A new member saying hello.

E

Eoin

Member
Hi,

I've just joined up to this forum, just a quick message to say hello.

I've currently got a Lotus Elise, but in the quest for something confier and quieter I'm on the hunt for a Z4.

I'm looking at the Z4M roadsters and maybe considering the Alpina roadster as well. Previously I've had a few things, but did enjoy owning a nice E30 M3 from Munich Legends for a couple of years.

I've been doing some research, but I got a slight surpirse when I phoned Vines Gatwick today to enquire on their servicing charges and was told that on the M an Inspection I would be roughly £1200 and a II about £1500 perhaps more. I wonder how much labour they need to do this servicing work?

Anyway, hello to you all, I'll be searching through the forum to get all the information I need to buy a car but I expect I'll have a a lot of questions that'l have been asked and answered many times before!

Cheers,
 
Welcome. You can shop around for servicing prices. Their quotes are way off in my experience. You can expect around £650 for Ins.1 and around £850 for Ins.2 for an M.
 
Well, that's OK could be worse, I suppose but still an awful lot. Anyway, I'd intend to use a specific independant that I know.

Can I start with the predictable questions yet on buying aZ4M...? :) I've got a few..

PS congrats on 2000 posts..! ^^^
 
Yay 2000 posts, never realised. Ask away! But do have a quick search first as you can almost guarantee your questions have been discussed previously ;)
 
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=29134&p=398010#p398010

in Jest but covers alot of bases !
 
OK...! I never have any luck searching forums..

For an M.

Any major mechanical weaknesses?

Do I really need a warranty to cover the engine and other expensive bits? BMW said I couldn't put a car under their warranty unless bought from them and I'm not sure I trust indy warranties.

Lightly driven, mixed driving, what's a realistic mileage (searches threw up some pretty heavy MPG figures).

Any problems getting reasonably priced insurance? Currently the Elise is £500.

Any big costs generally?

Any spec issues to be aware of? Is there a pdf available of the original brochures that'd help me here? I'm not keen on satnav but like a very good stereo and I love DAB radio; I'm unsure if this was ever an option.

Any good mods to be aware of that may already have been done and are worth looking out for? Like the look of the CSL wheels for instance.

I'm sure this has all been covered, but many thanks for any answers.

I have to say, I've always have a soft spot for M cars, perhaps the recent ones are a bit different to the original M models, like the original M3&M5 but the Z4M seems a bit special, a little like the Z3M. I'm looking forward to perhaps getting one but I'm wary about costs after the Lotus which is cheap to run. I'd like to buy with my eyes open as this should be a long term purchase.

:)
 
Just answered one of my questions; I found a brochure here:

http://www.innovationmotorleasing.com/brochures/CARS/BMW/z4m.pdf

Hope that helps somebody.
 
Eoin said:
Thanks. Do you know if anyone here has experience of the Alpina Z4?
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Went out in one a couple of years ago, was awesome (but at the time I was 19 and owned a mini)! Since then, I would buy an M instead, faster and better looking IMO. :driving:
 
Eoin said:
OK...! I never have any luck searching forums..

For an M.

Any major mechanical weaknesses?
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Rear springs are a known weakpoint. Other than that the S54 is pretty damn bullet proof. Lambda sensors are a common issue too, they go faulty and need replacement at around £350 a pop. So long as you warm the engine through properly before going above 3k RPM and keep it in fresh oil every 8k odd miles (plus the regular scheduled services too) you shouldn't see much issue.
Eoin said:
Do I really need a warranty to cover the engine and other expensive bits? BMW said I couldn't put a car under their warranty unless bought from them and I'm not sure I trust indy warranties.
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You can get a BMW warranty so long as the car has been maintained to the service schedule by BMW main dealers. Full comprehensive warranty with £0 excess is around £85/month. I'd recommend it but it depends on your outlook like any kind of insurance policy.

Eoin said:
Lightly driven, mixed driving, what's a realistic mileage (searches threw up some pretty heavy MPG figures).
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About 25MPG max I'd say. But if you're worried about fuel consumption then I'd say the M might not be the one for you as it's best when used in anger.

Eoin said:
Any problems getting reasonably priced insurance? Currently the Elise is £500.
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Average is around £750 from what I've read on various forums but of course, insurance is a black art so best to call around.

Eoin said:
Any big costs generally?
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Not in my experience other than the major inspection services. Tyres and brakes aint cheap so make sure you check those for any prospective purchase.

Eoin said:
Any spec issues to be aware of? Is there a pdf available of the original brochures that'd help me here? I'm not keen on satnav but like a very good stereo and I love DAB radio; I'm unsure if this was ever an option.
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Depends if you're after a roadster or coupe. For a roadster you might want heated seats & wind deflector. If you're into music you might want to make sure it has the top spec HiFi system with DSP (although that is still pretty pants if you ask me). Bluetooth is handy if it's your daily drive. The satnav is actually not that bad so long as you have the latest map discs.

Eoin said:
Any good mods to be aware of that may already have been done and are worth looking out for? Like the look of the CSL wheels for instance.
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Do you track the car? There are plenty of mods just depends on your focus I guess!
 
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