Upgrading from 2.5 to 3.0

[philip27]

With my Z no longer being used everyday I am considering upgrading to a 3 litre in the new year. I was wondering if others have done this and if the leap in performance was really that noticeable. I have never thought my current car is under powered and I love how well it drives. Running costs wise I'm not to concerned I'm guessing tax & servicing costs will be similar to my 2.5 and fuel is not as much of a concern as when I got the 2.5 a couple of years ago.

I still love my car and have not really thought about selling it for anything else so I'd very picky about any car I'd potential swap it for. Sadly an M is out of question as I simple can not justify the cost for it to sit in the garage most of the week. But going up to a 3.0 could be a nice upgrade and not cost a lot especially if I could get some of the extras I missed out on last time like sat nav and heated seats.

 

[ben g]

Extra gear is nice to have, aswell as the fact you have the 'top spec' non ///M engine choice under the bonnet.

Unsure what the difference in performance is like, but I imagine with 35 or so bhp more, it'll be a little bit quicker.

 

[z4_top_down]

I went from a 2.5Si to a 3.0Si at the end of summer there is definitely more power and the 3.0 seems to make a nicer noise than I remember the 2.5 making but that could be psychological. To be honest the biggest difference I notice is the 40,000 less miles, far fewer creaks and rattles and the interior is almost showroom condition.

 

[edd_jedi]

Why not go for an M? Surely if you go to all that effort to get a 3.0 you'll just lust after the M a few months later.

 

[Sim_Simma]

Why not go for an M? Surely if you go to all that effort to get a 3.0 you'll just lust after the M a few months later.

He's probably looking at a preface 3.0 so an m would cost double. I had a 2.5 and I did think it was under powered, wanted a 3.0 but couldn't afford the insurance.

 

[philip27]

Why not go for an M? Surely if you go to all that effort to get a 3.0 you'll just lust after the M a few months later.

An M would be nice but I just can't justify that much extra money for a car I'd only use at weekends. Going to a 3.0 seems like it could be a good upgrade bit extra power and get one with a higher spec then mine. I'd be looking at cars between 6 & 7k so it would probably be a preface lift model. I'd be in no rush so would be happy to wait for the correct car to come up.

Biggest problem I think is finding one with sports seats may have to take the ones out of my current car.

 

[Luke the spark]

Keep your current car a tinker around with like a project
Retro fit sports seats when they come up, by a sound mod etc

 

[PerryGunn]

As you're in Nottingham, why not look for an Alpina - bit of a hotspot around there as Sytner are the UK main agents - better engine and more power than a 3.0L but running costs are very similar

 

[Yorkie Z]

Go for the 3.0 sport model 265 BHP
Same running cost as the normal 3.0 and non of the bills you get with an M car.!!

 

[Bing]

Why not go for an M? Surely if you go to all that effort to get a 3.0 you'll just lust after the M a few months later.

An M would be nice but I just can't justify that much extra money for a car I'd only use at weekends. Going to a 3.0 seems like it could be a good upgrade bit extra power and get one with a higher spec then mine. I'd be looking at cars between 6 & 7k so it would probably be a preface lift model. I'd be in no rush so would be happy to wait for the correct car to come up.

Biggest problem I think is finding one with sports seats may have to take the ones out of my current car.

You might get a decent - though fairly high mileage - 3.0Si Sport for that money at this time of year. It'll have sports seats and the jump to 265bhp will certainly be noticeable.

 

[buzyg]

Sounds like you know what you want.

A 3.0i with a higher spec and less miles, should feel like a very worth while change. Taking your time should mean you can find the right car, for the sort of budget your looking at.

Good hunting.