3.0 Sport coupe vs M coupe

C

c-w

New member
Hey everyone!

I am brand new to this wonderful z4 forum and this is my first post.

I wanted to say hi to you all and then hopefully pick your knowledgable brains a little.

I do not currently own a z4 but am looking for my perfect one to buy at the moment.

I am torn between a 2007/2008 3.0 L Si Sport and a 2006/2007 3.2 M Coupe.

I was wondering whether anybody can help me to identify the main differences in terms of running costs & expenses?

I know the 'M' is more expensive to tax & insure, but interms of day to day costs, fuel consumptions, servicing costs for minor & major services, any issues or concerns with either??

I would be very very grateful for any help or guidance in which to buy - the 3.0 Sport Coupe or the 3.2 M Coupe!

Thank you
 
If you're going to obey the speed limits then parts & BMW servicing is a big differentiator.

The ///M does look nice & has some special enhancements, but within legal limis within the UK the standard 3.0 Zed is such a cracker u will be surprised how little difference in straight line speed there is if you hoof it between 30-100, I meant 70.

3 figures + is a different story & how much u like the //M badge of a 5 second car vs a 5.7 second car
 
Not just performance, Limited Slip only on the M as well, so any slippery corner will be handled very differently.

Then there is the noise, the looks, the toys, and did I mention the noise? :D

I have had the 3.0 as well as the M, and even though "real life performance" might not be that much different in the numeric values terms, the experience is so much different though - not something that can be expressed by a number only.

Cost of running depends on the miles you do, I do little so my first two years servicing was £200 or so for me.
 
Thanks for the speedy replies!

I dont suppose any of you out there have dealt with West Sussex Specialist Cars before?? They have a few M Coupe's up for sale that I may go and visit.
 
pvr said:
Not just performance, Limited Slip only on the M as well, so any slippery corner will be handled very differently.

Then there is the noise, the looks, the toys, and did I mention the noise? :D

I have had the 3.0 as well as the M, and even though "real life performance" might not be that much different in the numeric values terms, the experience is so much different though - not something that can be expressed by a number only.

Cost of running depends on the miles you do, I do little so my first two years servicing was £200 or so for me.
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Agree with this.
 
Why not test drive both prior to making a decision? :thumbsup:

Road tax on an ///M is approx £460, compared with approx £260 for the 3.0. Servicing costs are higher on the ///M as it has mechanical valve adjusters which need to be checked at regular intervals. The 3.0 has hydraulic valve adjusters which self adjust.

Will you be using the car for a weekend toy or daily driver? If it's a daily, the 3.0 may be easier to live. But if it's a weekend toy, the ///M might be the right choice.
 
I had the same decision to make, the 3.0 was too ordinary for my liking I wanted to get something with a bit more pedigree. and you cant beat the noise, looks and thrills of the M. There are a lot of people that have spent thousands recreating Z4Ms from 3.0l Z4s with an M body kit and twin dual exhausts which look great, cheaper to run and are still very quick. So that could be an avenue. But the 3.2 is such a corker of an engine and is worth the cost imho. The 3.0l will give you about 40mpg on a long run, I have had 32 out of my M on long runs but sits at around the 25-26mpg figure and you should run the M on super too which is 10p more expensive per litre.

Servicing costs for the M are about 1.5x more than the 3.0l depending where you go but service intervals are 14000 miles, so if its a toy every 18 months/2 years. Tyres are more expensive a set of Michelin PS2s 225/18/45 and 255/18/40s (which are BMWs recommended sizes) your looking at £1000, if the M I would put the best boots you can afford on it. The 3.0l you can get away with some cheaper tyres like some Falkon 452s about £650 which are still very good tyres. Or you could go with vredestein ultrac sessanta which are around £750 for the set which are as good as the Pilots

Also the Ms are more expensive to buy, but you generally get more kit on them, high spec is easier to find. Coupes are rarer than the roadsters with about 550 in Britain. Completely depends on what your after. I bought the coupe because it looks stunning and you never see any of them, I like the rarity.

Road tax may be £460 but in the big picture its only £200 more.. in my opinion its not worth getting hung up over.

Another thing to add is the hydraulic steering is much better than the electronic. I hate electronic steering would rather loose the 2mpg.

Good luck on your search!
 
daz05 said:
pvr said:
Not just performance, Limited Slip only on the M as well, so any slippery corner will be handled very differently.

Then there is the noise, the looks, the toys, and did I mention the noise? :D

I have had the 3.0 as well as the M, and even though "real life performance" might not be that much different in the numeric values terms, the experience is so much different though - not something that can be expressed by a number only.

Cost of running depends on the miles you do, I do little so my first two years servicing was £200 or so for me.
Click to expand...

Agree with this.
Click to expand...

x2

And don't forget the steering, proper hydraulic steering with better feel.
 
srhutch, look at the last line above your post :)

Do you ever read a complete post? :poke:
 
£200 a year more to tax a M beer is £3 a pint,work it out its not a difficult choice,then throw in the engine howl and tyre smoking sideways fun and the rarity the M sells itself.
 
goon said:
£200 a year more to tax a M beer is £3 a pint,work it out its not a difficult choice,then throw in the engine howl and tyre smoking sideways fun and the rarity the M sells itself.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
£3 a pint, where do u drink. £4.50 for a pint of peroni the other day at an average boozer watching the footy!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
VvrooomM said:
£3 a pint, where do u drink. £4.50 for a pint of peroni the other day at an average boozer watching the footy!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Someone took you to town. £2.95 for a pint of Peroni in any pub/bar round here.
 
Sport for me, but its all about your preferences. I wanted the auto in the end.

Did the maths and it turned out to cost me £1100 more for the M than the sport per year (avg 5k miles).

Taking into consideration :

MOT
Tax
Insurance
Maintenance
Tyres
Upgrades
Depreciation
Fuel (5k)
 
Hey guys,

Thanks so much for all your input! It has def given me a few things to think about and highlighted a few areas to look into.

Looking forward to continuing the search for my z4!

Loving the z4 forum - glad I joined up!
 
Haven't driven an 'M' so can't add to the debate, but you certainly won't be disappointed in the 3.0 Sport. Good luck with you search :thumbsup:
 
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