I'm more than happy with the Z4 so far but there are some things you should have done. Here’s my list and others may follow.
1 -- I went for Jet Black even though metallic paint was standard for the 35i. I hate the hassle when body shops have to attend to chips and scrapes. I resent that metallic wasn’t optional with an appropriate price reduction but I guess that’s part of your cunning plan.
2 -- I went with Ivory because the alcantara added a bit of something to the interior. Had the alcantara been available on the other trim colours, I might have chosen one as I'm nervous about how white will look down the line and I'm starting to dislike the stripy wood effect on the dash. Piano black would have gone fine with the Ivory, or else, if they had alcantara inserts, I’d have gone for red or black with the aluminium dash. A nice mocha or tan leather option would have been nice or even some piping options; something for the Individual program maybe?
3 -- Not meaning to get personal but I'm sure when the ladies who designed the z4 wear a revealing dress they make sure they wear good underwear. The 296 19” alloys are quite revealing but the hubs, brake discs and calipers are certainly not for show. Some drilled discs and painted calipers would be good. Is there a fundamental difference between the brake assemblies on the z4 and those on the 335i or 135i for which the BMW performance brake package is available? My dealer plays things by the book but I really can’t see what would make them unsuitable. A version of that BMW performance steering wheel on the z4 accessory list would be cool too.
4 -- That antenna. There must be a better way.
5 -- Use LEDs to whiten those corona rings. Some people don’t care but neither would they object.
5 -- If the regular, non-comfort access remote is destined only to perform one roof function, closing is more useful than opening.
6 -- There should be an option in iDrive to have the folding mirrors do their thing on locking and unlocking. Right now, convenient closing is not as convenient as it could be.
7 -- Let the roof operate even up to just 10 – 15 mph. Your ultimate driving machine’s got me hoping traffic won’t move.
8 -- Have side marker lights available for all markets, not just North America. That nose is l-o-n-g.
9 -- You really shoulda had a built in wind deflector. TT owners are making me choke on my laugh.
10 -- Make the glovebox lock with the central locking. Then the key can double lock it for valet parking.
11 -- Front foglights. I know it fogs in Germany too.
12 -- Instead of having to hold a button for 4 or 5 seconds, a separate button on the side of the remote would be a better panic button. I know Germans are meant to be cool but for us Brits 5 seconds is a long time in a panic situation and a popped trunk lid never scared off anyone.
13 -- Everything is controlled by this microprocessor and that firmware nowadays so could the gearshift paddles not be configurable so that right is up and left is down - maybe in the iDrive settings menus - if that’s what the driver prefers? I'm all for BMW beating their own path but we also have an Audi (excuse my language) with S-tronic in the family and it gets confusing. Even you at BMW use the right for up left for down elsewhere in your range so what gives?
14 -- Now . . . . BMW!! Someone else needs to be shot. Everything used to be straightforward until someone thought calling a 2.5 litre 323i would be a fun idea. Now 316 means 1.8 or 1.6 sometimes, 318 means 2 litre, 535 means 3 litre but so does 530, 745 means 5 litre, 760 means 5.5 litre. I'm guessing you blew him away and not a moment too soon but the damage is done. So-called motoring journalists all over the world have been calling engine sizes wrong for years. But now your new guy has come up with sDrive35i and xDrive20d. Tell him to stop this childish practice and, most of all, stop him sticking his tacky badges on the side of our cars. It smacks of a 1970s Japanese SuperLuxeHighLineJetGlide XL or a vehicle from one of Thuunderbird 2’s pods. I can hear Virgil Tracy saying “ We’re gonna need sDrive35i Dad” as I type. I wish I’d taken up the delete option but after the paint episode I couldn’t face paying for something else I wasn’t getting!
Lastly, and this is for nearly all manufacturers. Why do your Nav systems always want to know the town or city first? I always know the street but only sometimes know the town in which the Nav database lists it. I recently had to find a street which could have reasonably been listed in London, Norwood, Thornton Heath or Croydon; even those who live there aren't sure. Had I not been familiar with the area, I couldn’t have known these options.
Sorry it turned into a rant and don't listen to those who are saying you've gone all soft with the z4. Anyway, I'm sure you have something in the pipeline for them. z2 anyone?
1 -- I went for Jet Black even though metallic paint was standard for the 35i. I hate the hassle when body shops have to attend to chips and scrapes. I resent that metallic wasn’t optional with an appropriate price reduction but I guess that’s part of your cunning plan.
2 -- I went with Ivory because the alcantara added a bit of something to the interior. Had the alcantara been available on the other trim colours, I might have chosen one as I'm nervous about how white will look down the line and I'm starting to dislike the stripy wood effect on the dash. Piano black would have gone fine with the Ivory, or else, if they had alcantara inserts, I’d have gone for red or black with the aluminium dash. A nice mocha or tan leather option would have been nice or even some piping options; something for the Individual program maybe?
3 -- Not meaning to get personal but I'm sure when the ladies who designed the z4 wear a revealing dress they make sure they wear good underwear. The 296 19” alloys are quite revealing but the hubs, brake discs and calipers are certainly not for show. Some drilled discs and painted calipers would be good. Is there a fundamental difference between the brake assemblies on the z4 and those on the 335i or 135i for which the BMW performance brake package is available? My dealer plays things by the book but I really can’t see what would make them unsuitable. A version of that BMW performance steering wheel on the z4 accessory list would be cool too.
4 -- That antenna. There must be a better way.
5 -- Use LEDs to whiten those corona rings. Some people don’t care but neither would they object.
5 -- If the regular, non-comfort access remote is destined only to perform one roof function, closing is more useful than opening.
6 -- There should be an option in iDrive to have the folding mirrors do their thing on locking and unlocking. Right now, convenient closing is not as convenient as it could be.
7 -- Let the roof operate even up to just 10 – 15 mph. Your ultimate driving machine’s got me hoping traffic won’t move.
8 -- Have side marker lights available for all markets, not just North America. That nose is l-o-n-g.
9 -- You really shoulda had a built in wind deflector. TT owners are making me choke on my laugh.
10 -- Make the glovebox lock with the central locking. Then the key can double lock it for valet parking.
11 -- Front foglights. I know it fogs in Germany too.
12 -- Instead of having to hold a button for 4 or 5 seconds, a separate button on the side of the remote would be a better panic button. I know Germans are meant to be cool but for us Brits 5 seconds is a long time in a panic situation and a popped trunk lid never scared off anyone.
13 -- Everything is controlled by this microprocessor and that firmware nowadays so could the gearshift paddles not be configurable so that right is up and left is down - maybe in the iDrive settings menus - if that’s what the driver prefers? I'm all for BMW beating their own path but we also have an Audi (excuse my language) with S-tronic in the family and it gets confusing. Even you at BMW use the right for up left for down elsewhere in your range so what gives?
14 -- Now . . . . BMW!! Someone else needs to be shot. Everything used to be straightforward until someone thought calling a 2.5 litre 323i would be a fun idea. Now 316 means 1.8 or 1.6 sometimes, 318 means 2 litre, 535 means 3 litre but so does 530, 745 means 5 litre, 760 means 5.5 litre. I'm guessing you blew him away and not a moment too soon but the damage is done. So-called motoring journalists all over the world have been calling engine sizes wrong for years. But now your new guy has come up with sDrive35i and xDrive20d. Tell him to stop this childish practice and, most of all, stop him sticking his tacky badges on the side of our cars. It smacks of a 1970s Japanese SuperLuxeHighLineJetGlide XL or a vehicle from one of Thuunderbird 2’s pods. I can hear Virgil Tracy saying “ We’re gonna need sDrive35i Dad” as I type. I wish I’d taken up the delete option but after the paint episode I couldn’t face paying for something else I wasn’t getting!
Lastly, and this is for nearly all manufacturers. Why do your Nav systems always want to know the town or city first? I always know the street but only sometimes know the town in which the Nav database lists it. I recently had to find a street which could have reasonably been listed in London, Norwood, Thornton Heath or Croydon; even those who live there aren't sure. Had I not been familiar with the area, I couldn’t have known these options.
Sorry it turned into a rant and don't listen to those who are saying you've gone all soft with the z4. Anyway, I'm sure you have something in the pipeline for them. z2 anyone?
