Total BMW mag gives Z4MC a thumbs down!

T1berious said:
I recall lots of debate in the PH thread started by Chris Harris, For the most part it was a lot of the "E46 is better why bother blah blah"

What was interesting was the response. Not a good looking car? Are you effin' blind? :) etc etc. The funniest reply was one based on the Jason Plato video. er he loved it! So either the haters saw a different video or as usual, the forum experts have never driven it but are all experts. (A little like me slating a 997 Gen 1 GT3 based on "everyone said the Gen 2 was much better")

JC did indeed dislike the Z4MR the hamster loved it.

Bottom line is, after a Z4MR \ Z4MC where on earth do you go next? Now thats the sign of a great car :driving:
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I went head to head with a 450bhp E46 M3 on my last track day. The owner was very upset that >10K of mods to the brakes and suspension, as well as Recaros, Cups and a stage I ESS supercharger meant he could only just keep up with me :P
 
BMWZ4MC said:
I went head to head with a 450bhp E46 M3 on my last track day. The owner was very upset that >10K of mods to the brakes and suspension, as well as Recaros, Cups and a stage I ESS supercharger meant he could only just keep up with me :P
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Just goes to show where a bit of driver training can save you £9k and still have as fast a car.

Did a similar thing with an R8 (don't know the difference between a V8 and V10) at the 'Ring. He was on his second lap of the day and I was on my 10th or so.

He came storming up behind me as cars in front were not moving out of the way for a Brit in a UK-registered car, so I had to sit patiently for someone else to come up, force their way through and then I'd follow in the 'door' created. He must have caught up & overtaken just after Adenauer Forst and he couldn't shake me (although I kept a fair 50m or so behind him) until after Galgenkopf where I lifted to cool the car down after my 3rd of 3 laps.

I caught back up to him in the exit queue, he gave me a gloved thumbs up and then I noticed he was in full fire-proof/flame-retardant overalls, gloves, helmet, and the car was stripped to white paint on the inside with a roll-cage, plumbed-in fire extinguisher, EVERYTHING.

So either he was playing with me, doing multiple warm up laps, or was on the phone for the whole lap - or I am a driving god* - but you should have seen the grin on my face :thumbsup:


* although I'd done a lot more laps than him that day and I knew the amount of grip I had on most corners. Some of our group who didn't make it out of bed as early were doing very slow laps (relatively) as they didn't know where the grip was, and I think I did more dodgy overtakes on that one lap than I've done on the other 100 or so. In most cases I think the car being overtaken assumed there was only one car coming through and 'accidentally' went to move back 'on line' only to find me overtaking them half on the grass :rofl:
 
People always have opinions. Its what the car does for you that matters.

Many people have preconceptions of my car. But as soon as they see it they shut up quickly, then when they get in it, hear it and live a little of it in the passenger seat their opinion changes very very quickly.

Brilliant little motor.

Again from having a plethora of BMWs in the family, including an E46 M3, E92 M3, Z4Mc and now with a 997 CS it fits in very well. No way is it the worst M car ever built. Its just a different breed, people just don't see it until they experience it.
 
Clearly we're driving Gods mmmfive :rofl:
In all seriousness though, the other guy was a pretty capable driver and I had to give it 10 1/2 tenths all the time. At one point I came out of a chicane at about 50 mph extremely sideways under power and looked in the mirror to see him sliding across the track behind me :driving: :evil: Eventually he gave up chasing me as his supercharger oil temperature was running too high. Talking afterwards, he felt that I was braking marginally earlier than he had to and at the end of long straights he was starting to gain on me slightly. Overall, I suspect that it was physics that kept his heavier and less aerodynamic car behind me...
...I would really like his SC, seats, brakes, etc though :wink:
 
daz05 said:
Tony what btg times are you putting in. The car really felt at home out there.
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No idea. I've not timed a track lap for over 10 years. Saves me 'pushing' for the extra 1s or so, and means if the worst comes to the worst my trackday (touristenfahrten cover through MORIS) insurance doesn't become invalid.

The closest I get to timing at the 'Ring is looking at the LED noticeboard before I go through the barrier, and then again when I come back in. I did one lap first thing in the morning after a VLN race where there was an Opel Astra GTE in front of me at the barriers, which I overtook almost immediately and didn't see another car for the rest of the lap. Sad to say that my average corner speed on that first lap was about 20mph and the car was still sliding everywhere. Probably only hit 100mph at most. Although that was the day that I'd done 10 laps before most others had done one, and probably halved my laptimes once 2 dry lines had appeared (still meant going offline to overtake was dangerous).

There's lots of claims of lap times out there, but I don't get involved, and there's rarely a chance to do a 100% clear lap. If lap times are on your mind, you may do one too many ill-advised overtakes :thumbsdown:

Am going to try and record a lap or two this visit though, as I've been meaning to try the OBC & GPS sensors I've got for the 'Harry's Lap Timer' app. Alternatively I might hire an official & approved Go-Pro from the 'Ring itself to get some video without having the marshals scrutinise the car :P
 
I'm hoping he'll decide to sell it to me so I can strip it for parts for mine - won't catch me driving a roadster :P

Speaking of which, he's a bit quiet these days...
 
BMWZ4MC said:
I'm hoping he'll decide to sell it to me so I can strip it for parts for mine - won't catch me driving a roadster :P

Speaking of which, he's a bit quiet these days...
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I keep threatening to borrow my mates CSL, but it does so few miles (like some of the Z4s on here) that he rarely has a battery connected.

I'd be happy to make use of his carbon intake/plenum, CSL wheels with PSS tyres on, and mahoosive Alcon brakes (380mm 6-pots) :thumbsup:
 
well i am 3 seconds off an v8 r8 with loads of electronics on the track swopped cars last week and believe it or not but he loved mzr he said a proper drivers car :thumbsup: :driving:
 
shortfuse 2 said:
well i am 3 seconds off an v8 r8 with loads of electronics on the track swopped cars last week and believe it or not but he loved mzr he said a proper drivers car :thumbsup: :driving:
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3 seconds at the 'Ring, or 3 seconds at Brands Indy? The track length makes all the difference :thumbsup:
 
Z4MC has never been a well loved car by the motoring journos.

Mr Clarkson did indeed slag it off for it's harsh ride and made several snide comments about it's looks. While I can appreciate it's not as well sorted for everyday use as the Z4MR :poke: ( all these experts can't be wrong?) I always thought it was/is a very pretty looking car.
 
Will the lack of 'postive press' put any doubts in the Z4MC/R being a future classic?

I mean who actually decides what is a classic and what isnt? the motoring press?
 
I remember Jeremy Clarkson utterly lambasting the 2003 350z when it was launched.

It's definitely not the media, but the fan crowd.

Or take the Hyundai Tiburon V6, a frequently derided car that had an immense fan base. "Our" love affair lasted for four years of Celica-killing, bomb-proof and extremely budget exotica.

http://www.autocentrum.pl/awc/corsaire77/hyundai-tiburon-2005/
 
It's funny how similar themes seem to emerge across a number of different publications/websites at around the same time. Lazy journo's picking up on ideas from other sources maybe? Clearly you would not expect a warm response on a forum like this but it was interesting to see the Pistonhead response.
As others have said, it bothers me not a jot. You either get it or you don't and if you don't then you probably haven't driven one.
 
I'm afraid that anyone who has driven the Z4MC and marks the car down because of the dreadful suspension is correct. It's relatively easy to sort it out though and the car can be transformed into what it should've been. It's a real shame that BMW didn't get this right; the car deserved better.
 
Fair comment.....

I have just put H&R springs on mine and its improved the ride immensly....Its not perfect,but what is out of the packet??

But suspension aside whats not to like?
 
Z4M-2006 said:
But suspension aside whats not to like?
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Totally agree.

I took a friend (he has a 4 year old Mustang) on a 150 mile round trip, a fair bit on the twisties, in my Z4MC yesterday and he was well impressed with everything about my Z4MC, now with well sorted suspension.
 
MR Clarkson is a big tw*t, i mean literally. literally, literally. But I like him anyway for all the work he's done for environmental organisations. surprisingly hammond who is not such a big tw*t liked it :|

I think stigs lap shows true capability of the car... bet he would like Coupe more :D ;)
 
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