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Update - well it isn't fixed. It still sounds like a bag of rocks when just rolling along (no throttle). I'm more and more convinced it's the suspension (Bilsteins) but I'm sure they checked it this morning.
What a faff having to get it to the garage again
* And no choc fish for ph001 *

And now after a weekend of driving it around, it doesn't feel like the suspension because it doesn't get worse when driving over any bumps or speed humps. It's most noticeable when driving slowly on any surface. I can feel it in the steering wheel and pedals, and can hear it.
I'll take it to work tomorrow and see if the garage can look at it again. Really want to get this resolved before Xmas break.

I had a clunking sound at low speed over rough surfaces and checked the brace/strut bars, they were both tight, but I gave the nuts a tweak and hey presto, no more clunking.
Worth a go.

I’m wondering if it’s had a wheel bearing change and the retaining nut isn’t up to specified torque or had it’s locking tab knocked in and so has worked loose.

firebobby wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:19 am I had a clunking sound at low speed over rough surfaces and checked the brace/strut bars, they were both tight, but I gave the nuts a tweak and hey presto, no more clunking.
Worth a go.

I've checked this (and tightened) twice - I don't think it's the strut brace. I could try removing it completely to test though, since I now have to wait until Friday before the garage can take another look at the car.

john-e89 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:53 am I’m wondering if it’s had a wheel bearing change and the retaining nut isn’t up to specified torque or had it’s locking tab knocked in and so has worked loose.

I don't think there's any way I can check this though? And if I 'helpfully' suggest it to the mechanic I'll probably get charged a 'google tax' on the invoice. Mind you, if they fix it, the bill's supposed to be paid by the car yard.

enzed4 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:38 pm

john-e89 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:53 am I’m wondering if it’s had a wheel bearing change and the retaining nut isn’t up to specified torque or had it’s locking tab knocked in and so has worked loose.

I don't think there's any way I can check this though? And if I 'helpfully' suggest it to the mechanic I'll probably get charged a 'google tax' on the invoice. Mind you, if they fix it, the bill's supposed to be paid by the car yard.

Jack the car up then pull and push the wheel enzed, there shouldn’t be any movement. Also if you take the wheel off you’ll see if the tab is knocked in, it looks like a chisel mark on the nut ring. Even if it’s knocked in it doesn’t mean to say that the nut is up to specified torque which is crucial, I don’t know the size of nut offhand, something approx 32mm, but if you could borrow a socket and torque wrench it would be worth trying it, cost nothing.

enzed4 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:38 pm

john-e89 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:53 am I’m wondering if it’s had a wheel bearing change and the retaining nut isn’t up to specified torque or had it’s locking tab knocked in and so has worked loose.

I don't think there's any way I can check this though? And if I 'helpfully' suggest it to the mechanic I'll probably get charged a 'google tax' on the invoice. Mind you, if they fix it, the bill's supposed to be paid by the car yard.

Are we closer to a diagnosis yet..?

john-e89 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 12, 2018 4:21 pm

enzed4 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:38 pm

john-e89 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:53 am I’m wondering if it’s had a wheel bearing change and the retaining nut isn’t up to specified torque or had it’s locking tab knocked in and so has worked loose.

I don't think there's any way I can check this though? And if I 'helpfully' suggest it to the mechanic I'll probably get charged a 'google tax' on the invoice. Mind you, if they fix it, the bill's supposed to be paid by the car yard.

Are we closer to a diagnosis yet..?

Tomorrow morning the car goes back into the garage. I'll take the mechanic out in it and make sure he can hear/feel the clunking. I don't know how he didn't spot it after he thought it was fixed last week, you can feel it in the pedals (and my son told me he could feel it through the firewall on the passenger side). Easiest way to reproduce it seems to be when either rolling on a smooth surface (rather than the 'rougher' chip seal) or when pulling up to the lights or stop/give way sign.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep you updated after tomorrow's work.

While we're playing 'diagnose Enzed4's Z4 issues' something else has been bugging me:
Every time I start the car, the fan turns on to the last setting that was active. Nothing unusual there, except it never remembers if I've turned the fan off, so I need to manually turn off the fan every time I start up the car (unless I actually want it working).
Seems like a bug, but I've checked with Carly and it didn't find any outstanding errors (except ones to do with the iDrive/bluetooth as the module's been removed and will be replaced with an updated version in a few weeks).
Anyone else heard of this? I haven't had the car long enough to know if I'm missing anything obvious

Whilst annoying the fan thing is perfectly normal, they all do that. As you say it’d be nice to be able to cancel it out.

john-e89 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:16 am Whilst annoying the fan thing is perfectly normal, they all do that. As you say it’d be nice to be able to cancel it out.

But it makes no sense. Why would the fan turn itself on, when it was switched off the last time the car was driven? Surely it should remember the last state it was in when you turn off the car?

enzed4 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:08 am

john-e89 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:16 am Whilst annoying the fan thing is perfectly normal, they all do that. As you say it’d be nice to be able to cancel it out.

But it makes no sense. Why would the fan turn itself on, when it was switched off the last time the car was driven? Surely it should remember the last state it was in when you turn off the car?

It doesn’t make any sense for sure but that’s how BMW have installed it. I’ve seen many posts on the subject all saying the same thing, you just have to put up with it I’m afraid.

john-e89 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:06 am

enzed4 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:08 am

john-e89 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:16 am Whilst annoying the fan thing is perfectly normal, they all do that. As you say it’d be nice to be able to cancel it out.

But it makes no sense. Why would the fan turn itself on, when it was switched off the last time the car was driven? Surely it should remember the last state it was in when you turn off the car?

It doesn’t make any sense for sure but that’s how BMW have installed it. I’ve seen many posts on the subject all saying the same thing, you just have to put up with it I’m afraid.

As annoying as it may be, I'm relieved that it's not actually a fault. Thanks for the info John.

I have just picked up the car from the garage. I took the mechanic out in it this morning and after thinking it was diff rumble he finally heard the noise and said it sounded like a dry piston on the front left shock. It was hard to reproduce as it happens most often when the left and right shocks are articulated differently, ie, not when braking or accelerating in a straight line. We found a nice smooth incline that was a bit uneven (side to side) which made the noise easy to reproduce when going up or down it.
After having the car for most of the day they have said they sprayed some CRC in it and the noise seems to have gone.
I've taken it for a test drive over the same place as this morning and it is definitely not making the clunking noise.
The ride still feels 'strange' compared to the old E85 so it must be the Bilstein shocks - maybe that's just normal but I'm not used to feeling movement in the front end.
Oh well, time to move on - as long as it's not making the noise I'm sure I'll get used to the different ride characteristics.