Day 1 Impressions of Z4M R

[JDMc]

Evening all,

I know a lot of these threads have come up of late but I thought I would add my bit!

Good bits:

- Today I spent 4 hours in my MR driving it home then out on varied roads/surfaces to get used to it and throughout this time I didn't for one minute find it crashy or harsh. I still feel fresh now which I find very impressive from such a "capable" car.

- The grunt it gives is phenomenal, you can cruise in 6th gear at 50mph and put your foot down and it effortlessly pushes you up to greater speeds. Perfect for motorway or DC cruising without the need to down change.

- I would liken sound at Redline to the songs of the Gods. :lol: As you creep past 5k Rpm you are forced back into your seat and the car literally screams at you to keep pushing on, faster, faster...

- Soft top is fabulous on days like this, wind in hair true motoring moments.

- I was also pleasantly surprised with the grip although it was a dry day the car held the road very well.

- The gearing is very impressive also, I am used to turbo cars and flying through the gears and it took me a good while to get used to hanging onto the gears until redline where the real powerband is!

- The Sound

- The Sound

- Oh and the sound... :lol:

I am sure there are many more things I could add to this!

Bad bits:

- I can constantly feel the computer kicking in to pull power away from me. To this point I should probably get used to the car then turn DSC off. Do any of you guys experience this?

- When pressing on through uneven roads the steering can sometimes feel very light and at times made me feel uneasy. I will get used to this I am sure.

Overall I am hugely impressed with the car and all I can think about is getting back in it and going on another hoon

 

[sammyz]

Glad you love the car. Today was a good day to be out driving on the twisties. I'd agree that the steering is a little lacking in feel when you're pushing on, but there's no many modern cars that have retained a real 'feel' to their steering. Can't say I've really noticed the computer spoiling the fun on normal roads. Maybe I don't drive it fast enough!

 

[flimper]

I defintely notice the twitchy nature when you give it the beans, but I quite like that, it gives you something to think about As for the DSC, I haven't had the nerve to turn it off yet, it seems to be active enough with it on

 

[WLH]

- The Sound

- The Sound

- Oh and the sound... :lol:

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by to visit a fellow member of our local ZSCCA Club who has a cabin down a seldom traveled valley road in the Pocono Mountains in Eastern PA. When I arrived he told me could hear me coming for about a 1/2 mile away from the wonderful rasp of the S54 engine...

 

[scotia_steve74]

Evening all,

- When pressing on through uneven roads the steering can sometimes feel very light and at times made me feel uneasy. I will get used to this I am sure.

Find this too. Front end feels vague at speed on tight twisty, bumpy roads. Just concentrate as it takes more effort than other cars but it generally goes where you point it, even if not feeling as planted as some other German cars.

 

[JDMc]

Find this too. Front end feels vague at speed on tight twisty, bumpy roads. Just concentrate as it takes more effort than other cars but it generally goes where you point it, even if not feeling as planted as some other German cars.

Steve,

I agree that all it needs is some attention and I also noticed today that if the roads are smooth there is no issue. I think I am just used to my TT's 4 wheel drive and also the car was heavier.

I am still noticing the CPU kick in and pull me back in when the rear end kicks out though :lol:

 

[mmm-five]

I've found that if I lift off the throttle a little too much, the weight goes to the back of the car a bit and the front goes lighter, which means the turn in is not as crisp and the car feels unsettled - it's like a minor case of lift-off oversteer.

Whereas if I get my entry speed right, I can keep the throttle in a static position (or maybe slightly accelerating) and the back end will push the weight forward and give me more grip.

I find the Z4 very direct compared to the e34 M5, but maybe that's because I've gotten used to 'hinting' the steering wheel & brakes before corners so that the initial vagueness is gone when I need it to do its job.

 

[fridaypassion]

Someones been on a Don Palmer day eh?

 

[ga41]

I've had mine for a couple of weeks now and i've noticed most issues JDMc, pointed out. The front does seem to get lighter over rough surfaced roads if you're pushing and i also notice DSC cutting my power fairly frequently but i consider that a good thing to be honest.

I had a scare when i was "experimenting" with it off a couple of days ago. I entered into a powerslide but then came off the power abruptly and the back just shot the other way and snaked around for a bit before i regained control. Thankfully i wasnt going too fast and there was no one behind me. From that moment on DSC remained firmly ON!

I still have loads to learn...

 

[mmm-five]

The Z4MC is not as 'easy' to drive as a hot hatch or überbarge as there's so little time to correct an error one the car starts to lose it. If you were sitting further forward then you'd get [slightly] more warning. That's why big saloons like the M5, e55, XJR are so easy to drift.

 

[JDMc]

Someones been on a Don Palmer day eh?

Are you referring to me?

Sorry if you are didn't quite understand :?

 

[fridaypassion]

Someones been on a Don Palmer day eh?

Are you referring to me?

Sorry if you are didn't quite understand :?

no mmm-five referred to "hinting" the inputs to brakes and steering which is a well known Don Palmer trick that takes up any slack in the input such as pre dabbing the brakes so thay are "primed". Apparently it works for steering too.

 

[SepangBronzeZ4MR]

I had a scare when i was "experimenting" with it off a couple of days ago. I entered into a powerslide but then came off the power abruptly and the back just shot the other way and snaked around for a bit before i regained control. Thankfully i wasnt going too fast and there was no one behind me. From that moment on DSC remained firmly ON!

Haha...I did the exact same thing the other day exiting a roundabout. The back end came right out!! My girlfriend was in the car at the time, she named the roundabout after me.