335i or Z4??

[marriedblonde]

To close the gap power-wise and provide more midrange punch I'm seriously considering a DMS remap to add another 24 bhp and 28 Nm; not a great deal but after I've gotten weaned off the 335i and used to the Z, the extra bit should make me very happy and able to cope for the next couple of years until I buy the next generation model.

Are you looking at getting the later Z4 with the revised and more powerful 3.0 lump? You;'ve mentioned 3.0Si so I am assuming you are?

DMS will advise against chipping this engine. The gains aren't great. It if was the previous Gen 3.0 in the earlier Z's etc then yes a remap would be worthwhile.

J.

 

[FirstKnight]

To close the gap power-wise and provide more midrange punch I'm seriously considering a DMS remap to add another 24 bhp and 28 Nm; not a great deal but after I've gotten weaned off the 335i and used to the Z, the extra bit should make me very happy and able to cope for the next couple of years until I buy the next generation model.

Are you looking at getting the later Z4 with the revised and more powerful 3.0 lump? You;'ve mentioned 3.0Si so I am assuming you are?

DMS will advise against chipping this engine. The gains aren't great. It if was the previous Gen 3.0 in the earlier Z's etc then yes a remap would be worthwhile.

J.

Yes, the car I'm looking at is August 2007 so just on a year old with 3013 miles - ex BMW GB; 265 bhp. I contacted Mike at DMS and he quoted 24 bhp and 20 lb/ft for the remap; not as significant as you'd get from a turbo engine but the difference should be felt as it would be up to 289 bhp.

 

[2dogs]

Or you could wait for the 2009 Z4 Wondermike said their could be a 3.0 twin turbo version on the way. 8)

 

[FirstKnight]

Or you could wait for the 2009 Z4 Wondermike said their could be a 3.0 twin turbo version on the way. 8)

Yes, I'm getting one but usually the Sport models aren't released at first - much like my '06 335i SE was released in SE only for a while - and I want to wait about 2 years so that the new model has all its niggles ironed out. Between now and then, I thought the current model 3.0si would be fine.

I've pressed the green button on the deal so, unless I have a change of heart, I will be driving a Z4 on the 16th!

 

[FirstKnight]

Why not try the Alpina version?

It has a lot more torque and 300bhp with a little bit more spec than a fully kitted 3.0litre. However, running costs are more than a 3.0 but less than the M version.
Just an idea if your stuck deciding

When I had my 2.2 SE Z4 I really wanted the Alpina but now I want something no more than a year old and I don't think they have any newer than 06.

 

[Anonymous]

Sadly they only made the Alpina version from 2004-2006. There are a few lurking around with less than 10k miles on but whether they have been thrashed or not is a different story.

Hope you get what you want anyways

 

[bmwmike]

Tough decision.

Financially you've already lost a big chunk of value on the 335i (from driving it off the lot), so in regard to that I would say you might as well wait. Then again the current Zeds are going with huge discounts, when the new one arrives they wont discount it.

Personally I'd probably wait and see how the new Z4 actually turns out, but sounds like your ready to me.

 

[Dreamer]

Good stuff firstknight!

I think you have all your marbles about you. You've gone for the fun option, which when its just you and a short commute is exactly what you should be driving.
The M would not give you ££'s worth more smiles and would not get exploited to its full potential. It always confuses me that people buy these cars if they're not going to track them because driving them on UK roads to there full potential (if you ever get chance) is lunacy!
Power is a strange craving most petrol heads have and its easy to loose sight of the amount of fun a car can be even though it has less than a million BHP's.
Hopefully the weather will hold out for a couple of months and you can enjoy some blasts with the roof down :evil:

 

[FirstKnight]

Tough decision.

Financially you've already lost a big chunk of value on the 335i (from driving it off the lot), so in regard to that I would say you might as well wait. Then again the current Zeds are going with huge discounts, when the new one arrives they wont discount it.

Personally I'd probably wait and see how the new Z4 actually turns out, but sounds like your ready to me.

The 335i has lost a huge amount. I bought it at 6 months old - ex BMW GB car - and therefore didn't have the initial loss to bear. The value is plummeting further now with it being the SE model and manual. People want the M Sport and Auto. In 2 years time when my deal is up, the car will have done the best part of 60k miles. The '07 Z4 I bought today has very low mileage and even with further depreciation from the newer '09 model being launched it should still be worth more than the 335i would. This may not turn out to be the case but either way there should be little in it. The way I see it, I get to now enjoy the Roadster experience for the next two years before purchasing the next gen. Z4.

 

[FirstKnight]

Good stuff firstknight!

I think you have all your marbles about you. You've gone for the fun option, which when its just you and a short commute is exactly what you should be driving.
The M would not give you ££'s worth more smiles and would not get exploited to its full potential. It always confuses me that people buy these cars if they're not going to track them because driving them on UK roads to there full potential (if you ever get chance) is lunacy!
Power is a strange craving most petrol heads have and its easy to loose sight of the amount of fun a car can be even though it has less than a million BHP's.
Hopefully the weather will hold out for a couple of months and you can enjoy some blasts with the roof down :evil:

Cheers

I remember having the roof down on my previous Z4 at 7 degrees and loving it. At 30 - 50 mph which is the speed of my commuting, the roof can be down most dry days.

 

[marriedblonde]

Thats strange as it was Mike who replied to me and told me not to bother as the gains were so slight! DMS are only 15 minutes away from where I live so it was the obvious choice for me.

J.

 

[Darren M]

the Z4M offer you got is definitely worth considering IMHO... the M doesnt just offer more power than the 3.0si, think technically superior, awesome looks etc

Some may argue the point of the M being technically superior. The Z4M is the better car (obviously) but the 265bhp 3.0 non-M is arguably technically superior? 23MPG for the M versus 33MPG for the 3.0 for example. Electric steering in the 3.0 vs an older mechanicsm in the M (albeit one that does provide better feedback than electric). I dunno if the M has an electric water pump or not also? The Z4 M engine has been around since about 2002. The weight of the engine should also be considered when compared to the 265bhp 3 litre.........

I would like to test drive an M version of the Coupe. I cover many miles and briefly thought about trading the 3.0 coupe for an M coupe but then realised how much I already spend on fuel - yiiikeeess

 

[GP20]

Some may argue the point of the M being technically superior. The Z4M is the better car (obviously) but the 265bhp 3.0 non-M is arguably technically superior? 23MPG for the M versus 33MPG for the 3.0 for example.

I used to get 32~3 3MPG in my '04 3.0i during my monthly trip from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. I get 28~29 MPG in my Z4M now doing the same trip. It's nowhere as bad as 33 verus 23. I easily get 22~23mpg during regular driving whereas I used to get 25~26mpg in my '04 3.0i doing bascially the same routes. It's not until I want to have some fun and drive more aggressively (in the M) that I start seeing the MPG in the mid~high teens.

Electric steering in the 3.0 vs an older mechanicsm in the M (albeit one that does provide better feedback than electric). I dunno if the M has an electric water pump or not also? The Z4 M engine has been around since about 2002. The weight of the engine should also be considered when compared to the 265bhp 3 litre.........

The steering is really one of the weakest points on the regular Z4. It's loose and feels disconnected from the road. The M's hydraulic steering, on the other hand, is simply awesome (not to mention the thicker steering wheel that grips better); it's not as good as Porsche's steering sensation, but it's - very, very close. Steering seems to be one thing that always gets overlooked when people compare the regular Z4 and the Z4M.

 

[Breaker]

The steering is really one of the weakest points on the regular Z4. It's loose and feels disconnected from the road. The M's hydraulic steering, on the other hand, is simply awesome (not to mention the thicker steering wheel that grips better); it's not as good as Porsche's steering sensation, but it's - very, very close. Steering seems to be one thing that always gets overlooked when people compare the regular Z4 and the Z4M.

Agree to a point on the M's steering, but with the sport button engaged on my '07 3.0si I quite like the steering when the cars pushed. I don't think it's week at all. They are both week compared to the BMW MINI though! I've owned a new MINI since they came out until I bought the Z4. Those things have the best driver feedback I have ever felt in a car, and that's an electric system! Don't forget the 3.0si in the UK has the same M steering wheel as the M car these days. :wink:

 

[marriedblonde]

God I had a mini cooper S and hated it! Bought it new back in 2003 and couldn;t wait to sell it. I waited longer for the car to be built than I actuall owned it. In the end the wife used to drive it to work and I took her loaner 206 to work instead. And it was only the 1.4 version...

 

[Breaker]

I had a 2006 JCW S and I thought it was a great car!