How to mend a broken heart...

J

JuniorJet

Active member
 Surrey
The BIG question; What is better in terms of resale, enjoyment and running costs between the Z4 M Roadster and Coupe?

The story... not for the faint hearted...;
Not as long ago as you may think, my Z4 M Roadster was destroyed in a terrible accident. Many have told me I am lucky to have walked away alive (...and I believe them) - more so than that - completely unharmed apart from some whiplash and a couple of small bruises!

I am not going to discuss the accident itself in any further depth as it is still being resolved and it is a touchy topic. However what I will say is this...

This incredible car saved my life, and only now can I REALLY see all the benefits of it that I sometimes took for granted when I bought/owned it. If I had kept the cash back and bought that Honda S2000, I would not be typing this message now. There is nothing... NOTHING... that even comes close to the Z4 M in terms of value for money out there at the moment. It's cheaper, more reliable, more fun, better equipped, better looking, rarer - and as I found - safer, than anything comparable in terms of performance and general purpose.

/hallelujah

I spent a bit of time considering alternatives and whether I should perhaps buy something else with a different use, but having reflected looked at all sorts of different options, I can't see any other solution than BUYING ANOTHER ONE!

So. While owning my roadster I had often thought of swapping for a Coupe but it didn't seem worth the effort of switching - but now I have a clean slate to work from, this is in fact a plausible option. I have my requirements in terms of minimum specification which I will stick to rigidly, and we all have our preferences on colour, however as long as the combination is not "outrageous", I can see past this.

...but the Coupe and Roadster argument is the only thing I just can't decide on.

Please advise
...and perhaps back with scenarios... not just "yeah! I'm right because I say so" type arguments - I would rather this thread didn't spiral out of control...

Thank you in advance for your postings :ilz4f:
 
Sorry to hear yours has been totalled, it was a nice car and you saved hard for it.

They're both brilliant cars, realistically the question is do you want a convertible? Resale, I'd hazard a guess the coupe will hold its value better although as you're in the trade, you probably have better access to real trade values.
 
Glad your OK, guess that what you meant in your Goodwood post then.

Coupe vs Roadster go with your heart, will you miss roof down in the summer?

For me only one ///M coupe would do and that would have to be in Alpine White.
 
Yep as the others have said, it really comes down to whether you want to drop the roof or not. All other things being pretty much equal.
 
Stuart Truman, I totally agree. In terms of the "guide values" the Coupe seems stronger, but I think this is because they were more expensive in the first place. Year on year depreciation looks to be exactly the same! Still don't know if I could do without the summer sunshine though... oh wait *looks out window*... maybe next year :roll:

RubyBlueZ4MC, Thanks Ruby, it was a close shave! Glad to be back.
 
think the coupe was CHEAPER than the roadster when it came out

but we live in a soceity of pansies so the coupe has better residuals... :poke:

hope ur alright!! if i were to have another id prob try a coupe just for shits and giggles....
 
Woots said:
think the coupe was CHEAPER than the roadster when it came out
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Maybe I'm talking b******s and you're right... :roll:

Woots said:
but we live in a soceity of pansies so the coupe has better residuals... :poke:
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I'm also fairly sure the roadster also fluctuates more than the coupe with the seasons...

Woots said:
hope ur alright!! if i were to have another id prob try a coupe just for shits and giggles....
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My thoughts precisely.... but I recon I'd miss the sun-of-which-we-rarely-see-in-this-part-of-the-world.
 
Stuart Truman said:
There are four nice ones on AUC. The best of them is flawed with a wood dash though
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Yeah... can't say there are any that particularly grab my attention except the one with half white/black interior. 20k miles.

It's a bit over budget... perhaps if the price was right though... :shifty:

...but it doesn't have nav either, that also puts me off.... must be non flimper spec :)
 
Glad you're ok, tis the main thing...

As far as Roadster vs Coupe goes, I battled with the very same dilemma last summer before I gave in to the Coupe's 'hand-in-glove' snug feel and jaw-dropping looks over the Roadster..... yes I think I would enjoy that s54 soundtrack with no roof but we don't live in a country where I personally feel we could enjoy dropping the roof enough.

That said, each to their own - depends on whether it will be a toy for fair weather and weekend jaunts? Personally I bought mine as that and intended to get the bus to work each day but as the cold draws in and I miss driving her so often I just couldn't resist and now use her everyday!!!

Best of luck in your new search for your ///M!
 
I went from Roadster to Coupe, granted it was from a 53' 3.0i to an M but I just never felt comfortable or happy in a soft top.

It was all too often wet, cold, cloudy and/or windy, felt like I had to make an effort with my appearance when it was sunny which was annoying and it can get very hot when it is sunny!

My other half didn't like going 30+ with the roof down because of her hair, I felt a bit 'ponsey' and self conscious when driving around on my own with the top down and don't get me started on when there's another bloke in the car!

I never really loved the looks of the car, the Coupe however I lusted after and the M in Imola with CSL's was the icing on the cake for me!

It just feels like more of a mean machine sports car. Don't get me wrong I miss aspects of the roadster and no doubt next summer I will be a little envious but I will always prefer the Coup, that back end, especially with 4 exhausts, it's so much rarer and has more admiring glances than I did before.

I always worried about roof drains, bird poo on the material which was a right PITA to clean when it was a big seagull one! The obvious security issues with the floppy top, smaller boot, handling better on the Coupe etc etc...

Anyway, glad to hear you're ok though, good luck with your search :)
 
LIke Woody I went from 3.0 Roadster to M Coupe. I had my Roadster for nearly 5 years, which tells you how much I enjoyed it. I racked up a lot of miles in it and when it went I was as sad as I've ever been when seeing a car off to a new owner. That said, back in 2006 whilst a relatively new Roadster owner, my local BMW dealer invited me to test-drive the new Z4MC and I always knew from that day forward that I'd own one at some point. I nearly got "blown off course" a couple of times by the seductive lure of those gorgeous Alpina Roadsters, but in the end I ended up with the Z4MC. Do I miss top-down motoring? Not really very often if I'm honest.

You won't get the usual silly Coupe v Roadster stuff from me. They are both great cars - I've driven Darren's Imola Red Z4MR briefly and it's slightly softer to drive than the Coupe but it is pretty marginal. You'll know after you've driven both which one you want. Trust your instinct. There is a reasonable difference in value for the Coupe (it seems to fetch about £2k more for equivalent condition and mileage) but that's been the same for a while now and I don't think the gap is widening, but if you are in the trade you'll know that better than me. It certainly isn't as pronounced as the gap between the Z3M's was/is.

Sorry to hear about the accident in your Roadster. The main thing is that you are okay and still in one piece. :thumbsup:
 
firstly glad you are ok :thumbsup:

you have had a roadster and obviously enjoyed it, perhaps now a coupe should be next if nothing else than just a change
 
Yes glad your okay and commiserations for your loss. Just a left field suggestion can you stretch to an e89 35i with DCT then you have the best of both worlds. Yes I know it's not a M, but you may like it.
 
sars said:
Yes glad your okay and commiserations for your loss. Just a left field suggestion can you stretch to an e89 35i with DCT then you have the best of both worlds. Yes I know it's not a M, but you may like it.
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Mods be aware, Sars is a double agent for Mercedes :spy: and blatantly trying to poach the young and impressionable when they are most vulnerable :stir:
 
Glad you are ok JJ. Getting back in the saddle is definitely the right thing to do. This is how my Christmas kicked off a year ago, it was a very harrowing experience. All the best

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Really sorry to hear this JJ, it was a gorgeous car :cry:

Very pleased to hear the only thing seriously hurt is your feelings though :thumbsup:

Any lessons to share probably worthwhile if you can / want to in the future... In the meantime, if you really have to scratch that coupe itch you could do worse than Fern's :wink:
 
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