Other cars considered before opting for the Z4M

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Hi All,

Just wondered what other cars people thought of or tested before choosing the Z4M and why. Here's my list: (Don't laugh :D )


Cayman S 3.4
E46 M3 (CS)
Evo FQ-360 / FQ400
Focus RS
Lotus Elise / Exige
Monaro
RS4
Scooby RB320
VXR8
Z3M

I think what did it for me was the fact that the Z4M is a real drivers car and wasn't for the faint of heart. :evil: Not to mention those curves..... :wub:
 
Interesting list. Great cars but very varied so depends what you want and the miles you'll be doing.

Porsche running costs put me off. Didn't think standard elise was quick enough in a straight line but supercharged vx220 I have now is much quicker and superb in corners.

Evo has sane image as scooby which is a shame as they are devastatingly quick on B rds. (arguabalky faster than the M or some far more expensive kit.)

Would love to own an Rs4 one day, Monaros sound amazing but mpg is eye watering even from someone using a Z4M daily.

I think you need to narrow it down by what you want/need. Monaro and elise aren't really comparable at all.
 
adelphi said:
I think what did it for me was the fact that the Z4M is a real drivers car and wasn't for the faint of heart. :evil: Not to mention those curves..... :wub:
Click to expand...

those curves are the siren of the motoring world, in //M spec or younger sibling & is what seduced me, not just the speed
 
i have a vx220 at the minute. Im after a 3.0 si z4 at the minute, only test drove one for a bit, just giving it a squirt down a bypass. How do u reckon it compares to a vx220? i know it wont be as much of a drivers car in terms of feel, but would like the opinion from somebody who has the same. Bn in a supercharged vx220, insanely quick thing!!

thanks

ian
 
VX220 is as quick, if not quicker than my M up to 100, but obviously past that the M would pull away.
The Z4M is a great car, with an awesome sound track, but pound for pound they are worlds apart.

If you jump from one to the other the VX has way more of an occasion. The ride is harder, the driving position much lower and it's far more 'connected' with the road. In the corners the Z4M feels almost disconnected in comparison but then it weights nearly half a ton more. Also don't under estimate the difference in parts between BMW and Vauxhall. I just picked up a secondhand starter motor for the VX for £15 plus postage.

The M sounds better, but overall I don't think it's as fun, and it gets no where near the same amount of attention.

On the other hand the VX is now a second car. On a wet or very cold day it's a pain in the ass, hard to get out of without the door fully open. The SC VX I have needs concentration in heavy rain as there is no traction control to save my ass when I'm over estimating the amount of grip I have.

Test drive both mate, see what you think.

I test drove 2 VX220s before I bought the Z4M. This was because I could not run it as an every day car. As a second car it makes alot of sense.
 
wowser said:
i have a vx220 at the minute. Im after a 3.0 si z4 at the minute, only test drove one for a bit, just giving it a squirt down a bypass. How do u reckon it compares to a vx220? i know it wont be as much of a drivers car in terms of feel, but would like the opinion from somebody who has the same. Bn in a supercharged vx220, insanely quick thing!!

thanks

ian
Click to expand...


I went from a VX Turbo (Stage 4, 300bhp) to a 3.0i Z4 and am loving the extra luxury :) To be fair, the ride in the Z4 is far too harsh for the communication it gives you, the steering is utter poo next to the Elises/VX220s and the handling is not in the same ball park. However...... I love my Z4 now and its a hell of a lot more of a complete car. 90% as fast, 90% of the time. 190% more comfortable, and a zillion% more screwed together. Its less of a toy and more of a sporty GT. With summer ending, Im sure as sh!t glad I have heated seats, a working heater and comfy seats :P

But I agree with the above comments that an Elise and a Monaro arent really on the same hymn sheet. They both have a leaning towards sporty driving, but are worlds apart day to day.

FYI, the only thing I had on my radar when getting a Z4 was a Boxster. Drove one, and was impressed with its poise, the steering and the solidity. On the negatives were the vanilla styling, the very weird driving position, the dodgy seats and the four (count them!!!) independant failure mechanisms that require a total engine rebuild!!! :o
 
I agree with all of the above (especially the 190% as comfortable part)...

other than 90% as fast. A stage 4 300bhp VX must be truly devastating as my stage 2 255bhp is pretty quick.

Unless you mean when sitting in Saturday afternoon traffic/daily commuting. In which case we should all buy 1.2 polos or similar. :P

Would really like to try a stage 4. lol
 
Yeah i do have a vx220. Had this one for the last two years. Wrote my first one off in the ice. They are a bit sketchy as u say in the cold. Just fancy a change but want to keep vx as a track car.
 
I only looked at the boxster.
Had an Elise.
Still got the broken back. Lol
I have an E46 M3 as a daily commute.
Needed a weekend toy.
I have a 3.0 SE. Roadster.
The M is fast enough for me, it's been Evolved etc. No limiters, did not require anything faster. The Zed is ace.
I do agree on the 190% more comfortable.
I would actually say more. Because I found my Elise was not as comfortable as my mates VX220.
Buts that's another story.

Ace car love it.
 
Good question!

Cayman S was first choice but ultimately too expensive for my budget. I then had a peek at 3.2 Alfa GTs: that was well under my budget so I'd have has more money left in my pocket. I couldn't see any nice 3.2s with the right wheels/bumpers and 'standard' ones don't look mean enough, and in the end I decided they just didn't look good enough, so that left me with the Z4MC: it was in my budget, looked very unique and was a touch faster than my then current car, an E46 convertible M3. I'm very happy with my choice 8)

adelphi said:
Hi All,

Just wondered what other cars people thought of or tested before choosing the Z4M and why. Here's my list: (Don't laugh :D )


Cayman S 3.4
E46 M3 (CS)
Evo FQ-360 / FQ400
Focus RS
Lotus Elise / Exige
Monaro
RS4
Scooby RB320
VXR8
Z3M

I think what did it for me was the fact that the Z4M is a real drivers car and wasn't for the faint of heart. :evil: Not to mention those curves..... :wub:
Click to expand...
 
I did seriously consider the M5 but was put off by the monstrous running costs.... Also the RB320. But I couldn't imagine turning up at a client site with the Scooby without looking like a proper twat. No offence meant or intended. :wink:

I needed something "Premium" so Vauxhalls, Evos and Imprezas were out. The RS was too much of a hooligan car and shouted "Look at me" far too much. Same for the Exige.

In the end, it came down to the Porsche (arguably a more Premium brand than the BMW) and the Z4Mc. The rest as they say is history.... :evil:
 
Here my actual list, from earlier in the year when I bought my Z4MR.

First thing on my priority list was rear wheel drive, next was I fancied my first open top. All were in the same price range to purchase. Looks always in the equation and finally, running cost, became a major factor once I started doing the maths.

Porsche BoxsterS, was bland to drive and bland to look at.

Porsche CaymanS, was very nice, if I was buying another coupe it might have won.

Aston DB7 Vantage, Oh I had too fight myself not to buy one these, so gorgeous, running cost put me off.

Maserati Spider, Running costs scared me silly, mind you a supercats exhaust is cheaper for the Masa. Nearest dealer was over 100 miles from where I live.

TVR TuscanS, could not get a test drive in one and reputation of the early speed six engines put me off.

TVR350 Very nice, later engine was tempted until I drove my Z4MR. :driving:

Also took a old Z3 3.0 out for a test drive, but was never on my list to purchase.

Z4M coupe, didn't make my short list, pretty as it is the Aston would have won the beauty contest if I'd plumped for another coupe.
 
OK, deep breath.

Clio RS 197 (was very determined on one of these but expensive to buy new here for what you get)

Clio V6 255 (impractical + 3lt meant a lot of import tax)

Alfa Romeo Mito 155 new (dealer never got back to me about a test drive)

VW Scirocco GT (same as above)

Audi S3 2nd gen used (was expensive for a hatch and wasn't RWD)

Lotus Elise R (impractical for a daily driver)

Vauxhall VX220 (as above but with the added deterrent of no air con!)

Mazda MX5 (slow and relatively expensive for what you get for a late model used one)

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA (great looks and engine but expensive and a lot of cost if something goes wrong)

Honda S2000 new (expensive for 10 year old design and also pretty common)

Various Evos and Imprezas (fast but didnt like the image)

TVR T350/Tamora (really love them but fragile and no TVR mechanics on the island)

Mazda RX8 (common as rocks here)

996 911s (relatively expensive to buy and high maintenance costs and registration/import tax due to 3.6lt engine)

Boxster S/Cayman S (as above)

3 door 130i new or used (expensive to buy new, still expensive to buy used)

E46 M3 (common looks and was also getting on a bit)

135i (was still not cheap enough used)

335i (was a big contender this, a bitch to track down a manual one though, expensive in the end and not an M)

Yes all of the above plus a few more were considered. In the end i was looking for a nice car for something like 2 years... I eventually decided on either a 335i manual or a Z4M of some sort, the cheapest AUC Z4M at that moment was a Coupe. I arrived in the UK and had arranged to drive 2 Z4M's and a 335i, i test drove my Z4MC first. The rest you can imagine. :D
 
Hark said:
VX220 is as quick, if not quicker than my M up to 100, but obviously past that the M would pull away.
The Z4M is a great car, with an awesome sound track, but pound for pound they are worlds apart.

If you jump from one to the other the VX has way more of an occasion. The ride is harder, the driving position much lower and it's far more 'connected' with the road. In the corners the Z4M feels almost disconnected in comparison but then it weights nearly half a ton more. Also don't under estimate the difference in parts between BMW and Vauxhall. I just picked up a secondhand starter motor for the VX for £15 plus postage.

The M sounds better, but overall I don't think it's as fun, and it gets no where near the same amount of attention.

On the other hand the VX is now a second car. On a wet or very cold day it's a pain in the ass, hard to get out of without the door fully open. The SC VX I have needs concentration in heavy rain as there is no traction control to save my ass when I'm over estimating the amount of grip I have.

Test drive both mate, see what you think.

I test drove 2 VX220s before I bought the Z4M. This was because I could not run it as an every day car. As a second car it makes alot of sense.
Click to expand...

I'd make similar comparisons between my Westfield and ///MC...
...except the Westfield is even more basic and seat-of-the-pants raw :D
It could never be anything other than a weekend and track day toy, and I even considered selling it when I bought the ///M, but just couldn't part with it. The visceral reward from the sheer rate of change of velocity possible from a <600kg car with no stability or traction control, ABS, roof, doors, etc is unparalleled.

Before I bought my ///M, I did consider all of the usual alternatives (Cayman S, various TVRs, Exige, 911, S2000, Boxster S) but nothing could offer the same incredible sense of presence and excitement on every journey, combined with a usable and reliable daily driver :thumbsup:
 
Yeah, I had both the 2.2 VX220 and the Stage 4 Tubbby. Ok, so the 3.0 isnt 90% as quick and to be fair, my old mans 911 C4S was slower to 100. Buuuuuuuut, 90% of the time, my Z4 is driven 90% as fast. If that makes sense! Maybe Im just trying to kid myself on that I dont miss it :P Had a nightmare with it in terms of reliability and if I had another one, I wouldnt dare go over 250bhp as I dont think the rest of the drivetrain is engineered to handle it. It was a bit of pig to drive in the wet/damp but on the right road and with the right conditions was soul crushingly fast :wink:
 
Cayman S
RS4 Avant
C63 wagon
Ducati Monster

In the end I decided to keep (not trade) my A6 Avant which meant a 2 seater wouldn't get in the way of family duties. Drove the Z4MC and it quickly became an easy decision... :-)

The bike was really only a dream as the wife would prefer I had a mistress before a bike...!?!? Jokes there I'm sure...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Not sure i considered any tbh. The SLK55 but that was 10k out my price range. So i opted for 2nd best.
 
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