Z4 Buying Advice

N

NickJonathan

Member
Hi guys,

Im currently looking to change my E90 for a Z4. Previously to that I had a 3.4 Boxster S which I loved but looking for a change and the Z is on the list. I'm looking for honest opinions between the 3.0si and the M?

Understandably every M driver says the difference is huge and every 3.0si drivers says the differences were marginal and certainly not worth the extra price/running costs so just looking honest opinions?

Drove a 3.0si yesterday and enjoyed it but thought the ride i.e. run flats ruined the handling which i can change and it wasn't quite as powerful as I'd hoped but struggling to find an M to test near to me!

Thanks in advance
 
Nick are you not asking the same question as before here? :?

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=36571
 
NickJonathan said:
Hi guys,

Im currently looking to change my E90 for a Z4. Previously to that I had a 3.4 Boxster S which I loved but looking for a change and the Z is on the list. I'm looking for honest opinions between the 3.0si and the M?

Understandably every M driver says the difference is huge and every 3.0si drivers says the differences were marginal and certainly not worth the extra price/running costs so just looking honest opinions?

Drove a 3.0si yesterday and enjoyed it but thought the ride i.e. run flats ruined the handling which i can change and it wasn't quite as powerful as I'd hoped but struggling to find an M to test near to me!

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

I Think you have just about summed it all up in your question but I think the answer on here is if you need to ask get the M.
 
Darren Slone said:
Nick are you not asking the same question as before here? :?

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=36571
Click to expand...

Just looking for the opinions of non M owners. Never met anyone who has a 3.0si and wishes they had an M and visa versa.
 
NickJonathan said:
Darren Slone said:
Nick are you not asking the same question as before here? :?

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=36571
Click to expand...

Just looking for the opinions of non M owners. Never met anyone who has a 3.0si and wishes they had an M and visa versa.
Click to expand...

Ok, my bad as the youth of today say :)
 
Coming from a 1.6 Fiat Stilo, the 3.0 is very fast but it's a certain type of fast. In my brother's RX8, the speed keeps on climbing (I'd imagine the Honda S2000 is very similar) until over 9,000 revs, which makes it feel extremely quick. My Zed pulls very hard but above 3,500 rpm it flattens out because you're using all the torque it has to give.

The M is meant to be more rev-happy, sound a lot louder and has a whole lot more BHP and torque, which means it will feel a lot faster. But mess up a gear change in a drag race and the difference between it and the 3.0 will be minimal, if you look at it like that.

Not driven the M personally but I can tell you the 3.0 feels very fast. Anything 0-60 under six seconds is really motoring! Plus, as you mentioned, the costs can be eye-watering on the M but you could be unlucky on any car.
 
No worries Darren...really struggling to find an M to drive at the moment! Paza kindly found a car on eBay which was within an hour from me but the ad didn't mention service history and when I asked the seller, it didn't have any history and then wasn't happy about me coming up to drive, I guess because of my hope for having service history with the car!! Who buys a at like that with no service history? Especially as he was hoping for a decent price! The next nearest is a 4hr round trip :(. Still... think the trip will have to be made!

I've been quite lucky to have owned an S2000 and it was great if a little frustrating to drive. It's an all or nothing car, it reminded me a little of an old turbo'd car. You get very little, very little and then it goes a bit manic :). The Boxster S is still the best I've driven, both the old 3.2 and now the 3.4 which is incredible but they becoming common and the M is rare and more like the TVR I crave but hopefully without the drawbacks of breaking down ever 5 mins!
 
are you looking as a daily driver or limited mileage car?

If it's going to be a limited mileage car then the cost differential for servicing etc versus the whooosh factor is going to be negligible :driving:
 
Darren Slone said:
are you looking as a daily driver or limited mileage car?

If it's going to be a limited mileage car then the cost differential for servicing etc versus the whooosh factor is going to be negligible :driving:
Click to expand...

It won't be a daily driver...I live in city centre and walk to work so will be used on the weekends. Probably intend on keeping the car for 12-18months and will cover maybe 6-8k miles each year. I liked the low down torque of the Si but was disappointed with the performance at higher revs and felt it was a league below the Boxster S (sorry I know thats a dangerous thing to say on a Z4 forum!) but hoping the M will be a different story. It may be a bit cliched but the Porsche is so accomplished it almost takes all the thrill away from driving it, it never felt dangerous and I'm hoping the M will give me the type of thrills I've only really ever felt in a TVR Tuscan S (oh how I wish TVR were not money pits).

Thanks
 
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