An early morning blast in my Z4MC

Setting out at 5am on a Saturday morning has its benefits. Whilst the roads were slightly damp, there was no traffic as I wound through the Lake District this morning.

Spectacular roads, loads of grip and the soundtrack of the M exhaust bouncing off the stone walls. FANTASTIC!

It's not often that I get the opportunity to make the most of the MCs power and roadholding but with deserted roads and weather conditions allowing, it would have been a waste of an opportunity not to.

When stuck in traffic on the daily commute it's hard to justify a car like the Z4MC but a weekend jaunt is what these cars are all about.

I've been lucky enough to enjoy some memorable drives in some fantastic cars but todays drive through the lakes is another one to add to the list.

I've had this car for just over 2 years now and fell in love with it whilst driving back through the Peak District but how great is a car that over 2 years later you still feel the same about.

Does it get any better than this!
 
Through the Lakes must be fab in the Z.

I too love the early mornings and I'm looking forward to the run through Sussex to Goodwood tomorrow morning for some breakfast. :P
 
Your post has just inspired me to go out and do the same this week. There's nothing like just you, a good road and a Z. Glad you enjoyed! :D.
 
Will have to give it a try, but will wait till the lighter mornings start kicking in roll on the spring :thumbsup:
 
I'm not sure what makes the Z4MC such a special car. I found it very difficult to drive smoothly when I first got it and even now, it takes more effort than any other modern car I've driven but once you master the technique - it's massivly rewarding.

The engine is a great contributor to the reward though. My mate used to have 3.0Si (as I did too). The 3.0 is a great car and the step up to the M doesn't initially feel as great as it should but then when you go back to the 3.0, it feels a huge backward step in terms of driving enjoyment.

In the past 6 months I've only had a few "great drives". The rest has been just commuting - getting from A-B but what makes these cars so worthwhile is that there are occasions when even a commute can turn into a special drive.

As the miles keep getting added, I know the day will come when the MC will be old and tired but I can't think of any current day car that will give the same level of pleasure.
 
Z4coupebeaver said:
I'm not sure what makes the Z4MC such a special car. I found it very difficult to drive smoothly when I first got it and even now, it takes more effort than any other modern car I've driven but once you master the technique - it's massivly rewarding.

The engine is a great contributor to the reward though. My mate used to have 3.0Si (as I did too). The 3.0 is a great car and the step up to the M doesn't initially feel as great as it should but then when you go back to the 3.0, it feels a huge backward step in terms of driving enjoyment.

In the past 6 months I've only had a few "great drives". The rest has been just commuting - getting from A-B but what makes these cars so worthwhile is that there are occasions when even a commute can turn into a special drive.

As the miles keep getting added, I know the day will come when the MC will be old and tired but I can't think of any current day car that will give the same level of pleasure.
+1 you hit the nail on the the head, it a car that takes time to master
but when you do OMG! :driving: :D
 
know the feeling tried to master mine without the dsc today and failed miserably, I think a high performance driving course is on the cards,will have to drop some hints with xmas on the way.
 
people do say the is far sweeter than the ///M.

I too dis find hit hard to get on with. It can be fairly brutal and you do need a very measured input to drive smoothly. After 5 track outings and 8000 km I feel very comfortable with and can drive it anyway I like (in the limits of my skill°.

The great news is that its a car that grows with you; You learn a lot from it.

Porsche owner commented that it had too much power for the chassis and that the steering is numb (he owns a GT3...) and I tend to agree there.
 
What makes the M so acomplished is that it gives you the feel of a 60s supercar with the security of the electronic care packages meaning you've got to be doing something very silly to get unstuck whilst feeling you are mastering the beast.

Every other modern car is sterile in comparison, with the exception of cars like the Elise/Exige etc which are not as brutal.

Yes, the steering is numb compared to a GT3 but the M has plenty of other redeaming features.
 
The steering of anything is "numb" compared to something with the weight of engine pivoting behind the rear axle. That's just physics. For a front-engined rear-drive car it's more direct than a lot of other cars, once you get used to the slight wooliness at the neutral position and learn to chuck it about a bit

I've just blasted home via a twisty b road (my commute is fairly interesting) and i know i couldn't go any faster in another car (basically self-preservation and knowledge of my own limitations kicks in long before i hit the cars limitations).

These cars are hugely underrated in my view.
 
pilchardthecat said:
The steering of anything is "numb" compared to something with the weight of engine pivoting behind the rear axle. That's just physics. For a front-engined rear-drive car it's more direct than a lot of other cars, once you get used to the slight wooliness at the neutral position and learn to chuck it about a bit

I've just blasted home via a twisty b road (my commute is fairly interesting) and i know i couldn't go any faster in another car (basically self-preservation and knowledge of my own limitations kicks in long before i hit the cars limitations).

These cars are hugely underrated in my view.

Agree with all of that!!

It is incredible how much you get for less than £20K, in some cases with higher miles, quite a bit less.

After over 2 years of ownership, I just can't see any negatives.

Weather forecast for tomorrow looks good so it looks like another great driving morning.
 
Last week I offered to drive a mate on a 30 mile round trip errand. As I picked him up and he struggled to get into the car I remembered that he had several broken vertebrae and was waiting for an imminent operation. Felt awful, thinking I should have brought the 330Ci instead. Drove very carefully avoiding potholes and only opened it up a couple of times as he seemed really enthusiastic about a car he never knew existed. Is it actually an "M" he said!

Afterward he sent me a text:

" Despite fast M sports suspension not being what my back needs right now, I can't help smiling when I think about the sound and acceleration of your M roadster.
Bad for my back, but good for my morale ;-)"

Cheered me up no end!
 
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