The best sports car for under £10k
- Thread starter PedroSouth
- Start date
Devon
Why are you so opinionated, Pondrew? It’s getting a bit painful to read at times. Does it really matter what people think. Whether it’s a sports car, a hot hatch or anything else… most people here own Z4s because they like Z4s. Just because a car doesn’t fit your personal definition of a sports car doesn’t make it wrong.
For reference I asked chat GPT it's thoughts and this is what is came back with:
The BMW Z4 Coupé is best described as a:
Sports Coupé / Sports Car
It has:- A front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout (classic sports-car setup)
- A 2-seat configuration
- A performance-focused chassis
- A sleek, low-slung coupé body style
- Strong engines (especially the 3.0si and the Z4M)
Why it’s not a “hot hatch”:
A hot hatch is a high-performance hatchback, usually:- Front-wheel drive
- Hatchback body with rear seats
- Practical, everyday usability
The Z4 Coupé has none of these traits.
Best one-line definition:
“The Z4 Coupé is a compact two-seat sports coupé designed for driver engagement and performance.”
If you want, I can compare it directly with specific cars (Porsche Cayman, TT, MX-5 RF, etc.).
You lot getting bogged down with what's a sports car or not. 
His review was good, some small innacuracies but overall good..
A good review from a long term owner is a very rare thing, he clearly loves the car and sees in it what 95% of the E86 owners see but sadly what only a small minority of car folk see.
Any positive coverage of the E85/86 is a good thing.
Good cinematography, sound, and use of drones. A big load of effort to produce the video, I'm sure.
It was on par with anything from the big hitters, I thought. Top marks.
I thought he hit the nail on many topics.
Yeah, too much Clarkson type humour, no need for the opening words and that earing was a huge distraction, dangling about like a wind chime.
But, it's a yes from me.
liked and subscribed.
His review was good, some small innacuracies but overall good..
A good review from a long term owner is a very rare thing, he clearly loves the car and sees in it what 95% of the E86 owners see but sadly what only a small minority of car folk see.
Any positive coverage of the E85/86 is a good thing.
Good cinematography, sound, and use of drones. A big load of effort to produce the video, I'm sure.
It was on par with anything from the big hitters, I thought. Top marks.
I thought he hit the nail on many topics.
Yeah, too much Clarkson type humour, no need for the opening words and that earing was a huge distraction, dangling about like a wind chime.
But, it's a yes from me.
liked and subscribed.
At the summit of the picturesque fens
I have a lot of opinions, sorry if that causes you pain! It's fun playing devil's advocate. Makes for a good 'debate' IMO. Those that know won't take anything I say too seriously. I don't!
I quite liked it as a thing to have on the telly while I ate a piece of toast.
He was a bit of a bellend as previously noted, but the visuals were pretty good & the overall sentiment was cool.
Lightweight bit of watching that passed the time & better than the slot machine boys that somehow always win 2 million quid. What's that all about?
He was a bit of a bellend as previously noted, but the visuals were pretty good & the overall sentiment was cool.
Lightweight bit of watching that passed the time & better than the slot machine boys that somehow always win 2 million quid. What's that all about?
Opinions are like ar**holes. Everyone has one. Without which we'd all be constipated and even more grumpy.
There is a facility to ignore people you don't agree with. A simple button click. I haven't used it on Pondy though as then I'd miss the opportunity to bait him.
I'm guessing I am supposed to feel honoured?
BTW: I am not going to give you anymore "likes" as you are catching me up and I can't cope with that! No offence.
Liked.I'm guessing I am supposed to feel honoured?
BTW: I am not going to give you anymore "likes" as you are catching me up and I can't cope with that! No offence.
The production quality, content and methods used with multiple camera angles was surprising considering his channel seems to be very new, low popularity (as of yesterday) with little content so far.
I suspect he has a small crew with some skills to help him, while he concentrates on the front man part?
He's got a large IG following and does a load of touring car type stuff, so he's in correct areas with a sure footing to produce some good stuff.
I'm sure we can all appreciate the amount of work that went into that review.
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Spot on @Meds, any positive coverage is good, especially when well produced, even if you aren't a fan of the presenter. Seem to be more and more videos on Z4s, this one also popped up on my recommendations.You lot getting bogged down with what's a sports car or not.
His review was good, some small innacuracies but overall good..
A good review from a long term owner is a very rare thing, he clearly loves the car and sees in it what 95% of the E86 owners see but sadly what only a small minority of car folk see.
Any positive coverage of the E85/86 is a good thing.
Good cinematography, sound, and use of drones. A big load of effort to produce the video, I'm sure.
It was on par with anything from the big hitters, I thought. Top marks.
I thought he hit the nail on many topics.
Yeah, too much Clarkson type humour, no need for the opening words and that earing was a huge distraction, dangling about like a wind chime.
But, it's a yes from me.
I think it's great that we have someone who's willing to do spend time making a video who obviously loves his car.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a Sports car as "a low built car designed for performance at high speeds, often having a roof that can be folded back".
Nowhere in that definition is a reference to mass, because, ultimately mass is only one characteristic of many, that defines how a vehicle performs. More importantly, it is where that mass is, or in engineering terms its centre of gravity (C of G) and where it lies within the car. A MK2 Cortina GT weighs in at 900 kg which is the same mass as an MGB roadster, one is a sports car the other a family saloon, why? Well, it's where that C of G lies, the MGB's was just aft of the engine and at the height of the wheel centres, this contributed to its balanced, composed and predictable handling, well in the late 1960's that is. What hasn't changed with cars getting heavier is the importance of where the mass is, that centre of gravity, the higher up the mass, the harder it is to control.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a Sports car as "a low built car designed for performance at high speeds, often having a roof that can be folded back".
Nowhere in that definition is a reference to mass, because, ultimately mass is only one characteristic of many, that defines how a vehicle performs. More importantly, it is where that mass is, or in engineering terms its centre of gravity (C of G) and where it lies within the car. A MK2 Cortina GT weighs in at 900 kg which is the same mass as an MGB roadster, one is a sports car the other a family saloon, why? Well, it's where that C of G lies, the MGB's was just aft of the engine and at the height of the wheel centres, this contributed to its balanced, composed and predictable handling, well in the late 1960's that is. What hasn't changed with cars getting heavier is the importance of where the mass is, that centre of gravity, the higher up the mass, the harder it is to control.
I did say I was bored of this subject, but........
Yeah, blah blah. C of G is one thing but if you throw a 2,000kg lump of metal around a bend at x MPH it will behave very differently to a 600kg lump of metal, no matter where the C of G is. Inertia and momentum come into play, and are directly effected by weight (sorry..mass if we're being all scientific).
Heavy cars don't handle well, when compared to lighter cars. It's just the laws of physics. And because the weight (sorry...mass) needs more 'ooomph' (technical term) to throw it along at the same rate as a lighter car, the engines are generally bigger and heavier which compounds the issues. Especially as the engine is normally hanging out of the front of the car, over the front wheels.
And a 'sportscar' should be fun, which means nimble (aka handles well) when throwing it around a bend. A heavy car can't be nimble. It just can't.
I'm now out, as this is getting too complicated for me!
That's what Audi ownership does to you!
E85/86 engines sit mostly well behind the front axle line so they're still Sports Cars as far as I'm concerned. My 3.0Si definitely felt like one but my E90 with the same engine definitely doesn't. The Z4 was only slightly lighter, but considerably lower and drove so much better when thrown around a bend.
Highlands