Tell Us What You Love About Your Z4 / Z4M....

[racerbruce]

We are the privileged owners of a very special sports car....

*BMW quality
*BMW M performance
*Very limited production
*Coupe
*Roadster
*Manual Transmission
*Automatic Transmission
*E46 Competition Components

A note to us all....our beloved rides (Z4M Coupes & Roadsters) are not....and will not....be produced again; we have the last of the S54 B32 propelled cars....with refinement(s) at the top of the design and performance curve - significant parts from the E46 such as incredibly designed brakes for a production car, suspension, differential, etc....and we are the benefactors of a very low production vehicle....i am grateful. The N52 powered Z4 platform has a significant following and is beloved on this forum as well.

In your own words, tell us about your beloved Z4 / Z4M....include styling, handling, upgrades that you have done that you love....what makes this sports car so unique....tell your story!

[racerbruce]

Originally Posted by racerbruce

We are the privileged owners of a very special sports car....

*BMW quality
*BMW M performance
*Very limited production
*Coupe
*Roadster
*Manual Transmission
*Automatic Transmission
*E46 Competition Components

In your own words, tell us about your beloved Z4 / Z4M....include styling, handling, upgrades that you have done that you love....what makes this sports car so unique....tell your story!

I'll go first.
After defining what sports car I wanted (and could afford!) I settled on the Z4M roadster, and found my beloved Red Roadster in March 2010 with 12K miles; it's currently at 68K miles and has been SO much fun; I still find myself when going out to the garage to get something, stopping and just staring at the beautiful design; I love driving top-down and experiencing the elements.

[Roadroach]

Ok - I'll bite.

My coupe is my 1st BMW (first German car for that matter). I was looking for a small coupe, RWD, manual shift, preferably 2-seater with decent luggage space (for long weekends), reasonably quick/fun to drive, easy to work on and relatively rare. I had narrowed my choices down to the Cayman or Z4 coupe (briefly considered the BRZ/Toyo86 but they were too plasticky for my taste and the RX-8 but too many horror stories about the rotary).

I was really looking hard at M coupes for a while but I needed a daily that I could pile the miles on in heavy traffic - and found it hard to justify the $7k to $9k difference that I was seeing between the 3.0si and the M.

My coupe has been everything I wanted and more. Cheap to buy (under $15k 4 years ago with 65k miles), cheap to own, dead nuts reliable, fun as hell when I wanted and just fine in Austin traffic. It still turns heads - including my own.

My biggest problem is that I have NO idea what I might replace it with at some unknown point in the future.

[racerbruce]

Originally Posted by Roadroach

Ok - I'll bite.

My coupe is my 1st BMW (first German car for that matter). I was looking for a small coupe, RWD, manual shift, preferably 2-seater with decent luggage space (for long weekends), reasonably quick/fun to drive, easy to work on and relatively rare. I had narrowed my choices down to the Cayman or Z4 coupe (briefly considered the BRZ/Toyo86 but they were too plasticky for my taste and the RX-8 but too many horror stories about the rotary).

I was really looking hard at M coupes for a while but I needed a daily that I could pile the miles on in heavy traffic - and found it hard to justify the $7k to $9k difference that I was seeing between the 3.0si and the M.

My coupe has been everything I wanted and more. Cheap to buy (under $15k 4 years ago with 65k miles), cheap to own, dead nuts reliable, fun as hell when I wanted and just fine in Austin traffic. It still turns heads - including my own.

My biggest problem is that I have NO idea what I might replace it with at some unknown point in the future.

Roadroach -
Well said about what to replace your Z4 with in the future....this is such an incredibly special sports car!

[Sterling Roadster]

I think the e85 is the best kept secret when it comes to cars. They are miata money with double the torque and build quality. Parts are everywhere and these are reliable as far as old sports cars go. Plenty you can do with them and they aged well. I'm always looking for the next thing but I can't justify jumping to a Boxster S for twice the money and worry. Totally different car but I keep thinking about an E65 650i, but those damn V8 problems. Yikes.

[KevinC]

In late 2005 I ordered my first BMW, the all-new E90 330i. Shortly after I took delivery a few months later, the Z4 M Coupe was unveiled, and I was hooked immediately. I knew I had to have one eventually, but couldn't dump the new car so quickly and take a huge bath. A year later, in the summer of 2007, the few buyers for these cars that existed in the first place either had one already or had moved on, and dealers couldn't give them away. BMW started stacking money on the hood to try to help move them. I found the right car in April - it had already been on the lot since the previous November - and began negotiating via email & phone to try to swing an acceptable deal. Finally in August BMW upped the ante on the dealer cash, and I was able to swing an acceptable deal.

I loved that car and kept it till 2015, when the E39 M5 itch that had been bothering me for a while finally convinced me to swap it + some cash for a cherry example @ EAG. I immediately regretted getting rid of the M. Finally in late 2018 I decided I had to do something about it and started looking for a replacement. I figured it might take 6 months to find the "right" car at the right price. Turned out I found it within about 3 days, for sale right here and buried 3 pages deep because the owner had never updated the ad, since he kinda didn't really want to let it go. A deal was struck, I flew from southern Arizona to Philly to see & drive the car, and close the deal. This one's a keeper.

My main likes? The styling, which I loved at the time (though it got a somewhat mixed reception back then), which I think has aged VERY well, the size, the proportions, of course the S54 under the hood, the rarity, the minimalist equipment and appointments. Also a draw back in 2007 was my employer at the time was based in Greenville, and I'd already been to the Performance Center, and buying a car built in Spartanburg was an attractive concept as I felt I was supporting the local economy of my employer.

If you have one, think long and hard before letting it go. Very good chance you'll regret it, and good, unmolested replacements are getting harder to come by every day.

[3798j]

Always have enjoyed the roads less traveled, sports car roads are my favorites for vacation driving. Add to that, the interstates today are so crowded...too many trucks. So in 2010, I started looking for a closed two place sports car but this time, not a Corvette (don't get me wrong, I love Corvettes). It turned out that there weren't many choices. I thought maybe a Honda S2000 with a hardtop. Read the glowing reviews but a test drive had me wanting more low end torque. Was aware of the Z4 coupe, but none available close for a test drive. Finally one does show up in New Jersey, so I set off to test drive (and hopefully purchase). The test drive did it. The smoothness and low end torque of the N52 impressed to no end. Added pluses were low wind buffeting with the windows down, a subdued but sweet exhaust note, and seats that fit me perfectly. Only problem...this example wasn't clean enough. Now I'm convinced that the E86 is the one. At the time though the internet had 8 for sale and I'm looking for either a red, white or silver one. None were close. Two months of daily scans and things actually got worse. Then, a low mileage silver appears in Columbia, SC, at the BMW dealership. I'm in Pennsylvania but I call and become pretty certain it's the one. I convince a longtime friend a roadtrip (in his Corvette) to check out the car is a good time (it was). The car was neat as a pin, still had close to two years warranty, and was priced legitimately.
Now, almost a decade later, I'm not only totally happy with the car, I still look back at it as I walk away after parking...and it's close to perfect for those two lane vacation trips.

[wyshyvanuk]

Started looking at the E85 after my girlfriend (live-in variety) commented on how well-styled they were. I became an owner shortly thereafter:
1. Swoopy, curved body styling that indicates a well-developed aesthetic.
1a. That long hood.
1b. The profile of the roadster with the whip antenna.
2. The M version has repeatedly prevented me from spending additional dollars for more power. Either I scare easily or I've reached the limit of my driving skills.
2a. The ///M badge.
3. Occasional complimentary comments from complete strangers. Shallow, I know, but I love them.
4. Suspension and steering. Bilstein B6s and Michelin PS4Ss. Yummy.
5. Back roads in Arizona.

[elerner61]

I bought my M strictly for pleasure, yet I drive it often to work and put on 7K miles a year. It's the raw-ness of the interface with the drivetrain that give me smiles.

Coming from multiple Miatas I was concerned about giving up the man/machine feeling, and also having to run it too fast to have fun. I was very surprised and happy to early on discover how low its transmission is geared. What a great motor, such a joy to make it sing. I'd say changing the exhaust was the best modification I've made to the car.

[garz747]

I had a big birthday coming and have been a car freak since the age of 13! Have owned a z28 Camaro,Golf GTI, Mazda Rx7, Audi A4 Cab, e46 330I etc. 911 Porsche was still on the bucket list but having made two weddings and helped two sons buy houses all in one year- I put on my thinking cap regarding what to buy. The Z4M Coupe ticked off most boxes. Gorgeous unique body and cozy interior. Rear hatch with storage. Race bred S54 with stratospheric redline. Manual trans. Csl brakes and steering rack. Rare and reliable with available parts. I searched for at least six months until something popped up with only 20km(12000) miles! I couldnt walk away even though being obsessive with cleaning I did not want a sapphire black car. The rest is history. Only used as weekend car as it sucks in bumper to bumper traffic and massive potholes here in the city but loves the open road! Black is non issue, car is so tiny to wash and I keep her under a flannel cover. Fast (enough) , fun and involving to drive like no other cars past or present. Shes a keeper!

[wspohn]

All cars are a compromise...well. maybe not a Lotus, but everything else tries to hit a point of handling, noise, power etc. that will please the most people - your average sports car buyer.

Porsche, and BMW (with the M series) hit a point much further toward the enthusiast market which means that there is less to do for someone that values crisp handling and good power.

My other modern sports car, a Solstice coupe, was far closer to the middle as far as where they aimed and so I had to do quite a bit to tune power and handling to get it where I wanted it. It is faster than the Z4MC now, but then I haven't had to do anything to the Z4 - doesn't mean I won't, just that I can enjoy the Z4 as is, which I can't say about many cars.

[ShakyDog]

When I tell people that she is a 2007 they are shocked.
Every time I am amazed at how much fun she is to drive.
That she helped me through the darkest of times.

Steve

[belcom]

My 3rd BMW, currently lucky enough to own 2. Daily is 18' 540 msport which ticks all the boxes for comfort, speed, technology, back seats for kids etc. But the Z4 I just recently got for:

1. raw driving experience
2. manual
3. rear wheel drive
4. rag top for nice sunny days
5. it just looks cool for a 14 year old car
6. imola red sport seats make the car look so much better

[Efthreeoh]

I bought my 2008 Z4 3.0si Coupe in late 2014. Mid 2014 was about the time the C7 was out in plentiful quantities and I was seriously considering buying a toy. But my daily commute is 175 miles round trip, which my 2006 E90 has dutifully served since mid 2007 (when I switched jobs and doubled my commute). So by late 2014 the E90 had racked up 270,000 miles. I went looking for an additional daily so I could have the E90 off the street for a while coming up on 300,000 and was needed some TLC and since BMW has dropped its classic 3-series formula the E90 is the last of the breed and I want to keep it for a long time. After consideration, the Vette with a 425HP small block did not seem to be a financially good choice for a 175-mile commute. But the idea of a 2-seat sports car was intriguing.

So I thought I'd go a bit different route (after 25 years in 3 BMWs) and look for a mid-aughts Cayman. I found a few with tolerable miles at a tolerable price, but IMS bearing had me concerned and TBH I just didn't fit in the Cayman well; my shoulder width didn't match up well with Porsche's designers. Coming back from a Cayman test drive, it dawned on me that the perfect car to meet my wants was a Z4 Coupe. I had read an article in Bimmer Magazine in 2006/07 when the Coupe was fresh to the BMW fleet, and thought to myself it would have been a cool car to have instead of my E90; the Coupe wasn't out in May 2006 when I bought the E90 IIRC.

Anyway, that same day I got home from the Cayman test drive and went searching for a Z4 Coupe. I found one at CarMax. 2008 23,000 miles, black over extended black leather, manual transmission, sport package and the critical option... sport seats. Had I ordered a Z4, it would have been exactly as the one I found. I had to have CarMax ship it in from Ohio to Virginia. 5 minutes into the test drive, I was sold (plus I had $350 of non-refundable shipping costs invested already ). Comparing it to the Cayman, it's far more comfortable, as good handling on the street, and I like in-line 6's better than flat-6's (yes, I have one); oh, and you can actually see the engine in a Z4 (crazy idea that is!). The Z4 Coupe is a rare car and has great lines. I have to admit I've never been a fan of the Roadster body because the ducktail on the trunk lid just doesn't look right to my eyes; adding the hatch just changes the car entirely in my view. And the chassis with the roof added is just a frickin' brick.

The Z4 now sits at 102,000 miles just 5 years and 3 months since I bought it. Other than a few teething problems CarMax missed in their "100-point inspection by industry experts" (cough, cough, BS), it has been the most trouble free BMW I've owned. Having two BMWs with the same N52 engine is great from maintenance, especially considering the experience I have with the N52.

Late last year, a 2005 E46 330Ci vert found me and begged to become part of our fleet. So now I get to put less miles on the Z4 and preserve it too.

The Z4 is never leaving my possession.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Roadroach

Ok - I'll bite.

My coupe is my 1st BMW (first German car for that matter). I was looking for a small coupe, RWD, manual shift, preferably 2-seater with decent luggage space (for long weekends), reasonably quick/fun to drive, easy to work on and relatively rare. I had narrowed my choices down to the Cayman or Z4 coupe (briefly considered the BRZ/Toyo86 but they were too plasticky for my taste and the RX-8 but too many horror stories about the rotary).

I was really looking hard at M coupes for a while but I needed a daily that I could pile the miles on in heavy traffic - and found it hard to justify the $7k to $9k difference that I was seeing between the 3.0si and the M.

My coupe has been everything I wanted and more. Cheap to buy (under $15k 4 years ago with 65k miles), cheap to own, dead nuts reliable, fun as hell when I wanted and just fine in Austin traffic. It still turns heads - including my own.

My biggest problem is that I have NO idea what I might replace it with at some unknown point in the future.

Eh, why? The other BMW in our fleet is my wife's '97 Z3 Roaster. She bought it new, so we're on our 23rd year with it. Even now, BMW still keeps almost every part for it in stock. I think BMW will do the same for the E85/86. Plus, the N52 was used in a whole lot of different BMW models, so it's parts supply will be nearly unlimited. I've been a 30+ year BMW owner and BMW has always kept parts for it cars well past 20 years after original production. Hopefully with the advent of the EV era, BMW will continue to keep such tradition.

[Roadroach]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Eh, why? The other BMW in our fleet is my wife's '97 Z3 Roaster. She bought it new, so we're on our 23rd year with it. Even now, BMW still keeps almost every part for it in stock. I think BMW will do the same for the E85/86. Plus, the N52 was used in a whole lot of different BMW models, so it's parts supply will be nearly unlimited. I've been a 30+ year BMW owner and BMW has always kept parts for it cars well past 20 years after original production. Hopefully with the advent of the EV era, BMW will continue to keep such tradition.

Well, currently my E86 is my daily and I'm racking up nearly 20k miles per year on it. At my current rate, it'll be over 200k miles in around 3.5 years - and I like to plan ahead. Plus, I've never kept a car past the 160k mark and sometimes I just need to get my butt in a different seat regardless of how much life is left in my current ride.

I usually don't have any problems settling on my next purchase - but this time it's different. Uncharted territory for me.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by Roadroach

My biggest problem is that I have NO idea what I might replace it with at some unknown point in the future.

My advice? Don't.

I kept my original from new until mid-2015. I'd been itching to own an E39 M5 for ages. The only practical way to do so was to part with the Z4MC. So I traded it to EAG towards a cherry '02 M5 with 59k miles and in immaculate condition. I only wound up keeping it a year. 3 years later, missing the Z4MC the entire time I'd been without one, I bought another. Never letting this one go.

My advice: either "replace" it with another car to use as your daily, thus preserving your coupe, or do the same but eventually upgrade to an M coupe.

[86Zed]

Approaching five years of ownership here. Aside from the excellent driving dynamics and unique looks, any and all wrenching knowledge I possess was learned on this car. Plenty of stories and battle scars.

I considered letting it go this winter for another pristine non-nav example but my history with the car kept it in the garage (and my wife's love of interlagos blue).

[JimBob0047]

My first German car, my first convertible and my first straight 6. Most importantly driving dynamics.

[racerbruce]

Originally Posted by 86Zed

Approaching five years of ownership here. Aside from the excellent driving dynamics and unique looks, any and all wrenching knowledge I possess was learned on this car. Plenty of stories and battle scars.

I considered letting it go this winter for another pristine non-nav example but my history with the car kept it in the garage (and my wife's love of interlagos blue).

Wowie!
Tell us about #175

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Roadroach

Well, currently my E86 is my daily and I'm racking up nearly 20k miles per year on it. At my current rate, it'll be over 200k miles in around 3.5 years - and I like to plan ahead. Plus, I've never kept a car past the 160k mark and sometimes I just need to get my butt in a different seat regardless of how much life is left in my current ride.

I usually don't have any problems settling on my next purchase - but this time it's different. Uncharted territory for me.

I was in a similar boat with my E90. Figured I'd drive it to 250,000. It's now at 388,800...

Once your E86 hits 200,000, you might as well go the distance with it. It'll not be worth getting rid of it.

[86Zed]

Originally Posted by racerbruce

Wowie!
Tell us about #175

This is a friends BMWCAA/NASA enduro race car. Built from a salvaged M coupe it has a full cage, MCS suspension, built motor (approaching 400HP at the wheels) and much much more. It is a BEAST