First time Z4 buyer!

[Richa1090]

Good evening

I just bought my first Z4!

2011 35iS 49k miles

I bought her from a great owner who has really looked after her.

My friends and I do a lot of driving roadtrips to Europe so I can't wait to take her to Spain next month.

Can anyone recommend a warranty service? Just for peace of mind. And what's people's opinion that it isn't an M car? Think my friends are just trying to wind me up

 

[Argyll Andy]

Hello and welcome.

Congratulations on your new purchase, a 35iS is a nice place to be. Excellent car for European trips.

Depending on previous maintenance and history but one of the preferred warranties is actually BMW’s own. You can choose payment methods and excesses etc to suit. There are 3rd party ones available but they seem to have different T&C’s and exclusions etc

https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/login/index

As for your friends winding you up, I’m presuming it’s for the various ///M aftermarket livery additions that your car has?

Personalising your car is obviously to your taste but your car briefly came up in discussion on the market watch thread and the MSport stripes were mentioned and I for one commented on the stripes up the side. I don’t particularly like them mainly because I don’t think the colours, particularly the red, don’t sit well with the colour of the paintwork. The coloured fins on the grilles quite often are just covers that’ll pop off. But as I started this with, your car, your choice, each to their own. It would be hell of a boring world if we all liked the same thing

The pisstaking by your friends about it not being an MCar is also a regular talking (arguing) point on here. Technically, no, it’s not an MCar but was the range topper so is viewed by many on here a an M car in all but name. Mainly by the owners if 35iS’s, me included when I had one :lol:

Where the proof will be in the pudding is as to whether you can keep up with them, or in fact if they can keep up with you. The 35iS is no slouch particularly when in sports mode in both engine and DCT

 

[Marcoose]

Needs a little road grime on that front grille. Make that loads of it.

 

[zxy]

I am envious of not just of having an IS but also of being able to use and enjoy it on European roads. I have done almost nothing to improve the appearance of my own car, it came with a stubby in the console and it is still there, so I won't comment on stripes, except to say that it is a creative and original use of the BMW colors. There is a lot of M car in an IS but I read somewhere that BMW did not want to get the E89 overlapping into that area with their trackable M sedans. Please do keep us posted on your IS drives in Spain.

 

[RobbiZ4]

Congrats!

Just in case you're getting in roof trouble with your already 10 years "young" car on the European roads, note down this phone number:
https://www.staiger-neuffen.de/bmw-z4-e89-dach-notdienst/

 

[Ole gits rule]

Hello and welcome to the forum, nice to have an iS - great machine and will be my next car in Valencia Orange - ignore your mates as they are just green with envy trapped with the roof up, think they may be shocked by how quick the car is.

I am with Andy, the stripes and grill bits don't actually improve the car at all, I would remove them but then it is your choice as we all like different things.

Enoy the car when driving abroad.

 

[Richa1090]

Thanks for the advice on the warranty Andy.

I am in agreement with you re. the stripes down the side, I think the previous owner was just trying a dab hand of customisation and went a bit over the top perhaps. They will be coming off. I also have the 19" M sport alloys that came with the car in the silver that would match the grill and side mirrors.

Robbi - I will keep that written down in my little car notebook, should I ever have any issues! Thanks.

 

[Nictrix]

The previous owner may have added the stripes to cover road rash that normally appears on the skirt behind the front wheel and in front of the rear wheel

 

[Ole gits rule]

Thanks for the advice on the warranty Andy.

I am in agreement with you re. the stripes down the side, I think the previous owner was just trying a dab hand of customisation and went a bit over the top perhaps. They will be coming off. I also have the 19" M sport alloys that came with the car in the silver that would match the grill and side mirrors.

Robbi - I will keep that written down in my little car notebook, should I ever have any issues! Thanks.

Are the alloys 326'S - if so you need check them for cracks if you are thinking of putting them back on the car.

 

[Argyll Andy]

Are the alloys 326'S - if so you need check them for cracks if you are thinking of putting them back on the car

And continue to constantly monitor as they more than likely will…………………..

Rich, unfortunately they’re not known for their robustness and are very expensive to replace individually. I got a new set of wheels for less than the price of one rear replacement 326.

 

[Nictrix]

Are the alloys 326'S - if so you need check them for cracks if you are thinking of putting them back on the car

And continue to constantly monitor as they more than likely will…………………..

Rich, unfortunately they’re not known for their robustness and are very expensive to replace individually. I got a new set of wheels for less than the price of one rear replacement 326.

I think what needs to be said along with this is that it all depends on how and where you drive.
If the roads around you are fine and pothole free the wheels should be fine.
If you avoid all potholes you should be fine as well, even better if the tyres are swapped for non RFT.
The wheels dont just crack for no reason.
Our 35i that we bought from Bob came with the original 326s that had covered 11,000 miles and were in perfect condition.

 

[tiglon]

Lovely car, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun driving it!

Visually it's all down to personal taste, do whatever you think looks good just like the previous owner has. Worth noting that it looks like the wheels have spacers fitted, unless they are just wider wheels than the originals? The other option to changing the wheels back is to replace the grill with a black one (about £120 from ebay) and paint the wing mirrors black - I agree it doesn't look quite right with black wheels and silver trim.

Is it an M car? What is an M car? Who actually cares apart from some internet forum car geeks?

The fact is, it's as quick as you will ever need on the road, and much rarer than an M3/M4 etc.

 

[Ole gits rule]

Are the alloys 326'S - if so you need check them for cracks if you are thinking of putting them back on the car

And continue to constantly monitor as they more than likely will…………………..

Rich, unfortunately they’re not known for their robustness and are very expensive to replace individually. I got a new set of wheels for less than the price of one rear replacement 326.

Mine are fine, I live down a pretty rough dirt track but just drive very slowly and so far all has been ok, not to say something will not go wrong.

They do look good though

 

[Argyll Andy]

Are the alloys 326'S - if so you need check them for cracks if you are thinking of putting them back on the car

And continue to constantly monitor as they more than likely will…………………..

Rich, unfortunately they’re not known for their robustness and are very expensive to replace individually. I got a new set of wheels for less than the price of one rear replacement 326.

Mine are fine, I live down a pretty rough dirt track but just drive very slowly and so far all has been ok, not to say something will not go wrong.

They do look good though

Must be the inner hooligan in me :evil:

They are lovely looking wheels

 

[Ole gits rule]

And continue to constantly monitor as they more than likely will…………………..

Rich, unfortunately they’re not known for their robustness and are very expensive to replace individually. I got a new set of wheels for less than the price of one rear replacement 326.

Mine are fine, I live down a pretty rough dirt track but just drive very slowly and so far all has been ok, not to say something will not go wrong.

They do look good though

Must be the inner hooligan in me :evil:

They are lovely looking wheels

Bloody thug - you need to buy a i10 to slow down a little, I keep telling you drive like miss daisy

I like them which is why I have not changed mine over

 

[Argyll Andy]

Mine are fine, I live down a pretty rough dirt track but just drive very slowly and so far all has been ok, not to say something will not go wrong.

They do look good though

Must be the inner hooligan in me :evil:

They are lovely looking wheels

Bloody thug - you need to buy a i10 to slow down a little, I keep telling you drive like miss daisy

I like them which is why I have not changed mine over

What’s an i10, is that a phone or something

 

[Ole gits rule]

Must be the inner hooligan in me :evil:

They are lovely looking wheels

Bloody thug - you need to buy a i10 to slow down a little, I keep telling you drive like miss daisy

I like them which is why I have not changed mine over

What’s an i10, is that a phone or something

Maybe you need a C5 dude

 

[RobbiZ4]

.

 

[ori]

I’m in the minority here. I quite like the blue stripes at the side.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum Rich.

But I'd have to say it isn't an M car (well I would wouldn't I) but it was top of the E89 range and is probably as quick!

I don't think the blue stripes look too bad, it's the red one at the top that clashes with the colour of the car that spoils it IMHO.

I'm sure you'll enjoy those Euro road trips.