Z4 as a Grand Tourer?

wiseguy

wiseguy

Member
 Mississippi, USA
I've seen some on this forum refer to the Z4 as a "grand tourer" ("GT"). While I'd like to believe that's true, it does not appear as a GT in the internet research I've conducted. It is a very comfortable car and fit for long trips, with a few modifications. I've driven mine up to 700 miles in a weekend, but have a few longer trips planned in the near future.

A grand tourer, in my mind, is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving, emphasizing comfort over straight-out performance or spartan accommodations. Based on that defintion, I want to turn my Z4 into a GT, for the occassional lengthy road trip. From the factory, it's already pretty close to being a GT. I'm soliciting suggestions and photos of what has worked for others. Here is what I have in mind thus far:

boot bag, for extra storage:
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or, the Roadster Solutions clip on trunk rack, removable after the trip ends:
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On the trunk rack, I could carry a full size spare, (I'm ditching the runflats) like the days of old when open air motoring included carrying a full sized spare:
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That last car is a BMW 328. To be clear- I want to make the car more functional and safe for long journeys; I do not think a spare on the trunk adds to the look of the car.
 
I've taken a number of long trips in the Z4 and find it to be very comfortable with plenty of room if you pack smart...

I'm at a loss for words about this...
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Here you go fixed this one... :roll:


To be honest the last time I saw a pic of a bag like this it featured a dead body; remember the MI6 guy found locked inside a bag in his bathroom...scary.
 
For some reason, the black car number 33 reminds me of an Ariel atom! Looks cool. But doubt I would be satisfied with the 20 mph top speed :poke:
 
We've been away in ours and fitted everything in the boot ( trunk). We are bikers too so used to packing light. I've seen a boot bag on a Z before and they look like a useful way of carrying extra stuff. Not very secure though,anyone with a sharp knife can have it away in seconds.
 
i'am the same as bigshurv been used to going on a motorbike me and the misses have just a 1800 miles trip to france for 9 days round the alps no problems plenty of room in the boot for luggage.rucksacks,and walking boots
 
Mrs. Workz and I traveled 1000 miles each way last spring for 2 weeks to assemble a large art installation (shipped ahead by freight) and visit a few friends. Besides the usual things one brings on such a trip, and a compact spare, we each brought a separate set of work clothes, and an good assortment of power and hand tools. We encountered a fair bit of rain and even some snow, for which we were reasonably equipped. We were never bikers, but we do fly often. We still had enough room on the return for several bottles of California wine and even had the top down a good part of the way. There's plenty of room if you only take what you really need.

The one trick we used was: once the boot was loosely filled with our luggage, we packed various additional odds and ends directly into various nooks and crannies without additional containers. We brought a few rolled up empty canvas grocery bags to enable transport of these odds and ends as needed.

The only complaint we had of the Zed as a grand tourer was the sections of concrete roadway we encountered were very noisy and choppy. A 6er would have been much better there.
 
Georgio said:
Here you go fixed this one... :roll:


To be honest the last time I saw a pic of a bag like this it featured a dead body; remember the MI6 guy found locked inside a bag in his bathroom...scary.
Click to expand...

HAHA! Nicely done. OK, so I'm leaning more towards the temp. trunk rack...

Suitcases are part of the problem, as their rigid exteriors limit the way they can be positioned. I need to buy the misses a duffle bag and convince her it looks good.

I'll also need to pick up a jack and lug wrench. I believe I read where a 3 series jack works nicely for the Z.

Keep the opinions coming, and throw in a few pics if you have modified the trunk, etc., like I'm considering.
 
We've had our Z for four years and are now approaching 60k kms. Doesn't sound like much but it is strictly for the long hauls for up to 10 days. Never had a problem getting all our stuff into the trunk in two suitcases. Years ago we dropped the 'just in case' attitude when packing. Now it's the essentials. And we always seem to have enough room somewhere to toss in some have-to-haves along the way.

About the spare tire and hardware, when did you last have a flat? I mean one that put you out of service immediately, like a blow out. I can't remember ever having one in the past 40 years. Usually it's a nail that causes a slow leak and allows you to continue to a safe place. I carry a small electric air pump and a tire plug kit, fits nicely next to the battery. I remember when the BMW salesman prattled on about how great runflats were. When I told him I was going to ditch them he gave me the 'what if it's a rainy night and you have a flat on a deserted road, etc.' I said I'd call road service and wait for them, that even if the RFs would take me another 100 kms, slim chance that any shop would have the exact tire I would need.

The rear luggage rack doesn't look too bad, I guess, but it does ruin the line, IMO. So you strap a bag to it, has to be waterproof. How do you ensure that it doesn't disappear while you're stopped for lunch or shopping? I'd try smart packing first and if that doesn't work, add the rack. My 2 cents.
 
Agree with Airhead here. 3 weeks on the road with wife and me. The trunk started out packed, but by the end, we had room for the have-to-have-it's as well. We pack for 4-5 days, then stop to wash and go again.
For hanging stuff, checkout some sites that have clothes hangers that you can hang on the back of your seat such as Roadster Solutions.
 
WLH said:
I'm at a loss for words about this...
Click to expand...

Don't knock it until you tried it. I took my M on a three week, near 4,000 tour of Europe (shameless thread pimp: http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=27612 ) and with the battery in the boot, luggage space is terrible. I got one of those boot bags to give me another 5o litres of space and needed every inch of it. It has the advantages of leaving no permanent marks, stable at up to about 120mph and you can raise and lower the roof with it attached. It isn't the most glorious looking thing, but very cost effective with few drawbacks.
 
Personally, being 6'3" I don't consider it a GT. If you are under 6' I guess its OK but long journeys to me, while perfectly acceptable, are not what I'd call wafting....LOL! :driving:
 
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