Think ive been "converted" with my E85

[mr wilks]

Had a good few days cleaning & studying my E85
Its over 12 months since the coupe went & whilst i owned that i never for a minute had any hankering for a roadster but i may have been a little blinkered ?
Anyone fortunate to have one of each truly has the best of both worlds .
Always thought the coupe better looking but it does miss out on the duck tail bootlid which really accentuates the rear of the cars styling .
Once inside i can't say there is any noticeable difference in light or space ( until the roof goes down ) which i have yet to experience as the roof motor is goosed
As for the car being pre facelift ? Would obviously prefer clear lenses but i much prefer the rounded fogs to the slit ones that mist up
I know there are forum members who have had both but as for which is best :? I really couldn't say :wink:

 

[z4pilot]

Interesting point you raise.... Mid-life facelifts are a feature of car lifecycles, introduced to keep the designs fresh, maintain visibility of the model in the buying public's mind and generate sales - but does history generally favour the earlier, cleaner design which is closer to the original designer's concept for how the car should look?
I guess there are arguments for either approach. As far as Z4's are concerned, I prefer the pre-facelift 'architecture' (whilst still wishing they'd avoided the ginger), but when I look at MX-5's for instance, the Mk2.5 facelift is far better resolved than the slightly fish faced Mk 2.
Facelift rear lights on the Z4 look fresh, just because we all know they are a later design and align to the BMW design ethic of the late 2000's, but from a pure design point of view, are they better than the originals, which fit the space allocated to the rear lights more harmoniously than the straight lines of the facelift, which are shoehorned into a rounded aperture they don't really suit?

 

[mr wilks]

Other point of note that won't go down well are the non sport seats :? I actually like them & can't understand folks throwing large money , time & hassle swapping them out
Looks aside I was seriously underwhelmed by them in the coupe
Made no secret of it at the time & when i bought the MK1 TT afterwards only cemented my thoughts that by comparison the BM ones were not as good as they should have been , possibly the most uncomfy sport seats ive come across in any car :?

 

[monkadill]

I have a Roadster and and have had a Coupe and agree with your points - i never considered going to a Roadster either and the Coupe was to be a lifer (unrealistic i know). Oddly i feel more seated in the cock pit of the roadster were i was always trying to find the optimal seating position in the Coupe. Both have the same seats despite the roadster being a M. After having a mx5 and s2000 i knew that i wanted a roof top experience and was chuffed to get that with the e85 and a M to boot!

 

[monkadill]

i also moved on from the Coupe as i found it to tame, i was always looking for something to give me a grin like the s2000 did and i found that in the M.

 

[mr wilks]

i also moved on from the Coupe as i found it to tame, i was always looking for something to give me a grin like the s2000 did and i found that in the M.

I think the Z4M is inevitable but not just yet :wink: more than likely next year at some point but not before "twisting " a few more times

 

[original guvnor]

I've had both Mr W. Enjoyed owning my Roadster and that had SE seats as well. Never stopped me driving it like I stole it on several occasions!!

I think the facelift ironed a few rough edges out but I prefer the pre-facelift rear lights and I was never too concerned with the orange indicators either like some are.

 

[CornishRob]

A coupe that you could take the centre piece of the roof out would be best I think!

 

[monkadill]

i also moved on from the Coupe as i found it to tame, i was always looking for something to give me a grin like the s2000 did and i found that in the M.

I think the Z4M is inevitable but not just yet :wink: more than likely next year at some point but not before "twisting " a few more times

Some of the pictures on the M Coupes on this forum look amazing so I wonder if will head back to a Coupe in the shape of a M..

 

[inkey$]

Similar thoughts as I've had Mr.W. Having owned both (albeit in MC form) I reckon with the roof down the roadster looks the absolute business. Cracking rear end and for me it's also all about the pre-facelift too. IMO, those simple lines, front fogs and rear lens architecture make it the car it was always first designed to be. The coupe is a vision too of course, just totally different!

Glad you're enjoying the new toy

BTW wheel wise and on a grey Zed, I don't think it gets any better than a set of ellipsoids. See exhibit 'Ticker' below.

[youtube]YosW2bLG2cw[/youtube]

 

[mr wilks]

Nice clip Inkey , i am a Elipsoid fan & wouldn't rule out seeing a set on the car at some point Matt satin black maybe :?
Think ive made my mind up but for the next few weeks it will be a temporary set of 108's .
Its booked into my Indy Mon 13th Oct for roof motor, lowering springs & a service by which time the new shoes should be sorted .
For now its all clean & polish jobs




To be fair the paint is in decent order with no noticeable swirls or major scratches so it was a light clean of the paint followed by a lashing of Autosmart Mirror image

 

[srhutch]

The first zed I tested had standard Sport seats and I felt as if I was sliding all over the place.

Even if you liked them Andy as I've said before they cost nearly half what you paid for the car so would have to be a real must have.

I suppose you could sell them on at a later date.

Now having Xenons, that has to be a posotive for you.

 

[mr wilks]

The first zed I tested had standard Sport seats and I felt as if I was sliding all over the place.

Even if you liked them Andy as I've said before they cost nearly half what you paid for the car so would have to be a real must have.

I suppose you could sell them on at a later date.

Now having Xenons, that has to be a posotive for you.

I believe if you apply hairspray to the seat of your jeans this should reduce traction & prevent sliding around
The Xenon's are indeed a big plus although i'm still looking for the folding mirror switch & can't find the bluetooth connection

 

[domsz4]

glad to see a few people who i share a view with. i prefer the pre face lift bumper and dare i say it the ginger ( but then ive always liked a little ginger) i do think the ginge suits the color of my car tho with the merlot and chrome.

the se seats for me are fine but for sure they dont grip you when you throw it and i think i may prefere the chunkier m wheel.

Mr M bad news on the motor, im going to have a stab at replacing mine, i got an absolute mint one inc the covers of ebay the other week so fingers crossed.

 

[Darren Slone]

You've made a good start with that engine bay Andy 8)

 

[LeeZ4MR]

You've made a good start with that engine bay Andy 8)

Agree it looks great

 

[toolmanchris]

Mr Wilks I have to agree with you re the pre facelift 85
I find myself looking out of the lounge window on occasion just to take in the lines (especially now Ive got those MV2's fitted)
Mrs Toolman certainly thought I was "Daft" buying a car like a Z4 and I think that this is probably reinforcing her opinion :roll:

Chris

 

[A1GSS]

What did you use on the engine bay? That's really impressive

 

[srhutch]

Nice turn around so far. What wheels have you chucked on it as it doesn't look like those it came on.

 

[DPG]

I've had both as daily drivers and preferred the Coupe 90% of the time.

Now that my Z4 is a weekender I might make the swap to a MR (early next year if funds permit)