Meek little admission, and query

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I picked up my Z4 at the dealer yesterday, and it is a truly impressive car. So impressive, in fact, that I feel a tiny bit intimidated by it. :? So many features, so different a feel from my current drive (Mini Clubman S), and so unusual a view out the windscreen. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this slightly uneasy feeling first driving a new Z4 (and will admit to it).

And before anyone posts it, pictures are coming.
 
When I took the demo car for a drive, I couldn't get over how long the bonnet was - thats going to take some getting used to.
 
My other half won't drive it because of the length of the front end.....and I am talking about the car!! :rofl:
 
I can say that I have been a little uneasy getting on it all the way and seeing what mine can do but, part of that fear is that the roads are cold and wet here. Can't wait till summer...
 
Don't worry you'll soon get used to it. You're just going from a particularly short bonnet (hood) to a particularly long one. :thumbsup:
 
Be careful of high kerbs with that long front and don't forget the rear is very short.

I found myself backing up only to get out of the car and be several feet away from what I was reversing up to :oops:

You are a lot lower than most cars and with the roof down feel a little more vunerable around traffic for the first few days.

The lower stance also makes overtaking a little tricky on winding roads trying to look for that gap.
 
You'll get used to it quick :thumbsup:

Just make sure you familiarise yourself with the car before taking on any tight parking spaces etc


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Reassuring advice. Thanks for that. And I actually did know that bonnet=hood, from watching all the Top Gear episodes on BBC America. Funny to think about those episodes - those guys just jumping into and :driving: driving all those really fancy, expensive cars at (and beyond) the limit. I guess it might be less stressful if one doesn't own the cars. I wonder what it feels like to be the Stig. :o
 
Best bit of advice I can give is, don't over think it, just get in, don't be worried you can't see the end, and that's it. My Mrs drove my old Range Rover Sport when I first had it, and even to this day, she maintains, it's the easiest car to drive and park she has ever driven. But ok, she won't drive the Z...but anyway.....just point it and go.....hope you've got parking sensors, because I think the ca needs it....
 
I'm a tad worried about first trip to multi storey car park lol

I have driven my mums new slk and as soon as you jump in and forget the bonnet length its a breeze parking, no more harder than my mini lol


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Our previous car was MINI Hatch, so in comparison the Z4 felt huge. We've only had one out for a 1/2 day test drive. Not my car either, so I didn't feel to intimidated. We've owned long nosed BMWs and low to the ground roadsters before, so I knew what to expect.


You will get used to it. Give yourself some time to learn to judge where the corners of the car are. You loose some visibility sitting lower down, but overall the Z4 has few blind spots even with the top up.

The current generation MINIs share a lot of the underlying electronics with the Z4. The controls may look different but many of them operate much the same as they do on a MINI.


We we first moved to the UK 3 1/2 years ago, I didn't want anything much larger than a MINI. Our first week here, I rented a Ford Mondeo and honestly I was occasionally terrified. The roads are much narrower here than in the US. There are main roads in North Wales that have signs that say "Warning on coming vehicles in middle of road." The first time that 'vehicle' was a Bus . . . Um anyway I knew I needed a small car.

Looks easy now but this first time I drove this road in that full sized Ford . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_n8QX3Txjc&feature=g-upl&context=G2c2e5caAUAAAAAAAOAA


2 months of lessons followed by 3 years of on the road experience, and we are ready to move back up to a larger, more powerful car.
 
You will be fine, just 'think' an extra foot in front of the hood, it's quite low and will catch kerbs. I've had mine two years and still get mighty close at the front sometimes :oops:
 
KeithJ said:
Just go at 2.5 mph, the bumpers will shape back in to place according to bmws brochure!
Click to expand...

be full of scratches though as it will be the very bottom that scrapes against the kerb. I've always been lucky but only by 2-3mm sometimes.
 
But promise you, you'll always catch the lower front valance.....all of you will!! Sorry but it's very very low.....
 
KeithJ said:
Just go at 2.5 mph, the bumpers will shape back in to place according to bmws brochure!
Click to expand...

...and they have hill start assist according to the brochure..... :?

As for the Stig...when he gets bored, he'll probably write a book explaining all about it...thats what the last traitor did!
 
You'll get used to the long nose quite quickly.

However ... it's really easy to scrape the bottom of the bumper while driving into or out of driveways, etc. Done that a couple of times, but since I can't see the damage it doesn't exist (in my mind)! If I worry about it I'll go crazy, so I don't.
 
Weirdest thing for me was how close vehicles behind you are when on a motorway - for days I was thinking that folk are driving closer to me than before... Of course I eventually worked out that in the Z your kinda sitting in the boot of a normal car...
 
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