Thrashed Z4 M's

[Tomsdad]

Hi everyone. We have a 3.0 Si with the N52 engine and find it plenty fast. However, my eldest son wants to buy a Z4M. The big question I have is this.
Are the M's generally thrashed? And is there a way of telling?
Normal Z4's are often just weekend cars maybe low mileage full service history (lady owner ) am I allowed to say that? Possibly easier to know whether they have been driven carefully.
I would like to think that some if not all M 's are bought because they are iconic, loved pampered polished and owned with pride. Or are they just thrashed?

 

[Marlon]

If the M community on this forum is anything to go by they are cherished pride and joys - so buy off here

 

[Yorkie Z]

If the M community on this forum is anything to go by they are cherished pride and joys - so buy off here

Wondered how that sentence was going to finish

I think most owners just enjoy the car rather than thrash it. I've never hit the rev limiter in mine and this year I've managed around 1500 miles between oil changes. I always wait for the oil temp to be correct before giving it the beans. It's also really bloody hard to thrash around the streets because you can hit 100mph in no time.

 

[ph001]

Wouldn't worry anyway. The engine is more than capable as long as the servicing is maintained and warmed up properly from cold..

 

[mmm-five]

Never using the full rev range, or accelerating slowly, or only driving 2 miles a year, or keeping it in a centrally-heated garage, are no indication of whether a car has been cherished or trashed.

I’d no more trust someone who said they’d never gone near the redline, than I would a traveller who said he was just staying for the night and will clean up after himself.

‘One owner from new, very low mileage’ could mean anything from never maintained (as the OBC hasn’t pinged up yet), hit every kerb, loads of parking dents, driven at 6,000rpm from cold (7900 redline remember), needs new clutch by 29k, etc. to enthusiast-owned, over-serviced, warmed-up properly before every drive.

Mine is driven how it’s means to be driven, in the appropriate circumstances, and is well-serviced.

Mine needed a clutch at 140,000 miles, so either read into that that I molly-coddled it and didn’t go above 2000rpm, or that i’m a driving god with supreme mechanical sympathy.

 

[Ewazix]

I'd assume ///M owners use the performance and focus on condition and history, providing they are warmed and have regular oil changes the S54 has a mighty reputation for reliability given the output.

 

[buzyg]

I'm sure all ///Ms get the occasional good thrashing. It's an enthusiasts car after all. Thing is .As long as it has a proper service history, the engine is pretty robust. Like any performance car look at the condition, he history and if you can talk to the current owner, or get them to take you out for a spin and checkout if they warm the car through proberly before pressing the loud pedal.

 

[RustyZ4]

whenever I see an M, they tend to fall into three categories, at traffic lights, when they go green, accelerate like mad and in a 100 yards brake like mad for the next red,, drive it like your granny and note who is looking at you, or the true enthusiast who takes it out on the twisty`s after warming it up to enjoy it, but to be honest it hard to thrash a car like that with all the cameras and traffic we have anyway

 

[flimper]

whenever I see an M, they tend to fall into three categories, at traffic lights, when they go green, accelerate like mad and in a 100 yards brake like mad for the next red,, drive it like your granny and note who is looking at you, or the true enthusiast who takes it out on the twisty`s after warming it up to enjoy it, but to be honest it hard to thrash a car like that with all the cameras and traffic we have anyway

Not to mention pot holes

 

[Truth]

whenever I see an M, they tend to fall into three categories, at traffic lights, when they go green, accelerate like mad and in a 100 yards brake like mad for the next red,, drive it like your granny and note who is looking at you, or the true enthusiast who takes it out on the twisty`s after warming it up to enjoy it, but to be honest it hard to thrash a car like that with all the cameras and traffic we have anyway

Not to mention pot holes

Come on a northern meet with me and mr wilks and see which category we drop into and if he doesn’t like me tarring him with the same brush u can have a blast round some proper roads with me in my flimper in North Yorkshire!

 

[buzyg]

whenever I see an M, they tend to fall into three categories, at traffic lights, when they go green, accelerate like mad and in a 100 yards brake like mad for the next red,, drive it like your granny and note who is looking at you, or the true enthusiast who takes it out on the twisty`s after warming it up to enjoy it, but to be honest it hard to thrash a car like that with all the cameras and traffic we have anyway

Not to mention pot holes

Come on a northern meet with me and mr will and see which category we drop into and if he doesn’t like me tarring him with the same brush u can have a blast round some proper roads in North Yorkshire!

Right proper roads in T North Ahy lad.

 

[Truth]

Aye lad thee knos. No southern nonsense!

 

[buzyg]

At lad thee knos. No southern nonsense!

Hee hee.

Says Lancashire on me birth certificate the no. :wink:

 

[Truth]

Lancashire. Wrong side of the Pennines!

 

[BMWZ4MC]

It’s extremely difficult to determine what has happened to a car that is at least ten years old. I’ve used mine for frequent track days for nine years and I’ve regularly driven it hard on country lanes. However, I’m mechanically sympathetic so it’s thoroughly warmed up and has oil services every few thousand miles. I certainly don’t fall into the ‘polish, admire and never drive’ category but my car is mechanically sound and cosmetically good so it would be impossible to tell how I’ve used it.
Your best bet is to meticulously review the service history and the car itself, if necessary taking someone with you who has experience of the car and engine.
A contingency fund for unforeseen disasters is wise for cars that are mechanically complicated and potentially expensive. The S54 is a fantastic engine but that description fits.

 

[Silverzedtom]

I’d say an ///M is even more likely to be a weekend car than a non M, as owners would have been / are generally more likely to own or have access to another car.

Buying a used car is a total lottery. It could have all the stamps and receipts in the world but it doesn’t count for anything as you just don’t know how the cars been used. I’d still want full service history and wouldn’t even go and look at one that didn’t ’t have running in service paperwork - Largely for resale value. I went into Cotswold bmw a while ago and noticed an m4 gts. few thousand miles, running in service... looked great. Then I looked at the tyres, burn marks right up to shoulders.

Whilst I’m at it I also think a higher number of owners is a good thing within reason. Different people drive differently so the car and engine will be used at varying rpm’s etc. I certainly wouldn’t want to buy a car that had only ever been driven slowly / not seen the higher side of the rev counter.
Cars need frequent use and need a good blast from time to time.

 

[Bing]

whenever I see an M, they tend to fall into three categories, at traffic lights, when they go green, accelerate like mad and in a 100 yards brake like mad for the next red,, drive it like your granny and note who is looking at you, or the true enthusiast who takes it out on the twisty`s after warming it up to enjoy it, but to be honest it hard to thrash a car like that with all the cameras and traffic we have anyway

I wonder if you’ve ever seen me, and which category I fall into :lol:

 

[RustyZ4]

whenever I see an M, they tend to fall into three categories, at traffic lights, when they go green, accelerate like mad and in a 100 yards brake like mad for the next red,, drive it like your granny and note who is looking at you, or the true enthusiast who takes it out on the twisty`s after warming it up to enjoy it, but to be honest it hard to thrash a car like that with all the cameras and traffic we have anyway

I wonder if you’ve ever seen me, and which category I fall into :lol:

Well as I haven't seen an M around Maidstone recently, Im guessing you fall into the "take it out on the twisty`s" then again it might be a garage queen

 

[RustyZ4]

I do have to clarify here, most M`s I see are either 3 or 5`s, the odd 4 series and very rarely a Z

 

[Vanne]

trashed or not, they are built pretty darn strong. Stamps or not, as long as you have a mechanical eye for condition, buy with confidence. If you don't have a mechanical eye or bone in your body, take someone with you who does, or PPC it.