Should I just bite the bullet and go Z4M?

[Ben Cole]

I had decided on a facelift 3.0 with nav and heated seats but finding a good one in a decent colour is not that easy.

I know that really it's only me that can know the answer but I'm starting to think maybe the M is a better bet.

I originally thought 3.0 because with me putting a fair few miles on it the increased fuel consumption/insurance/servicing would be more cost than is worth it for me.

However...the Z4Ms tend to be only a couple of grand more, better spec, nice colours and tend to have been cherished more. Hence better examples.

Impossible question for the forum I suppose but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[IK.]

Coupe or Roadster?

Personally I think the 3.0si Coupe is special enough, but not the Roadster. If you're after a Roadster, then for me it has to be the M.

 

[DPG]

How many miles do you do and can you afford the extra costs associated with running an M?

If so then go for it.

 

[Brasseye]

35i could be a half way house ?

Cheaper tax and better mpg than an M ?

 

[jamiez]

Coupe M is just magical and rare. Go for it

 

[RubyBlueZ4MC]

Of course you should

 

[Ben Cole]

Sorry. Roadster I'm looking for. The Coupes are drop dead stunning...but if I'm going to deal with the pain of only two seats then I need open air motoring to compensate!!!

The money/miles thing is tricky.

I do around 25k a year but this won't be my only car. Inevitably if I bought a M car I would feel compelled to do less miles in it.

I can afford it. It's how comfortable I feel spending the necessary on the car. 10 years ago I'd have worked out the amount of free cash I have every month and bought a 911 Turbo. These days, with two kids and a wife that I'd like to give up work because she hates her 8am-7pm working day as a solicitor...it's not as simple as it once was.

 

[Ben Cole]

35i could be a half way house ?

Cheaper tax and better mpg than an M ?

I have thought about that one but at £20k+ I'd need to borrow which I would like to avoid.

 

[Bing]

Yes. Buy Jimbob's

 

[dlp]

Yes!...an M makes your heart beat faster and just look at those exhausts!

 

[Ben Cole]

Yes. Buy Jimbob's

Yes it does look amazing value for money. Lacking nav but for that price one couldn't complain. If I'm honest the desire for nav is as much for the aesthetics as the functionality.

 

[IK.]

Aesthetics? Really? Whilst I appreciate the functionality the Sat Nav brings, the implementation of it is horrendous.

They basically forgot they would need a Sat Nav somewhere in the car, bought as many Fisher Price units as they could, cut into the top of the dash, and slapped them in.

For aesthetics, I'd be getting one WITHOUT it. In fact, the first time around, I went looking for one without nav.

 

[ranski]

The dash in the Z is far too vast - the sat nav breaks it up nicely

For a integrated sat nav that was put in a car 10 years ago it's not that bad...?

I don't think so, more so with the intravee hookup

 

[Ben Cole]

To each their own and I understand where you're coming from.

Satnav with TMC has saved me hours over the years though.

 

[Popey]

I was considering getting a 3.0si for a while and tbh I thought there was a lot of choice around, just had to do some digging.

However I couldn't resist going for the m, it's so special. In the end I was £3k+ over my original budget.... Was it worth it????

Well.... Look at this pic

 

[Adamski]

I bought my zed as a daily, got guilty putting miles on it, then got a daily driver so I could keep the zed for weekends.

Just buy the M and get another car to take the mileage hit

 

[Dangerous-Dave]

Yes, plain and simpe

 

[jimmybell]

Yes - but you have to be prepared for the ///M tax.

Assuming you're problem free - you'll never regret it.

 

[tomscott]

YES

 

[ranski]

That's what put me off....the road tax, running costs, also the unforeseen problems and expensive parts (anyone mention the paranoia warranty?)

The 3.0ltr was a good in-between for me, by which its quick and exhilarating to drive and returns good mpg. So I'm not worried about emptying the wallet every few days or doing ad-hoc 100 mile hoons when it takes my fancy

Quite a number of M owners have sold up in the past year, in some cases within the first year of ownership. The majority of these putting it down to unforeseen running costs.

I'm glad I stuck with the 3.0ltr for those reasons, although when the Z4M Coupe prices tumble a little more I maybe tempted...