2.5se, 3.0si or M?

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Took a test drive in a 3.0si today as I am thinking of getting a faster Z4. Mine is the 2.5se, and I didn't seem to think there was that much difference in acceleration, car pulled away very quickly but I guess I was expecting a bigger difference.
Drove the 50+ miles home, 'spiritedly' and felt that mine was still a fast car.

So, should I really be looking at the M roadster or even Alpina?
Is the difference between a 3.0si and an M (0.7 second quicker acceleration) worth the expense of running an M?
 
gookah said:
Took a test drive in a 3.0si today as I am thinking of getting a faster Z4. Mine is the 2.5se, and I didn't seem to think there was that much difference in acceleration, car pulled away very quickly but I guess I was expecting a bigger difference.
Drove the 50+ miles home, 'spiritedly' and felt that mine was still a fast car.

So, should I really be looking at the M roadster or even Alpina?
Is the difference between a 3.0si and an M (0.7 second quicker acceleration) worth the expense of running an M?
Click to expand...

That's ultimately a question only you can answer but...

The M has hydraulic steering rather than electronic. I've not driven one, but I suspect this is a huge difference which would make the extra expense worthwhile all on it's own.

The M has an LSD, so it's easier to drive sideways than the non-M's.

There are some subtle, but nice bodywork changes on the M's which finish them off IMHO. Even just that lovely extra ripple in the bonnet adds something.

They sound great, that may only be 0.7 (is this right? I thought it was more like a full second?) on the 0-60 time, but that feels a lot on the road and I suspect the extra torque makes them even better to drive.

I would be surprised if I don't get tempted to upgrade from my 3.0SE to one at some point :)
 
I personally wouldn't go for the Alpina... more dated looks (amber headlights, etc) and no LSD which makes a huge difference. I would say go for the M or stick with what you got. depending on the number of miles you would be doing I don't think the M is that much more. If you don't do much miles then the main killer is the servicing, but if you find one which has just done an Inspection I (or II) then the next mojor service is not for another 25k or so.
 
I dont do many miles as the car is a weekend toy, so the servicing won't come round too often, I just thought there would be more difference.
0-60 times according to autotrader links to performance figures:
2.5se 7 seconds
3.0si auto 6 secs
3.0si manual 5.7 secs
Mroadster 5 sec
Alpina? not given.

or should I get the ESS supercharger instead?
 
Not really much point upgrading to a 3.0 from a 2.5, especially if you have the Si engine now anyway. If you were in the old 2.5 block then it would be worth jumping to a 3.0Si I would imagine.

An M would be a worthy shout, there are additional running costs associated but it would be a MUCH quicker car. You just need to justify the initial outlay and other costs over the 2.5i
 
He has got the old 2.5.

I think you will have fewer issues with an M then with an ESS kit. An M you can resell, a car with ESS might be much more difficult. What is the insurance like with an ESS fitted?
 
pvr said:
He has got the old 2.5.

I think you will have fewer issues with an M then with an ESS kit. An M you can resell, a car with ESS might be much more difficult. What is the insurance like with an ESS fitted?
Click to expand...


Ahh sorry, assumed he had the Si from the quoted parkers figures
 
Maybe the 3.0si you drove had been pootled around and could have benefited from a throttle reset?

You should probably test drive an M to get a real feel of it.
 
gookah said:
I dont do many miles as the car is a weekend toy, so the servicing won't come round too often, I just thought there would be more difference.
0-60 times according to autotrader links to performance figures:
2.5se 7 seconds
3.0si auto 6 secs
3.0si manual 5.7 secs
Mroadster 5 sec
Alpina? not given.

or should I get the ESS supercharger instead?
Click to expand...

M is 4.8 secs, but 0-60 is not the only thing you should compare. You should really look at 0-100, 0-124, 1/4 mile, lap times, etc.

@ your ESS comment - There is more to an M than just it's engine, but If you do get an ESS SC then you'd need to upgrade the brakes, suspension and install an LSD to get it on par with an M. The cost of doing so would make it more expensive.
 
Personally I wouldnt read into 0-60 times too much because you never do it. I would be more interested in 40-100 times. If you go onto torquestats.com there is a break down of accelleration figures at these more relevant speeds. Its a pretty decent website.

I would of thought that there would be quite a big leap in performance from the 3.0i to the M considering the extra 100+ hp and obviously even more so from the 2.5, nearly 150 hp.

Would love to own an M but like you say is it worth the extra expence in running costs?
 
Thanks for the replies guy's. I need to get into an M really to see the difference, That may just sway it.
Yes I did think about the supercharger, and at 8K-10K or so to change cars, there is a lot of money for upgrades in comparison.
 
Try the M. Where it counts is 60 to 100 and you will definitely notice it....it's not just extra power, small changes add up to a different car. Try them back to back and you will see what I mean. Yup some costs are higher but its not a Ferrari...you won't be landed with a £3000 bill every few months, and it has 12k intervals...

They are old enough now to use Independents for servicing, road tax is 47p a day extra....insurance will be worse but it's all survivable, especially when you are paying £16k-£20k for a car that did cost £45k a few years ago. Insane value.

I don't have a video of mine, but I did do a video way back of 330 Sport (231BHP) vs M3 (343BHP). Not perfect but gives a very rough idea of the difference extra power can make further up the rev range, and it's the same engine obviously in a car that weighs slightly more....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la0gBfdd_0M

(Note the Z4M does sound better than the E46 M3, a bit more of a snarl...)
 
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