Had a couple of hyundai coupes which were a reasonable drive and very affordable but always wanted something with a bit more poke to complement the looks. I was looking at the lotus europa for a while till i went to look at one and found it way too cramped. The evora is still out of my pocket and i didnt want a 'vert. Z4 coupe was the best looking best performing car i could afford to buy and run reasonably.
Why did you purchase a Z4?
- Thread starter markeg
- Start date
Was going out to look at Ford Fiesta's in the 8-10 grand range after my Focus died. Just out of curiosity I looked online at what sort of convertibles you could gt at that price range (aaaaalways wanted a convertible). Saw the zed, went and drove it and fell in love!
As I got a little older and slower of reflexes. I decided to give up the cafe racer motorcycle life. But I still wanted the open air and a quick car. I once owned a 1969 Corvette roadster. The Zed as the same basic long bonnet short boot. And I really like the sound of an inline six with a sport exhaust. Plus I found a good deal on my Zed.
A friend got me into performance cars after taking me for a spin in his Accord Type-R, and from that moment on I knew I wanted a car with real power. Ironically I got a Civic diesel, but in its defence it pulled like a train and had great economy for a long-distance touring trip I wanted to do. Unfortunately the 2.2 diesel gave me a real taste of performance, and I couldn't shake it. This of course highlighted the Civic's handling which was, well let's just say 'understeery'. A few RAC callouts later and I was looking for a replacement. It had to be a fun car with good performance and capable of the touring trip I still hadn't got round to.
I test drove many hot hatchbacks, and they all felt a bit flat. I had just about given up when my friend had picked up an S2000. First spin it it was rather bland, it had a nice redline but otherwise didn't really seem all that special. Then I had another spin with the roof down down a twisty route - this is what I had been missing! Unfortunately the S2000 is shocking on the motorway, so I had to find an alternative. I took out 2 MX-5 Mk3s out for a spin, but they didn't have any fix. I then on a whim tried out a 1.8 MX-5 Mk3.5 and loved it, came so very close to buying it. But I was worried about the lack of performance, it wasn't exactly fast to say the least. I then managed to track down an MX-5 2.0 Sport Tech in fantastic condition for a bargain price - but upon taking it to the prequisite 70mph the wind noise was just too much.
I had been looking at Z4s but found them too expensive, but there was a nice 2.0 Sport in Luton. It ticked all of my boxes, and in the wet seemed plenty fast enough, despite really wanting a 2.5 or better. I picked it up, it looked fantastic and round town drove great. On the way out I hit a dual carriageway and must confess to feeling rather disappointed with the poke and got a little buyers remorse. Still, the handling and feel of the car was spot-on so I pressed ahead with my trip (finally!). The trip went well, but the lack of poke really put a damper near the end, enough that I was checking classifieds online at the hotels.
When I got home I took a hot hatchback for a little spin, with the salesman expecting an easy sale. He was quite disappointed when I remarked that it 'isn't that good'. The Z4 is great at removing the boring stuff (lights, wipers, mirrors, etc.) while making the act of driving as involving as possible. I know it's trivial, but just the fact that these modern hatchbacks have stupid indicator stalks drove me nuts. The worst was I did an emergency stop by accident (left foot braking) and the car continued braking after I released the pedal! I looked around for any other alternatives, and it's pretty slim pickings. The SLK is a bit femie and the manual isn't that good, and autos are universally rubbish (apologies to people who prefer auto). The 350Z is a bit thirsty and bulky. Porsches can turn into money pits. S2000 is cold in the winter and noisy on the motorway.
So I continued saving cash away, knowing that there was but one solution - a 3.0si. Eventually I tracked one down that wasn't sold, was well priced and had the spec I needed. The test drive was shorter than I would have liked (it was getting dark, and very close to closing time), and highlighted a few things I was worried about. Ultimately I put a deposit down the following morning. It took 2 weeks for the car to be ready, what a difficult wait that was! Picked it up, and on the drive home things just got better and better, the performance was much better than the test drive had implied, and the MPG display just kept on going up and up. This is by far the best car I've ever had, and it's the first since my very first car where I haven't had a feeling of buyers remorse. Even a broken spring hasn't dampened my spirits at all. The Z4 just feels 'right' to me, the driver is clearly the priority and that's just how I like it.
So lesson learned - if you want a fast car, don't cop out and get a slower one just because it's cheaper, you pay more in the long run. Oh and always buy a Z4, other cars are rubbish
I test drove many hot hatchbacks, and they all felt a bit flat. I had just about given up when my friend had picked up an S2000. First spin it it was rather bland, it had a nice redline but otherwise didn't really seem all that special. Then I had another spin with the roof down down a twisty route - this is what I had been missing! Unfortunately the S2000 is shocking on the motorway, so I had to find an alternative. I took out 2 MX-5 Mk3s out for a spin, but they didn't have any fix. I then on a whim tried out a 1.8 MX-5 Mk3.5 and loved it, came so very close to buying it. But I was worried about the lack of performance, it wasn't exactly fast to say the least. I then managed to track down an MX-5 2.0 Sport Tech in fantastic condition for a bargain price - but upon taking it to the prequisite 70mph the wind noise was just too much.
I had been looking at Z4s but found them too expensive, but there was a nice 2.0 Sport in Luton. It ticked all of my boxes, and in the wet seemed plenty fast enough, despite really wanting a 2.5 or better. I picked it up, it looked fantastic and round town drove great. On the way out I hit a dual carriageway and must confess to feeling rather disappointed with the poke and got a little buyers remorse. Still, the handling and feel of the car was spot-on so I pressed ahead with my trip (finally!). The trip went well, but the lack of poke really put a damper near the end, enough that I was checking classifieds online at the hotels.
When I got home I took a hot hatchback for a little spin, with the salesman expecting an easy sale. He was quite disappointed when I remarked that it 'isn't that good'. The Z4 is great at removing the boring stuff (lights, wipers, mirrors, etc.) while making the act of driving as involving as possible. I know it's trivial, but just the fact that these modern hatchbacks have stupid indicator stalks drove me nuts. The worst was I did an emergency stop by accident (left foot braking) and the car continued braking after I released the pedal! I looked around for any other alternatives, and it's pretty slim pickings. The SLK is a bit femie and the manual isn't that good, and autos are universally rubbish (apologies to people who prefer auto). The 350Z is a bit thirsty and bulky. Porsches can turn into money pits. S2000 is cold in the winter and noisy on the motorway.
So I continued saving cash away, knowing that there was but one solution - a 3.0si. Eventually I tracked one down that wasn't sold, was well priced and had the spec I needed. The test drive was shorter than I would have liked (it was getting dark, and very close to closing time), and highlighted a few things I was worried about. Ultimately I put a deposit down the following morning. It took 2 weeks for the car to be ready, what a difficult wait that was! Picked it up, and on the drive home things just got better and better, the performance was much better than the test drive had implied, and the MPG display just kept on going up and up. This is by far the best car I've ever had, and it's the first since my very first car where I haven't had a feeling of buyers remorse. Even a broken spring hasn't dampened my spirits at all. The Z4 just feels 'right' to me, the driver is clearly the priority and that's just how I like it.
So lesson learned - if you want a fast car, don't cop out and get a slower one just because it's cheaper, you pay more in the long run. Oh and always buy a Z4, other cars are rubbish
For me (only having bought mine yesterday).
My personal circumstances have changed (my own choice) as I am looking to buy a significantly bigger house/barn with land and as a consequence all the money I can get my hands on will come in handy and prevent the mortgage from being too large.
Consequently, I sold my 911 (997) Turbo Cab this week and had started looking for a suitable replacement once I started getting enquiries.
It had to be:
Convertivle
Petrol
Not chavvy
0-60 of 6 ish seconds
Look a bit different.
Having considered others (including Z3, C70, S2K, Crossfire, SLK, Boxster), I decided the Z4 offered the best compromise of what I wanted above but on possibly the best budget.
SO after going 100 miles to see one yesterday (it was way cheaper and better specced than anything locally) the deal was done and I collect next Friday.....
My personal circumstances have changed (my own choice) as I am looking to buy a significantly bigger house/barn with land and as a consequence all the money I can get my hands on will come in handy and prevent the mortgage from being too large.
Consequently, I sold my 911 (997) Turbo Cab this week and had started looking for a suitable replacement once I started getting enquiries.
It had to be:
Convertivle
Petrol
Not chavvy
0-60 of 6 ish seconds
Look a bit different.
Having considered others (including Z3, C70, S2K, Crossfire, SLK, Boxster), I decided the Z4 offered the best compromise of what I wanted above but on possibly the best budget.
SO after going 100 miles to see one yesterday (it was way cheaper and better specced than anything locally) the deal was done and I collect next Friday.....
I always wanted a Z3 convertible after my mate let me have a go in his Z3 M Roadster about 8/9 years ago (bear with me!). Used some of my divorce settlement and found myself a cracking 2.0 straight six in Titanium Silver. Made lots of changes to it and pampered it. 18's, Simota, Eisenmann exhaust. It drove as it should, with no tramlining. Never failed to put a smile on my face.
However, I could never get comfortable in it in long journeys. I scoured the forums and eBay and eventually bought myself some heated ///M Seats. Still no difference on long journeys and I would get out the other end walking like I was 90.
Started looking at Z4's and then the perfect one came up in the colour I liked, with red M Sport seats. Did the deal and it's the best of both worlds. Faultless over long and short distances, and one hell of a good drive even with the run flats.
That said, it's not quite as good to "drive" as the Z3 which is more fun in the twisties. My Z3 now lives with a mate until I decide what to do with it, so I have both cars to play with
However, I could never get comfortable in it in long journeys. I scoured the forums and eBay and eventually bought myself some heated ///M Seats. Still no difference on long journeys and I would get out the other end walking like I was 90.
Started looking at Z4's and then the perfect one came up in the colour I liked, with red M Sport seats. Did the deal and it's the best of both worlds. Faultless over long and short distances, and one hell of a good drive even with the run flats.
That said, it's not quite as good to "drive" as the Z3 which is more fun in the twisties. My Z3 now lives with a mate until I decide what to do with it, so I have both cars to play with