Where would you/did you go from an M?

[Angelus666]

[/quote]

I suppose there's two ways to do it

1) What would possibly get your attention for the price of an M?

2) What is good enough to make you fork out for an upgrade over the M?

I find it speaks volumes about the BMW that an awful lot of money has to be spent to get something consideration-worthy that is better.

The issue too is just because you pay twice the money for something, doesn't mean you've got twice the car.[/quote]

Yeah, that's what I see as a sensible view on it....I think only a Boxster/Cayman S warrants comparison in the same price bracket...but to me the rarity of the M makes it much more appealing (even if it isn't the better car).

 

[Angelus666]

I did see somewhere a slightly terrifying quote for a set of discs/pads on an AMG merc - not sure which one but it was the same as replacing a set on a Lambo or something. With a second hand Ferrari I don't think you'll expect it to be cheap to service, but a merc would catch people out.

The Z4M is fairly expensive to run, but nothing on it seems hideously bad.

2k plus for front discs and pads , I nearly bought one , but there is no aftermarket alternative for discs yet , or at least there wasn't a year ago .
Tried to buy a couple of 350s but they are 3k more than a z4 , 350 slk is a very underrated and overpriced car , z4 drives a little better and is cheaper .

Might sound harsh, but I can only see a SLK as a middle aged ladies car, no matter what engine.

 

[Paulwirral]

I did see somewhere a slightly terrifying quote for a set of discs/pads on an AMG merc - not sure which one but it was the same as replacing a set on a Lambo or something. With a second hand Ferrari I don't think you'll expect it to be cheap to service, but a merc would catch people out.

The Z4M is fairly expensive to run, but nothing on it seems hideously bad.

2k plus for front discs and pads , I nearly bought one , but there is no aftermarket alternative for discs yet , or at least there wasn't a year ago .
Tried to buy a couple of 350s but they are 3k more than a z4 , 350 slk is a very underrated and overpriced car , z4 drives a little better and is cheaper .

Might sound harsh, but I can only see a SLK as a middle aged ladies car, no matter what engine.

That's exactly what I thought until I drove one , but the way I earn a living is all then nothing , a cheap house became available so I had to cut my budget to early z4 money , no loss really apart from the house has took a year to sell , I reckoned it would be 6 weeks , agent thought less

 

[Anonymous]

I've also been out with an R8 V8 and they are no faster than the MR across country.

Not a chance in my eyes. Perhaps the two cars require a different format of driving (and I'm still new to solely rwd) but in various local locations I've had my foot hard down in the R8 while the Z4M has told me (flash of the TC light and a wiggle at the rear) to ease on the power.

On the roads around me, what I have found halts progress with something like an R8 is the sheer girth of the car. It is very wide, so much so that you spend more time worrying about what is coming the other direction than you do about enjoying the drive. A shame, because they are cracking cars.

I would, however, agree with the above. It does make you think when pushing on in The Lakes, for example.

 

[JayEmm]

My last 911 was a 996 C4, so you're talking about 296bhp over four-wheel-drive. It also had slightly larger boots at the rear than the Z4M. I pretty much never saw the TC flash up, unless I was trying to be a monumental idiot in first in very poor conditions.

That probably made it a much quicker cross-country machine, however one of the main things that drew me to the Zed was RWD only plus a LSD means I can have a little bit of fun here and there - I can give it a poke at the odd junction (there's a few well sighted ones on mostly deserted roads around me) and have the back kick out a bit.

The R8's greatest sin, in stock V8 form, is being just way too quiet inside the cabin. It is a phenomenal car for sure and I can see why so many people in London bought them - you can drive one as easily as any other Audi. I just thought it lacked a little bit of theatre. I still might have one one day, but I think I would need a very extended test drive to convince me it was worth changing the Z for.

 

[jamesbond]

Hi

As most know I went from a M to a Sdrive 35s

in fact I have owned 3 Z4M's (black / silver and blue) and I have owned at least 4 E85 3.0se examples and a Z3M roadster with the s54 engine

regards

 

[Beedub]

with my current financial position something thats not a massive jump in cost it would have to be the new lotus exige CUP. All the mods i would do already done from factory. If i had a decent enough offer for mine in the coming years id make the switch.
i would love the new GT3 but its just way out of my price range at the moment, business has been tough for a few years.

 

[obikaii]

Just sold my z4mc & replaced it with an RS4 saloon,& so far im hugely impressed,its far more rapid than I thought it would be,although its not stock(miltek,sports cats,stage 2 remap)& is very nimble through the corners,but has a very comfortable ride,the drc system is very good,best thing though is the sound,first v8 ive owned,& i love it,people certainly notice when you accelerate,ha ha.
If I hadn't needed a more practical car,more seats etc,then I would of been looking at aV8 vantage,or R8,but they are £10k to £20k more than a Z4m,so id of been waiting a long time,& i dont think that for pure driving enjoyment they are worth the extra money over a Z4m,its just that they were twice as expensive when new.

 

[original guvnor]

with my current financial position something thats not a massive jump in cost it would have to be the new lotus exige CUP. All the mods i would do already done from factory. If i had a decent enough offer for mine in the coming years id make the switch.
i would love the new GT3 but its just way out of my price range at the moment, business has been tough for a few years.

Almost exactly the same as my wish list. Although I might go for a normal Exige S instead. The Cup is drool material though!! Just look at this beauty http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/exige-s3/lotus-exige-v6-cup-black-edition/2360596

I think I'd prefer a 997.2 GT3 to the 991.The 991 is a great car but even though the 997 isn't quite as quick or as capable it's a bit closer to what the model stands for and is bonkers quick for mere mortals like me. They are creeping up too quickly in value for me though.

 

[Beedub]

with my current financial position something thats not a massive jump in cost it would have to be the new lotus exige CUP. All the mods i would do already done from factory. If i had a decent enough offer for mine in the coming years id make the switch.
i would love the new GT3 but its just way out of my price range at the moment, business has been tough for a few years.

Almost exactly the same as my wish list. Although I might go for a normal Exige S instead. The Cup is drool material though!! Just look at this beauty http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/exige-s3/lotus-exige-v6-cup-black-edition/2360596

I think I'd prefer a 997.2 GT3 to the 991.The 991 is a great car but even though the 997 isn't quite as quick or as capable it's a bit closer to what the model stands for and is bonkers quick for mere mortals like me. They are creeping up too quickly in value for me though.

theirs a grey pewter one with black detailing ( I'm kinda predictable i know) with endurance tank fitted and I'm in love but damn... even these when you look at them are ALOT of money for a "toy". Everything in the car world has gone crazy pricing imo, with all the mods and work done to my concourse condition vehicle its a one off now days (both condition/spec/miles) , i have to spend this type of money to better it, luckily I'm in a great place with my Z and I'm happy to be here for a good while! however as said before if i got any serious offers that i couldn't refuse, id make the jump now after all these years, a new toy to lust after would be awesome! I always wanted to pass the Z on to my son god willing.

 

[Beedub]

with my current financial position something thats not a massive jump in cost it would have to be the new lotus exige CUP. All the mods i would do already done from factory. If i had a decent enough offer for mine in the coming years id make the switch.
i would love the new GT3 but its just way out of my price range at the moment, business has been tough for a few years.

Almost exactly the same as my wish list. Although I might go for a normal Exige S instead. The Cup is drool material though!! Just look at this beauty http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/exige-s3/lotus-exige-v6-cup-black-edition/2360596

I think I'd prefer a 997.2 GT3 to the 991.The 991 is a great car but even though the 997 isn't quite as quick or as capable it's a bit closer to what the model stands for and is bonkers quick for mere mortals like me. They are creeping up too quickly in value for me though.

this is the one I'm lusting after currently!! As long as i could see the bills for the lotus motorsport work id love this!! but damn!! 60k is no joke for this imo....

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/exige-s3/lotus-exige-s-cup-race-and-premium-sport/2944298

 

[JayEmm]

That is a gorgeous Lotus but I think I would not ever be able to convince myself to spend second-hand 997 GT3/Ferrari F430 money on what is basically a go-faster Elise.

I have no doubt it would be an absolute weapon but I would probably rather have an Evora for day-to-day and an early S1 Elise for some track thrills/weekend roof down fun

 

[Mad Professor]

I did see somewhere a slightly terrifying quote for a set of discs/pads on an AMG merc - not sure which one but it was the same as replacing a set on a Lambo or something. With a second hand Ferrari I don't think you'll expect it to be cheap to service, but a merc would catch people out.

The Z4M is fairly expensive to run, but nothing on it seems hideously bad.

2k plus for front discs and pads , I nearly bought one , but there is no aftermarket alternative for discs yet , or at least there wasn't a year ago .
Tried to buy a couple of 350s but they are 3k more than a z4 , 350 slk is a very underrated and overpriced car , z4 drives a little better and is cheaper .

Might sound harsh, but I can only see a SLK as a middle aged ladies car, no matter what engine.

That's a rather sterotyped opinion - i wonder have you ever driven an SLK AMG ?
That's the same bigoted nonsense One reads about an MX5 being a hair dressers car . I would suspect that a mark 1 Eonos type 2 would leave a Z4 for dead on twisty B roads .

 

[Mad Professor]

I did see somewhere a slightly terrifying quote for a set of discs/pads on an AMG merc - not sure which one but it was the same as replacing a set on a Lambo or something. With a second hand Ferrari I don't think you'll expect it to be cheap to service, but a merc would catch people out.

The Z4M is fairly expensive to run, but nothing on it seems hideously bad.

2k plus for front discs and pads , I nearly bought one , but there is no aftermarket alternative for discs yet , or at least there wasn't a year ago .
Tried to buy a couple of 350s but they are 3k more than a z4 , 350 slk is a very underrated and overpriced car , z4 drives a little better and is cheaper .

Might sound harsh, but I can only see a SLK as a middle aged ladies car, no matter what engine.

That's a rather stereotyped opinion re the SLK -similar to the bigoted nonsense one reads about an MX5 being a hair dressers car . I would suspect that a mark 1 Eonos type 2 would leave a Z4 for dead on twisty B roads .

 

[Anonymous]

My last 911 was a 996 C4, so you're talking about 296bhp over four-wheel-drive. It also had slightly larger boots at the rear than the Z4M. I pretty much never saw the TC flash up, unless I was trying to be a monumental idiot in first in very poor conditions.

That probably made it a much quicker cross-country machine, however one of the main things that drew me to the Zed was RWD only plus a LSD means I can have a little bit of fun here and there - I can give it a poke at the odd junction (there's a few well sighted ones on mostly deserted roads around me) and have the back kick out a bit.

The R8's greatest sin, in stock V8 form, is being just way too quiet inside the cabin. It is a phenomenal car for sure and I can see why so many people in London bought them - you can drive one as easily as any other Audi. I just thought it lacked a little bit of theatre. I still might have one one day, but I think I would need a very extended test drive to convince me it was worth changing the Z for.

I think we have similar tastes. The greatest thing noise wise about the V8 is the "choke" on startup. It sits above 1500 revs for a decent 2-3 mins when cold and sounds fabulous. Get in, close the door... sounds nothing like the "event" of my MR.

 

[JayEmm]

That's a rather stereotyped opinion re the SLK -similar to the bigoted nonsense one reads about an MX5 being a hair dressers car . I would suspect that a mark 1 Eonos type 2 would leave a Z4 for dead on twisty B roads .

I have not even sat in an SLK, let alone driven one, but my impression of an SL was that it was very soft, very much designed for an older driver. The controls felt very similar to an old XKR - everything very light.

Faster or slower doesn't make a huge difference to me, I can break the speed limit in about seven seconds in the Z4, my 1.4 diesel van could lose me my licence - I care more about looks, noise, feel etc...

That doesn't mean I don't have a gargantuan smile on my face when I am in something properly rapid (only been in two cars off the top of my head that fit that description), but for my own cars I have other priorities.

 

[Beedub]

The Z4M is fairly expensive to run, but nothing on it seems hideously bad.[/quote]
2k plus for front discs and pads , I nearly bought one , but there is no aftermarket alternative for discs yet , or at least there wasn't a year ago .
Tried to buy a couple of 350s but they are 3k more than a z4 , 350 slk is a very underrated and overpriced car , z4 drives a little better and is cheaper .[/quote]

Might sound harsh, but I can only see a SLK as a middle aged ladies car, no matter what engine.[/quote]

That's a rather stereotyped opinion re the SLK -similar to the bigoted nonsense one reads about an MX5 being a hair dressers car . I would suspect that a mark 1 Eonos type 2 would leave a Z4 for dead on twisty B roads .[/quote]

i tend to ignore such comments as they usually come from people that haven't got a clue.... and ..... yes... owned a mk1 1.8is and mk2 1.8is mx5 and man i got some stick for it but jesus did they leave a smile on my face, pure is the only word that comes to mind. My Red mk1 was just utterly wonderful, i drove that thing EVERYwhere with the roof off. Good times. FWIW the SLK amg black series was no joke, a car many forget about.

 

[original guvnor]

with my current financial position something thats not a massive jump in cost it would have to be the new lotus exige CUP. All the mods i would do already done from factory. If i had a decent enough offer for mine in the coming years id make the switch.
i would love the new GT3 but its just way out of my price range at the moment, business has been tough for a few years.

Almost exactly the same as my wish list. Although I might go for a normal Exige S instead. The Cup is drool material though!! Just look at this beauty http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/exige-s3/lotus-exige-v6-cup-black-edition/2360596

I think I'd prefer a 997.2 GT3 to the 991.The 991 is a great car but even though the 997 isn't quite as quick or as capable it's a bit closer to what the model stands for and is bonkers quick for mere mortals like me. They are creeping up too quickly in value for me though.

this is the one I'm lusting after currently!! As long as i could see the bills for the lotus motorsport work id love this!! but damn!! 60k is no joke for this imo....

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/exige-s3/lotus-exige-s-cup-race-and-premium-sport/2944298

Yes that's lovely but who would buy a Cup car and have Lotus Motorsport do their stuff and then not track it!!

The beauty with the Exige is that depreciation is very low so the initial outlay is high but so is retained value. Try and find one for less than about £45k. Most are still £50k.

 

[Beedub]

I think I'd prefer a 997.2 GT3 to the 991.The 991 is a great car but even though the 997 isn't quite as quick or as capable it's a bit closer to what the model stands for and is bonkers quick for mere mortals like me. They are creeping up too quickly in value for me though.[/quote]

this is the one I'm lusting after currently!! As long as i could see the bills for the lotus motorsport work id love this!! but damn!! 60k is no joke for this imo....

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/exige-s3/lotus-exige-s-cup-race-and-premium-sport/2944298[/quote]

Yes that's lovely but who would buy a Cup car and have Lotus Motorsport do their stuff and then not track it!!

The beauty with the Exige is that depreciation is very low so the initial outlay is high but so is retained value. Try and find one for less than about £45k. Most are still £50k.[/quote]

lets face it, the car is designed for the track/fast driving so its kind weird they particularly highlight it hasn't been used in such way ( which would not bother me in the slightest as long as i can check the car thoroughly). The data-logged launch comment was even more eye brow raising...

 

[Bing]

That matte black one :wub:

But.... £70k That is most certainly a rich boy's toy :wink: