sbottum622
Member
I was at the dealership today, getting my regular car wash, when I saw a few M4s that caught my eye. They were all sitting there, glistening in the sun, built to perfection. As I start looking for a new car, I figured, why not test one out. So here it is: My M4 test drive experience, with comparisons to the Z4.
As a precursor: My Z4 is a 2006 3.0i Roadster. It has roughly 76k miles on it. It has a gap tech RCH, matte black grills, matte wheels, and an eisenmann quad race exhaust (will make a thread if people are interested)
The M4 I drove:
- Finished in a gorgeous sapphire black color
- Gloss black wheels, with the fantastic looking Navy caliper covers, with M logos (standard brakes)
- Black nappa leather interior
- Carbon interior trim
- Sat/Nav
- HUD
- 7 Speed Dual Clutch, with paddles of course
The experience: The first thing I noticed getting into the car was the cockpit experience. The seats are absolutely amazing. The bolsters squeeze the lower back the perfect spot, but are cushy enough so as to remain comfortable. Aside from that, the blacked out giant M logo on the seats are somehow subtle, but look amazing. Secondly, the steering wheel was amazing. Coming from the thin Z4 steering wheel, the M wheel with premium leather, M accented stitching, and perfectly formed bolstering, the steering wheel really contributes to the overall experience. The HUD seemed really invaluable while driving. Providing speed, and the local speed limit, it seemed to be a pretty nifty and albeit useful addition. Turning on the car definitely gives some chills. It sounds downright amazing. One thing I could definitely tell when revving to redline was that the sound definitely comes through the stereo. I feel as though if I hadn't known this prior to driving it, I would have never noticed it. Either way, the sound definitely deserves to be amplified, and the cabin would otherwise be very quiet with the windows up.The next thing I noticed was the brakes. Hats off to the M division because those things are pretty damn awesome. I thought the Z brakes were good, but I feel like the M4 brakes could save me from an accident. The one thing I didn't like was that there wasn't really any room for intermediate pressure. When pushing slightly, the brakes would bring the car to a slow stop, and with the brakes almost fully engaged, it would bring it to a screeching halt, and I couldn't quite figure out a spot in between the two. Either way, they are definitely beastly brakes. Next up, the engine. I was definitely hesitant at first for the forced induction. However, the boost is subtle enough, that it is very sweet. Doing a 2nd gear roll on, as the boost builds at around 3.5 to 4k RPM, the turbo sings, although quiet enough so as to not interrupt the sound of the Inline-6. Another thing that really added to this experience was the paddle shifters. Coming from the plastic push-pull shifters on the Z, the aluminum pull-pull shifters on the M4 were second to none. The overall driving experience just felt a lot tighter than the Z. The suspension was stiff but not overly touchy. The Z feels like its gonna fall apart if you go through too big of a pothole. However, on the M4, it felt much more rigid. You could still feel the subtle bumps and dips of the road, but it certainly felt more comfortable. The steering was definitely a lot tighter. I am not sure how the power steering differs from the Z to the M4, but it was certainly a far more enjoyable experience. I am not sure how the ride height differs, but the M4 definitely felt a lot higher, even though Im sure the difference is not that great. The nose still hung out the front the same way on the Z, and with the great steering it was incredibly easy to place the car. Overall, the M4 was an amazing experience. There are many additions and differences that I would like to implement on my Z. This prompts me to ask you guys for some help:
- Steering wheel: can I swap out the Z4 wheel with an E92 M3 wheel, with new style paddles?
- Seats: If I could find M4 seats, can I just throw them in the Z?
I hope you guys enjoyed my write up! Please let me know if you like it, as I will be test driving many more cars in the coming months, so I will keep it up if you like it! Also, let me know if you would like a build thread of the Z4!
Thanks!
As a precursor: My Z4 is a 2006 3.0i Roadster. It has roughly 76k miles on it. It has a gap tech RCH, matte black grills, matte wheels, and an eisenmann quad race exhaust (will make a thread if people are interested)
The M4 I drove:
- Finished in a gorgeous sapphire black color
- Gloss black wheels, with the fantastic looking Navy caliper covers, with M logos (standard brakes)
- Black nappa leather interior
- Carbon interior trim
- Sat/Nav
- HUD
- 7 Speed Dual Clutch, with paddles of course
The experience: The first thing I noticed getting into the car was the cockpit experience. The seats are absolutely amazing. The bolsters squeeze the lower back the perfect spot, but are cushy enough so as to remain comfortable. Aside from that, the blacked out giant M logo on the seats are somehow subtle, but look amazing. Secondly, the steering wheel was amazing. Coming from the thin Z4 steering wheel, the M wheel with premium leather, M accented stitching, and perfectly formed bolstering, the steering wheel really contributes to the overall experience. The HUD seemed really invaluable while driving. Providing speed, and the local speed limit, it seemed to be a pretty nifty and albeit useful addition. Turning on the car definitely gives some chills. It sounds downright amazing. One thing I could definitely tell when revving to redline was that the sound definitely comes through the stereo. I feel as though if I hadn't known this prior to driving it, I would have never noticed it. Either way, the sound definitely deserves to be amplified, and the cabin would otherwise be very quiet with the windows up.The next thing I noticed was the brakes. Hats off to the M division because those things are pretty damn awesome. I thought the Z brakes were good, but I feel like the M4 brakes could save me from an accident. The one thing I didn't like was that there wasn't really any room for intermediate pressure. When pushing slightly, the brakes would bring the car to a slow stop, and with the brakes almost fully engaged, it would bring it to a screeching halt, and I couldn't quite figure out a spot in between the two. Either way, they are definitely beastly brakes. Next up, the engine. I was definitely hesitant at first for the forced induction. However, the boost is subtle enough, that it is very sweet. Doing a 2nd gear roll on, as the boost builds at around 3.5 to 4k RPM, the turbo sings, although quiet enough so as to not interrupt the sound of the Inline-6. Another thing that really added to this experience was the paddle shifters. Coming from the plastic push-pull shifters on the Z, the aluminum pull-pull shifters on the M4 were second to none. The overall driving experience just felt a lot tighter than the Z. The suspension was stiff but not overly touchy. The Z feels like its gonna fall apart if you go through too big of a pothole. However, on the M4, it felt much more rigid. You could still feel the subtle bumps and dips of the road, but it certainly felt more comfortable. The steering was definitely a lot tighter. I am not sure how the power steering differs from the Z to the M4, but it was certainly a far more enjoyable experience. I am not sure how the ride height differs, but the M4 definitely felt a lot higher, even though Im sure the difference is not that great. The nose still hung out the front the same way on the Z, and with the great steering it was incredibly easy to place the car. Overall, the M4 was an amazing experience. There are many additions and differences that I would like to implement on my Z. This prompts me to ask you guys for some help:
- Steering wheel: can I swap out the Z4 wheel with an E92 M3 wheel, with new style paddles?
- Seats: If I could find M4 seats, can I just throw them in the Z?
I hope you guys enjoyed my write up! Please let me know if you like it, as I will be test driving many more cars in the coming months, so I will keep it up if you like it! Also, let me know if you would like a build thread of the Z4!
Thanks!
on the write up,any info from first hand experience using a z4 as a bench mark is good for me.