3.5iS- will this be a classic?

[GuidoK]

(and there was no manual option)!

maybe the 35i with manual and m aero package will then be the future most sought after
There are loads of examples of oldtimers where the manual box variant is far more coveted than the automatic.

[Mr Tidy]

maybe the 35i with manual and m aero package will then be the future most sought after
There are loads of examples of oldtimers where the manual box variant is far more coveted than the automatic.

Well that may happen - manual Z4Ms seem much more desirable than any E89!

[Pastry]

Due to the low numbers of these around prices should be very stable. Only around 400 in the UK, meanwhile thousands of Z4Ms. While the Z4M is classed as a "classic" due the fact it is an "M", you can rest easy knowing that your 35is spanks and outperforms the M in every department

you really are a knob

[bob4333]

Contrary to how it feels today, the Jaguar E type was floundering at it's death in June 1974. The Company just couldn't sell them and had fields full of them parked up with no where to go.

Different story 40 years on. Admittedly, the car has generated a lot of design and aesthetic appreciation that was only partially acknowledged in it's day, but for what it was and did - it was a standout car (for some). Used values went way down low before they hit the eye watering overpriced levels of today.

Now I'm not comparing the Z4 with an E type (the world caught up and overtook that "standout car") and if you remove the emotion the Z4 is a much better car anyway. There are also so many good cars about today we're spoilt for choice, but the Z4 (especially the "35" variants) have a lot going for them. They may not have sold in huge numbers but owners tend to love 'em and I suspect many are in longer term ownership because the fad hasn't yet worn off. And 2 seater sports cars tend to have a wider classic appeal, with "curvy" cars more so than "angular" (imo).

So, if you'd asked an E type owner back in the day if his car was going to be a classic? ............ Nah!

I'm not so quick to write the Z4 off. But it may be just a case of how long you have to wait.

[z4pilot]

Contrary to how it feels today, the Jaguar E type was floundering at it's death in June 1974. The Company just couldn't sell them and had fields full of them parked up with no where to go.

Different story 40 years on. Admittedly, the car has generated a lot of design and aesthetic appreciation that was only partially acknowledged in it's day, but for what it was and did - it was a standout car (for some). Used values went way down low before they hit the eye watering overpriced levels of today.

Now I'm not comparing the Z4 with an E type (the world caught up and overtook that "standout car") and if you remove the emotion the Z4 is a much better car anyway. There are also so many good cars about today we're spoilt for choice, but the Z4 (especially the "35" variants) have a lot going for them. They may not have sold in huge numbers but owners tend to love 'em and I suspect many are in longer term ownership because the fad hasn't yet worn off. And 2 seater sports cars tend to have a wider classic appeal, with "curvy" cars more so than "angular" (imo).

So, if you'd asked an E type owner back in the day if his car was going to be a classic? ............ Nah!

I'm not so quick to write the Z4 off. But it may be just a case of how long you have to wait.

Not sure that the E-type is the best analogy to use - on it's release, Enzo Ferrari said it was the most beautiful car in the world - so it's appreciation was hardly lukewarm back in the day.

I think a better comparison is the Golf - Mks 1 and 2 - generally held up as the benchmark setters of their day, before the lacklustre Mk3 and 4, with a return to form with the Mk5 onwards. If the new Z4 is hailed as a world class example of it's type, will the E89 be damned by history as the equivalent of the Mk3 and 4 Golf? Time will tell....

I suppose though, the 35iS will always be sought out and have a market - Mk4 Golf R32's hold a premium over the less well regarded GTi

[huytonman]

Predicting what cars will become classics in the future is a bit of a mugs game, Ive sold cars that I grew bored with only to see them rise in value afterwards, in some cases outrageously so and at the time nobody would have considerd them to be a future classic. So called experts get in wrong e.g. I was planning to buy a low miles 997GTS a couple of years ago, found on at a Porsche dealership for £50k and was warned by the salesguy not to expect GTS's to rise in value "like some punters think", I didnt buy the car for other reasons and you can guess what has happened to values of low mile GTS's. Rarity and something "special" helps to get the car to classic status and as much as I like my 35iS its only "rareish" and even with the BHP on offer its trounced in this department by quite a few "hot hatches" and I'm sure these four cylinder turbo motors will continue to grow stronger so the BHP draw is limited in my view. For me though the in-line 6 cylinder engine with twin turbos is worth the entry price and is rare in a two seater and the DCT box is the best I have used (better than in Porsches that ive had) so some aspects are special. Personally though I expect to lose a huge chunk of money when I finally move the car on, expecting anything else will lead to dissapointment ... if it was me in these cirumstances I would carry on enjoying the car until such time as it starts to become expensive to maintain then move it on for something new.
Keith

[sunnydays]

Due to the low numbers of these around prices should be very stable. Only around 400 in the UK, meanwhile thousands of Z4Ms. While the Z4M is classed as a "classic" due the fact it is an "M", you can rest easy knowing that your 35is spanks and outperforms the M in every department

you really are a knob

Lol why? All I did was state the truth. The E89 is faster on straights and round the track. Newer, more refined and comfortable, the only thing you could argue in favour of the M is driver involvenent since its a manual.

[Taz]

its a crystal ball, I think there other cars that have a better chance of becoming a classic but who knows

[Pastry]

Due to the low numbers of these around prices should be very stable. Only around 400 in the UK, meanwhile thousands of Z4Ms. While the Z4M is classed as a "classic" due the fact it is an "M", you can rest easy knowing that your 35is spanks and outperforms the M in every department

you really are a knob

Lol why? All I did was state the truth. The E89 is faster on straights and round the track. Newer, more refined and comfortable, the only thing you could argue in favour of the M is driver involvenent since its a manual.

If you say so you're not related to busterboo by any chance are you

[HillWalker]

If you keep anything long enough it'll become a classic, that's what I keep telling the Mrs anyway

[Smartbear]

you really are a knob

Lol why? All I did was state the truth. The E89 is faster on straights and round the track. Newer, more refined and comfortable, the only thing you could argue in favour of the M is driver involvenent since its a manual.

If you say so you're not related to busterboo by any chance are you

Don't get him started on sodding tyre pressures again!
Rob

[PerryGunn]

I think the main obstacle to any of the recent generations of cars becoming true classics (rather than cars that sit in a collection or motor museum) is going to be their reliance on complex electronics - in 20-30 years time there won't be a lot of demand for a mint low-mileage early 21st century vehicle if it's a non-runner due to, say, an ECU fault and it's impossible to repair or obtain spares.

Compare this to older vehicles that rely on 'proper' mechanicals where replacement parts may not be available off-the-shelf but can be fabricated by someone like Machine Monkey in a workshop - that type of car could be kept running virtually forever...

[Paulr]

All cars become classics if you keep them long enough, as less and less of them will be around. When was the last Montego you saw? Good models are starting to go up in value, particularly the performance ones. Who would have thought that!

The Z4's will achieve classic status at some point, maybe another 15 years we will be sitting here saying how we wish we had kept ours as they are worth a lot of money now.

But Aston DB5 or Ferrari anything kudos? Not so convinced.

[Paulr]

I think the main obstacle to any of the recent generations of cars becoming true classics (rather than cars that sit in a collection or motor museum) is going to be their reliance on complex electronics - in 20-30 years time there won't be a lot of demand for a mint low-mileage early 21st century vehicle if it's a non-runner due to, say, an ECU fault and it's impossible to repair or obtain spares.

Compare this to older vehicles that rely on 'proper' mechanicals where replacement parts may not be available off-the-shelf but can be fabricated by someone like Machine Monkey in a workshop - that type of car could be kept running virtually forever...

Exactly why the relatively simple Comet can still be flown, but the very specialist & complicated Concord or Vulcan cannot.

[EssexZed]

I suppose most people's idea of what makes a car classic is that it's future value will increase due to the rarity:demand ratio but trying to define what makes a classic car is a tricky problem (try looking up the definition of a classic car online).

This car is considered to be a classic - most examples still survive apparently. If you'd bought one new and kept it in reasonable nick you'd certainly be looking at profit if you sold it.

IMG_1165.JPG (306.63 KiB) Viewed 1169 times

This seems to give strength to one particular definition I found online which was that for a car to become a classic, somebody just needs to keep it on the road for no logical reason other than it's that particular car.

Food for thought