Anyone gone from Z4M to M3 E92

M

Mad Professor

Active member
So I am ummhing and arrhing about taking the plunge and switching out from my present Z4MR into a E92 M3 .
Went to look at a 2007 manual 65k with FSH , LCI upgrade including I Drive and rear LED lights, Eibach springs, BMW competition short throw shifter, Carbon splitters, Competition pack EDC software, 2.0 exhaust ,throttle actuator upgrade with lifetime warranty.
I have enjoyed the Z4M for past 4 years as a weekend toy -but have always fancied the V8 .
Car is tidy inside and out and has been well looked after .
Initial impression is that it drives well ,makes an awesome noise and seems to be tight .
It does however feel like a much bigger car although the suspension is better sorted
But at end of day i guess its just a 3 series and they are quite common
To be fair i have yet to take it on a long test drive .
While I love the sound and performance of my S54 ,the allure of the S65 V8 is also quite tempting .
Then i think i will miss the sense of occasion driving the Z and its a convertable
I suppose i could look for a E93 convertable M3 instead
Moreover now really is not the time of year to be selling the Z or part-exing
I drove a DCT M3 a few years ago which was nice but i just like the idea of a manual as its not my daily driver .
My car is properly sorted so i am loathed to let it go but i cant afford to keep both cars and have no space -ie its one or the other
Also the Z will surely hold its value better than the E92 and is cheaper to insure
I wonder has anyone else done the same switch -did ?
Can someone please knock some sense it me !
 
Plenty of threads on this subject.

The E92 is big, feels heavy, doesnt feel particularly quick unless your right up in the rev range where it sings otherwise it doesnt really feel like it gets going. The issue is its hard to get there in 2nd you hit 70mph just as its hitting the exciting range. most of the time your stuck low in the rev range where it has no power like 75-80 on the motorway is like 2750rpm just has no go without dropping into 4th. For the calibre of the car modern turbo hatches have it in every respect except stretching its legs but you cant do it on UK roads. The S54 has 90% of its torque from 2000rpm so feels like it has a bit of go the S65 is more like 4k. It also drinks fuel struggled to get more than 22mpg even on a motorway run, the best was about 25-26 and round town it was pretty awful etc etc just feels like your at the fuel station all the time.

The gen 1s are probably the worst, the later cars are better and the DCT really changes the experience of the car. The manual makes the car feel a bit slugish the DCT is quick and makes the engine sing, a better match for the car. I prefer the manual but just didnt like the E92, we had one of the first batch and was never really a special car moving from the E46. It was a better drives car all round imo like going from a go kart to a barge.

There are also a few things worth baring in mind like throttle actuators that you mentioned, tyres wear quick on the insides etc

Depends on your circumstance if you need 5 seats and a boot then they are a decent alternative otherwise the Z4M is a better car in almost every way imo. Not much of a cruiser GT because it has no range, not much of a sports car as it feels big, heavy and the seats dont hold you all that well... the main benefits are the noise that about it for me.

Think the 4 door looks far better too, i dont think the E92 has aged well but the E90 rear looks better. You have no compromise getting the extra doors and they are quite rare in comparison.

Make sure if you buy one to get one with EDC completely transforms the car.
 
A friend went from an E46 M3 to one. Firstly it was in the garage more often than not, didn't feel special and was a bit of a non event. The are like you say, basically a 3 series. Let's have this conversation when the weather is nice!! Keep the M.
 
You really need to do your homework on the common engine problems. Seems like a big expense is never too far away with that powerplant unfortunately.
 
OK that's all relevant info and first hand experience and worth bearing in mind for sure
-not to mention the putative issue wrt bottom end bearings
I just thought the handling was more refined and capable on the M3 than the Z -more sorted and less twitchy all round
And the sound of that V8 is quite addictive and the S65 M3 is an itch i have wanted to scratch for a while
Do you think it will hold its value as well as the Z4M?
I don't need the space or the seats and would def miss the rag top in my Z on the odd day in Scotland when its warm enough to get the roof down
I actually dont want to switch so am happy to persuaded otherwise
Maybe i need to get my head together ,reflect and think again come the Spring
Lots of M3s on PH but not many Z4Ms -even allowing for the time of year -prob says a lot
Cheers
 
They're a totally different car and it's probably an irrelevant comparison with the Z4M to be honest. I owned one for about twelve months and they were trouble free but mine was a 2009 DCT transmission which really is the one to go for over the manual.

I think reliability issues can be over exaggerated on some of the forums but the rod bearings is genuinely the one to look out for, lots of owners are now getting them replaced as preventative maintenance which is s £1500 job. If you research the RS4 and C63 they also have their own issues and running performance cars isn't cheap.

They are low on torque but don't believe anyone who says they aren't fast, the DCT is ballistic once that V8 is singing and at the moment they are quite cheap :thumbsup:
 
I am just not sure that the M3 will feel special enough just to go out for blat for the sake of it on a nice weekend for example
-in the same way that i might take the Z out just to have some fun
-ie i suspect it might feel more like a daily runner albeit a very quick one with sharp handling
The Z always feels like an occasion and always feels on edge
Maybe i need to spend some more time in the M3 -my first impressions were rather good
If i was going to use it as a daily then it would be a no brainer aside from the fuel
 
I nearly did this a few years back when I had a z4mc, the m3 was more spacious, comfortable, practical etc, etc, but when I drove home in the z4 after the road test the car felt fantastic and really alive- the m3 did not have that magic feel to it. So I decided not to change and kept the z4 and bought a runabout car for work and shopping.
 
Hmm -TBH I'm beginning to have 2nd thoughts -like you i'm just not sure the M3 will feel special
And what's more my Z is a well sorted car with an amazing SH
 
I did it a few years ago but I used my Z4MR as a weekend car and used the E92 M3 as my daily. I got frustrated very quickly with the M3 because the performance is all at the top end of the revs, and it weighs 1650kg so can feel limp unless the revs are right up.

I did like the induction noise in the M3 and I thought the chassis was far more resolved than the Z4, my M3 was manual and I thought it was better than the manual in the Z4 but still pretty poor(the DCT suits the engine better).

The Z4 has a much bigger sense of occasion, and at the end of the day the M3 is a 3 series with a more powerful engine. The interior doesn't feel any more special than a 318d.

My collection day.
image-19_zpse3b9aea8.jpg

image-19_zps58abe7ed.jpg
 
Aslong as you’ve done your homework and looked into the car well. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart and not your head. I’ve loved cars and bought them when they’ve needed work and they’ve been great. I’ve bought brand new and they have been unsatisfying pigs. If u love the looks and test drive it and it’s what u want go for it. Though personally the e92 isn’t a special car but it does have two more seats and can look the nuts with Work. Which would u rather see on your drive?
 
Truth said:
Sometimes you just have to follow your heart and not your head.
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Agree with this, I'd always wanted a M3 so nothing was going to stop me having one. It didn't work out for me the way I wanted it to, but you don't know until you've tried it. You could end up falling completely in love with the M3.
 
LeeZ4MR said:
I did it a few years ago but I used my Z4MR as a weekend car and used the E92 M3 as my daily. I got frustrated very quickly with the M3 because the performance is all at the top end of the revs, and it weighs 1650kg so can feel limp unless the revs are right up.

I did like the induction noise in the M3 and I thought the chassis was far more resolved than the Z4, my M3 was manual and I thought it was better than the manual in the Z4 but still pretty poor(the DCT suits the engine better).

The Z4 has a much bigger sense of occasion, and at the end of the day the M3 is a 3 series with a more powerful engine. The interior doesn't feel any more special than a 318d.



My collection day.
image-19_zpse3b9aea8.jpg

image-19_zps58abe7ed.jpg
Click to expand...

Am now thinking along same lines esepcilly as it would cost me 4.5k to swtich out
 
Truth said:
Aslong as you’ve done your homework and looked into the car well. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart and not your head. I’ve loved cars and bought them when they’ve needed work and they’ve been great. I’ve bought brand new and they have been unsatisfying pigs. If u love the looks and test drive it and it’s what u want go for it. Though personally the e92 isn’t a special car but it does have two more seats and can look the nuts with Work. Which would u rather see on your drive?
Click to expand...

I prefer the look of the Z TBH -the M3 is just a 3 series albiet lowered
 
Think I posted on the M Market Watch thread that I’m having similar thoughts. Main reason for me is the arrival of children and the realisation that I now get very limited time to enjoy the Z4M and take the family car 99% of the time.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve driven an E90 and E92 M3 as well as a C63 AMG (the older model with the 6.2L engine). Have to say I was surprisingly underwhelmed by the M3, which was a real disappointment.

On paper it seemed like it would be ideal - decent boot and rear seats and a screaming engine. However whether pushing on or just pottering about, you can really feel the weight of the car and while the Z4 likes revs, the S65 engine does its best work between 6000-8300 rpm. I also found the steering feel to be really odd (light and lacking in feel) in all buy full atttack mode. Having googled it it seems I’m in the minority, but the Variatronic steering really bugged me.

In comparison, the feel and feedback of the Z is always there, even if you’re not wringing our the engine. I also found the S54 to feel more torquey from 3000 ish rpm (the S65 felt similar at 6000 rpm).

Maybe I’m getting old, but from a handling perspective the C63 felt pretty vague all of the time, whether pottering or flooring it. Makes an amazing noise but felt a bit ‘one trick pony’ to me. On a B road it got out of shape alarmingly quickly.

ETA - Both the M3's I tried were DCT. I am wondering whether I should try a manual, but to some extent this defeats the point as Mrs Survivalist doesn't want a manual. Shame, as these seem to be a bargain at the moment, especially the early cars.
 
Op, that sounds like my old car. Jerez black by chance?

I swapped my coupe for it and kept it 4 years, it's had another couple of owners since then i think as I saw it advertised for sale on m3cutters.

I remember the first drive, felt big, clunky and a bit too quiet but that's why it had the exhaust mod and suspension mods carried out.

I'd take the comments in here with a pinch of salt, they take some time to get under your skin, whereas the Zed feels great initially it disappoints when pushed (without proper suspension) the M3 is the opposite, drive it properly back to back with your own.

Any questions on the car you can drop me a pm.
 
Really interesting thread and reading!

Have you looked at the 1M? I think that could be a suitable zed replacement?

If you need the bigger car I'd bite the bullet and try and pickup a nice spec F30 M3, they look good with the arches and they do have a sense of occasion with the ridiculous turbo lag and torque, felt like a modern day Sierra cosworth to me!
 
RedUn said:
Really interesting thread and reading!

Have you looked at the 1M? I think that could be a suitable zed replacement?

If you need the bigger car I'd bite the bullet and try and pickup a nice spec F30 M3, they look good with the arches and they do have a sense of occasion with the ridiculous turbo lag and torque, felt like a modern day Sierra cosworth to me!
Click to expand...

The 1M is a nice car but totally different price point from an E92 M3 which are now anywhere from £10K upwards.
 
Spend the £4.5k on an estate car and keep the z. You will miss it when its gone, I certainly do, or part ex it with my Honda civic.
 
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