Thinking of buying a Z4M Coupe

[JohnD76]

Hi,

I am thinking of purchasing a Z4M Coupe, can anyone offer any advice on the car?

Does anyone know of any discounts being offered by dealers? I am mainly looking for second hand or ex demo cars.

Thanks.

[outrun]

Hi John

I've got one which I bought new in June for 14% off list so there's massive savings to be had. I've had a wee look at Glass's guide and an 07 with satnav is listing at £31K to the trade so expect to pay £34 ish from a main dealer. It should plummet in value till around £20 K or so over the next 1-2 years but all Beemers do this - if only BMW kept them exclusive !

I've spent £2k on 19" CSL alloys and another £250 on a strut brace and suspension geometry change which goes some way to solve the slippy handling.

I love mine and I dont care what the "z3m looks better" brigade have to say. I've owned both and the z3m is a the subject of a bit of rose tinted glasses syndrome. Certainly it looks great but the vanos sucks and they are not as fast as people say.

Buy with confidence, just don't pay any more than £34K for an 07 good spec car. Search out the right options - satnav, bluetoot, pdc - and you'll have an excellent individual car for the same price as a 330.

Good luck !

[Neil_M]

I've got one which I bought new in June for 14% off list so there's massive savings to be had. I've had a wee look at Glass's guide and an 07 with satnav is listing at £31K to the trade so expect to pay £34 ish from a main dealer. It should plummet in value till around £20 K or so over the next 1-2 years but all Beemers do this - if only BMW kept them exclusive !

I've spent £2k on 19" CSL alloys and another £250 on a strut brace and suspension geometry change which goes some way to solve the slippy handling.

I love mine and I dont care what the "z3m looks better" brigade have to say. I've owned both and the z3m is a the subject of a bit of rose tinted glasses syndrome. Certainly it looks great but the vanos sucks and they are not as fast as people say.

Buy with confidence, just don't pay any more than £34K for an 07 good spec car. Search out the right options - satnav, bluetoot, pdc - and you'll have an excellent individual car for the same price as a 330.


So the best things you can recomend about the Z4M are:-

the discount you got
the fact you hate the wheels
it handles like shite
the 'right options' are top of your list of priorities
dynamics didn't feature in you purchasing decisionAs for the Z3M, I think you missed the point.

the looks issue is subjective, as with any car
the general consensus seems to be that the Z3M looks are unique, whereas the Z4M looks conventional
Z3M's still see off most so called 'sports' cars
the vanos is only an issue with ill informed numpties like yourself and has failed on a small percentage of cars (search the forum more thoroughly)
Z3M owners are aware the Z4M has better handling than a Z3M, in general
the Z3M is looked on as being a unique original as oposed to the Z4M is somewhat anonymous by comparisonSounds like you should be running round in a Vectra on the motorways and leave the A & B roads to those who wish to drive in a spirited manner.

If all else fails I'm sure your blue badge and invalid carriage will be delivered shortly, so that someone deserving can relieve you of the burden of Z4M ownership. And from that point in time it will be driven in the manner for which it was designed.

[JohnD76]

Friendly bunch!

Outrun, thanks for the information. I am test driving a nearly new Z4M Coupe at the weekend with the spec I am after, just need to decide whether to bite the bullet or not....

John.

[Broccers]

Friendly

99 percent are :thumbsup:

I like the Z4s I really do. Not quite a classic BMW in the same way the originals are and thats fact not opinion.

Would be a different prospect with a v8 maybe but from what I read about the new M3 maybe not.

Anyway enjoy your choice, you wont be disappointed.

[MGR]

99 percent are :thumbsup:

:iagree:

Don't be put off

[coupe fan]

I am mainly looking for second hand or ex demo cars.

You are right to be doing so. The Z4MC depreciation over the first 3 years from new is extremely high. If outrun is right, then a £31-34k car will depreciate to around £20k in the next 1-2 years. So, forget running costs, you are burning £5,500-£7,000pa in depreciation alone.

I have been looking for the right word to sum up the Z4MC's looks (compared to to the Z3MC) since it arrived on the scene. Neil has just summed it up in one word - 'CONVENTIONAL'.
The Z3MC is called ugly, quirky, breadvan, distorted, an acquired taste etc etc etc but you would never call it conventional. I hate conventional.

Outrun says he has spent £250 on a strut brace and.............
I thought it came with one?????

BUT, if you like a conventional looking sports car (and most people do), then go for it, but get a good saleable colour combo and be prepared for the £500 per month depreciation.

[MGR]

You are right to be doing so. The Z4MC depreciation over the first 3 years from new is extremely high. If outrun is right, then a £31-34k car will depreciate to around £20k in the next 1-2 years. So, forget running costs, you are burning £5,500-£7,000pa in depreciation alone.

BUT, if you like a conventional looking sports car (and most people do), then go for it, but get a good saleable colour combo and be prepared for the £500 per month depreciation.

This is the same for all newish cars costing this much if you were looking to get a 6 - 12 month old car that cost this much this is what happens. My dad lost 20K on his 330d in 3 years and that cost around £34K new and is a car that is considered to hold its value well.

I think £4-5K per annum is more realistic. E46 M3's seem to lose 1/2 their value in around 4 years (or did when before they got replaced) and I'd expect the z4M to be similar. So 4 yr old one av milleage = £20K

I think sometimes people can worry too much about depreciation - esp on this site and in comparison the the Z3 M.

I agree that its far better to buy a car that doesn't depreciate but then its going to be old(er) if you have £30K+ to spend on a car like this then it shouldn't be an issue.

If it is then you basically haven't taken the full running costs of the car into consideration and can't (or don't want to) afford the car and therefore should go for a 2nd hand car which has gone through its major depreciation point that is several years old. i.e Z3 M :lol:

I'm not having a go (comments are not directed at coupe fan so don't take offense) but depreciation is the price you pay for driving a new car.

On the plus side you don't have to worry about anything going wrong and if it does it will be fixed for free ! so thats worth about £1k per year if I remeber the extended warranty price correctly.

rant over - lol

[manty]

Buy a white one, They look cool :-)

[MGR]

Buy a white one, They look cool :-)

:iagree:

Defintely the colour of the moment on the right car ! but then i've got a pheonix yellow M coupe and people often tell me i must be colour blind - :boxing_smiley:

[Neil_M]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:- :beatdeadhorse5:

If people just want to worry about depreciation or resale value, they shouldn't buy a car, they should just leave the money in the bank.

They can continue being stress free, happy, boring, at home alone and allow those of us who enjoy cars to enjoy them for what they are - great driving machines that have been well engineered to stir the soul.

:iamwithstupid: :cheers2:

[manty]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:- :beatdeadhorse5:

If people just want to worry about depreciation or resale value, they shouldn't buy a car, they should just leave the money in the bank.

They can continue being stress free, happy, boring, at home alone and allow those of us who enjoy cars to enjoy them for what they are - great driving machines that have been well engineered to stir the soul.

:iamwithstupid: :cheers2:


Not considering depreciation at all is either for the very stupid, or the very rich :cornut:

[coupe fan]

I agree Neil, but it is so much nicer to spend £250-£500 per month on mods than depreciation. Most production cars are flawed due to budget constraints (until you get to sort of supercar Ferrari level) and can be significantly improved. Even the owners of the Z4MC, which is fairly new, are starting to mod them.

MGR - I have never seen the need to have a shiny new car. Let someone else run it in and take the depreciation hit. But that's me - each to their own. If you've got money to burn, fine.
Should I win the lottery tomorrow, I would probably be out there buying a brand new supercar and sod the depreciationhttp://www.z3mcoupe.com/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Neil_M]

Not considering depreciation at all is either for the very stupid, or the very rich :cornut:

So you consider depreciation when you buy a CD or a pint then? If so you're very, very sad in my opinion.

If I looked at things with such a negative outlook I'd never have bought my BMW 760 as a daily runabout. After all I'm averaging 19.4mpg and I assure you I don't hang around.

For christs sake just buy the car to enjoy it. MUPPEThttp://www.z3mcoupe.com/forum/images/icons/icon4.gif

[MGR]

MGR - I have never seen the need to have a shiny new car. Let someone else run it in and take the depreciation hit. But that's me - each to their own. If you've got money to burn, fine.
Should I win the lottery tomorrow, I would probably be out there buying a brand new supercar and sod the depreciationhttp://www.z3mcoupe.com/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

I agree thats why i've recently bought a 6 yr old Z3 M but I was just trying to point out that new stuff costs more. Its like that with nearly everything.

I think all you should do is have a budget and that budget should be taken against the true cost of running the car incl depreciation. This will lead to buying a cheaper car that is newer or a more expensive car that is older as more /less cost is taken up by the depreciation.

I think the M cars in general are pretty resonable to run compared to things of similar performance.

[manty]

So you consider depreciation when you buy a CD or a pint then? If so you're very, very sad in my opinion.

If I looked at things with such a negative outlook I'd never have bought my BMW 760 as a daily runabout. After all I'm averaging 19.4mpg and I assure you I don't hang around.

For christs sake just buy the car to enjoy it. MUPPEThttp://www.z3mcoupe.com/forum/images/icons/icon4.gif

Time for the chill pills again Neil :lol:

[Neil_M]

Time for the chill pills again Neil :lol:

I'm fine, just make sure you swallow the :chillpill: as opposed to sticking it where the sun doesn't shine. After all that's where you seem to be talking from.:puke:

:cheers2:

[manty]

I'm fine, just make sure you swallow the :chillpill: as opposed to sticking it where the sun doesn't shine. After all that's where you seem to be talking from.:puke:

:cheers2:

Well I am glad your back to your normal charming self :lol:

[c_w]

The Z3M looks more "different", but the Z4M has more road prescence IMO, particularly from the front, where the Z3 looks a bit too small and meek (IMO).

I'd have one! (over the Z3M).

[MGR]

I'd have one! (over the Z3M).

:iagree:

If someone gave me the keys to a Z3M or a Z4M and said here pick they are both free and you couldn't sell it on (so no financial motives at all) I would have the Z4.

If only.......

[JohnD76]

I personally like the Z4M coupe looks, hence why I am interested in buying one in the hopefully not to distant future, provided I can find one with the specs I am after and for the right money.

Depreciation is a thing that affects 95% of cars and of course is most prominent during the first few years of the car. My choices are to buy a second hand/nearly new Z4 and suffer the depreciation whilst putting up with the manic grin on my face, or wait for a couple of years and buy one for £20K to £25K with higher mileage, which of course will still depreciate and require yearly MOT's and most likely, one would hope, more expensive servicing costs etc...

[Shunt]

John,

Go for it, I picked mine up last week. It's not a Z3MC, I had one of those years ago and loved it. As already said someone else had taken to depreciation hit, 3 months old 2.5k miles. £12000 off list from a main dealers. Just make sure you get a good spec'd one.

They sound fantastic and ARE quicker than the Z3MC, at least quicker than my old one anyway. Not really had chance yet to explore any serious twisties with it yet, but it feels sooooo much better than my old Alpina. The missing diff was a big mistake on that car.

[wadh0070]

John,

Go for it, I picked mine up last week. It's not a Z3MC, I had one of those years ago and loved it. As already said someone else had taken to depreciation hit, 3 months old 2.5k miles. £12000 off list from a main dealers. Just make sure you get a good spec'd one.

Sorry - to confirm - £12,000 off list price AND you got it from a main dealer? That's just moved the goalposts as to what I should be expecting ...

Jez

[Shunt]

Sorry - to confirm - £12,000 off list price AND you got it from a main dealer? That's just moved the goalposts as to what I should be expecting ...

Jez

March 2007, saphire black, bi colour nappa, cruise, piano black interior, privacy glass etc. if you build the spec on BMW's website it's about 46k. I gave 33 and a bit to Sytners in Leicester, they even brimmed the tank for me. Give Steve Arnold at the dealers a ring and he'll source one for you. A refreshing change from the normal BM sales people.

[JohnD76]

Hi Shunt,

What were BMW asking for the car? Did you manage to knock them down and if so by how much?

Thanks,

John.

[Shunt]

It was up for £35995, get them at the end of the month when they need sales for their targets. I think they let mine go at what it cost them just to make the figures. Well that's what they made me think! I was happy with the deal anyway, most of the others around 33ish were 56 plates with more miles or bad specs. Give Steve a ring, he had another one with massive spec for similar money in Monaco Blue.

[JohnD76]

Just spoken with Steve and he has one that I am very interested in.. I am tst driving one on saturday and will speak with him on Monday...

[outrun]

Get one in the next 2 weeks before the new plates in September. August is always slow for the dealers.

Seems I evoked all sorts of reactions with what I said. Sorry but i've owned a lot of cars and the z4m is much better than the z3m. I loved the way mine looked (estoril) but you all need to realise that they're just not that good. A mid nineties Porsche 993 for £20k laughs in the face of it. I'm please you all love your cars, if I had the cash i'd have a z3m in the garage just to look at but you really need to admit that it has some major flaws. I suppose that without the blind love this forum wouldn't exist so keep it up !!

Anyway John, get the z4m asap, don't buy a white one unless you want to be looked at and do get a strut brace. (no, they don't come with one in Europe). I think the CSL alloys transform the looks but as always "looks" are a very personal thing.

Keep loving your bread vans boys.

[Shunt]

Agreed, things have moved on a bit since 1998.

[ragerover]

youve taken the neil bait :rofl: lol

[Neil_M]

youve taken the neil bait :rofl: lol

You're seeing things where they don't exist. :Yawn:

You must be getting paranoid in your old age, rageover :D

[Shunt]

Just spoken with Steve and he has one that I am very interested in.. I am tst driving one on saturday and will speak with him on Monday...

How did you get on with the test drive John?

[kwoffa]

As with most cars..things progress.(not always the rite way) personly i think its always about swings and roundabouts...not sure about a white car tho !!classic styling happens over time ! cleverer mods are put on cars ! sometimes so is wheight ! i think the white is designed for far flung hot countries i mean a Ferrari in white ! looks good in Bharain and other Arab countries tho !good luck with your purchase......

[JohnD76]

How did you get on with the test drive John?

Hi Shunt,

I ended up cancelling the test drive since I knew that if I liked it I would find it hard to resist. I have rescheduled it for this sunday since I now have funds in place if everything goes well.

John

[Shunt]

Good luck with it, what's the spec? Have you seen Steved's is up for sale on Pistonheads for £30995, although it is one of the first and has 15k on it. Which dealers are you going to?

[JohnD76]

Hmm, have you got a link to the one that is for sale on piston heads?

Just found it. Looks like a very nice car.

The one I am looking at has:
PDC
Folding Mirrors
SatNav
Bluetooth + Telematics
BMW Assist
Cruise Control
Hifi + DSP
CD changer
07 plate.

The dealer is Sytner in Leicester.

[Shunt]

Sounds like a good spec, what colours?

[AJL]

I have got the itch for a Z4MC now after having a good run in one recently, Might get one later this year instead of a CSL but still not sure! As much as i loved my old S54 Z3M i do prefer the Z4 but then again it is more ££..

[coupe fan]

I have got the itch for a Z4MC now after having a good run in one recently, Might get one later this year instead of a CSL but still not sure! As much as i loved my old S54 Z3M i do prefer the Z4 but then again it is more ££..

But I thought you couldn't have a sports car where you were moving to in southwest London- that's why you sold the Z3MC(???)

[JohnD76]

Sounds like a good spec, what colours?

Ruby Black exterrior and Light Bronze Sepang Interrior. It looks lovely. :-)

It has also got a tracker fitted already which saves me a bit of cash too.

[AJL]

But I thought you couldn't have a sports car where you were moving to in southwest London- that's why you sold the Z3MC(???)

I have a boxster S at the moment just for a bit of fun that plan went a bit wrong!

I thought i had to sell so I did, but then moved to a place with safe parking...

[dalecan]

There are quite a few of "us" living in London with no problems at all. All the kids around my area love the looks of the MC which, I think, helps protect it. I would think a Boxster would be more likely to be vandalised.

[Shunt]

Sounds nice John, I'd have preferred the ruby, but my bi colour interior swung it. All black is too dark without a glass roof, and red is a bit bling.

Post some pixs when you've got it........ Sounds like a done deal to me.

Glad to see there's a few other prospective owners showing signs of scratching that itch too.

[JohnD76]

Hi Shunt,

I have just spotted your one on the Z4 Forums website and it looks lovely! The bi colour leather really goes well with the piano black. I was originally sold on one with the Piano black, but it just didn't look right with the champage or light bronze interrior; however, the black section of your seats goes perfectly with it though.

I have to agree I feel the red is a bit too much for me and the black interrior to my mind makes it too dark inside.

I will be posting some picks when/if/when :-) I get it.

[Guzzler]

I just bought a Z4MC with 800 miles for £31,000.

There are deals out there to be had!

As a an ex-owner of the Z3MC I know how great those cars are but wanted a newer and more modern car this time round.

[Winton]

Great deal - and the Z4MC is a great, great car. I love it.

[danp]

Looks good value at 28k, inc the CSL wheels:

http://pistonheads.com/sales/239841.htm

(usual caveats, I don't know the car or seller!)

[outrun]

It's a 3.0 litre on pistonheads. nice price, shame about the engine. Loving my z4mc, so far it's been perfect, fingers crossed it stays that way.

Thanks for the PM John - see you at the other site....You too Shunt, nice car.

[Shunt]

Nice to see there's a few more swapping to the dark side. What's wrong with the rest of you........sell the wife or something

[danp]

It's a 3.0 litre on pistonheads. nice price, shame about the engine. Loving my z4mc, so far it's been perfect, fingers crossed it stays that way.

Thanks for the PM John - see you at the other site....You too Shunt, nice car.

Ah it didn't say it was a 3.0 originally...bit of effort to fit the 4 exhausts to one of those I'd have thought.