) and passed. Any of those ratty M3s would have fetched $60K+ today.

I suppose, overtime, as fewer and fewer of these cars become available, it's bound to drive the prices up. But I doubt you have young adults today that "loved" the MZ4 Coupe in their teens, that 10-15 years from now that's going to want to plunk down $100K for the "car of their dreams." I think prices will stabilize at around $40-50K in the next 5-10 years, and maybe get to $60-70K for a nice example in good mechanical condition between year 10-15, sort of like the Z3 M Coupe (at about 17 years since they ceased production, S54 Z3 M Coupes are starting to command that kind of price, and no one really "loved" the Z3 M Coupe back then).

As someone that got my drivers license in 2002, the Z3M Coupe, followed by the Z4M Coupe, were indeed "dream cars" to me and also were the reason that I fell in love with BMWs from this era. I do agree with you that there might not be as many of us that lusted over the two generations of M Coupes relative to the e46 M3 but I think that the limited supply may correlate to similar trends.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by David70

How do you know what it sold for? I agree it is headed up, unclear to me if significantly more than inflation.

Because that's what he listed it for, and Eric is notorious for getting his asking price. I know firsthand - I've tried negotiating with him several times, and he was utterly unmovable.

[dekaliber]

Originally Posted by Azeka1

As someone that got my drivers license in 2002, the Z3M Coupe, followed by the Z4M Coupe, were indeed "dream cars" to me and also were the reason that I fell in love with BMWs from this era. I do agree with you that there might not be as many of us that lusted over the two generations of M Coupes relative to the e46 M3 but I think that the limited supply may correlate to similar trends.

I'm right there with you. I remember the first time I saw a [Z3] M coupe on the road it was such a unique car that I went out of my way to follow it to get a better look. There's also a beautiful photoshoot I saw online that featured an M coupe with BBS wheels that I still remember to this day (and wish I could find).

Unlike the original M Coupe, I think very few people would find the Z4-based version to be an unattractive car. To this day I still get approving head nods at gas stations and random people pulling up to me next to a stoplight and giving compliments. The Z4MC was instantly striking since the day I saw the prototype, and became my dream car in my 20s and also my gateway to BMWs in general. Since then I've also fallen in love with the E46 (owned a gorge AW ZHP coupe for a few years), and a few other "older" BMW designs, but there's nothing in the lineup for the past few years that have even been remotely interesting, maybe except for the i8 or the M2.

I think there will also be the BMW cognoscenti who long for the mid-2000s era cars. I'm pretty curious how many Z4M Coupe's there are that haven't been totaled, molested, turned into a track toy, or have over 100K miles.