Z4m Coupe v Z4 3.0 Coupe
- Thread starter johnlondonw3
- Start date
billygilly said:
I think you have misread what they were trying to say.....
The non M coupe only came with one engine option the 3.0si N52.... the facelift 3.0 roadster has the exact same engine (and in the UK the facelift 3.0 was only offered as an si)
Having driven both the MR and my current 3.0si (obviously :roll: ) i'd say the feel totally different.. the M is much more exciting.. and more of a hooligans car... and coming from an S2000 this was the ideal replacement for me... however i couldnt justify the £400+ RFL... and the real world performance wasnt much different.. however the M certainly feels more exciting to drive.
When i got my car last year i was doing 12K miles a yr... so the 3.0 made more sense to me.. however now my work situation has changed (i now work abroad 4 days a week) so now i'd prob be under 6k a year.... and as such if i had to make the same decision now.. i'd prob opt for an M... however would need to be a coupe.. as that stupid battery in the boot of an M takes up too much space for me to be able to fit golf clubs into a roadster.
billygilly
Active member
Still confused sorry, all coupes have the si engine?
Having been searching for decent arguments as the merits of both, and my last car in the UK was a 911, here in Denver I've been bewitched by a 2007 Z4Mc. I'm not sure I'd ever not regret going for the M, as the roads in Colorado are pretty fine. So, will likely get my next door neighbour to do his side gig, and head to Vegas with him for an auction and drive back an M. We've just started the search. Otherwise, there is a fine example in Maryland with just 9k on the clock, pristine, from a respected German cars prestige seller.
https://www.avaziauto.com/2007_BMW_Z4%20M_Gaithersburg_MD_22858635.veh
That being said, for $35k less, is an equally well-looked after si: https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/45343509 Oh, the American way of putting exclamation marks after each feature. Ho hum.
The point being, found this thread to be very informative. And the pros/cons, SWAT analysis, lead to the M. Cheers.
https://www.avaziauto.com/2007_BMW_Z4%20M_Gaithersburg_MD_22858635.veh
That being said, for $35k less, is an equally well-looked after si: https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/45343509 Oh, the American way of putting exclamation marks after each feature. Ho hum.
The point being, found this thread to be very informative. And the pros/cons, SWAT analysis, lead to the M. Cheers.
ColoradoCruising said:That being said, for $35k less, is an equally well-looked after si: https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/45343509 Oh, the American way of putting exclamation marks after each feature. Ho hum.
That car in your link above is not an M, and also an automatic - COMPLETELY different beast than an M, I can assure you.
Avazi or EAG can provide an ultra-clean, ultra-low-mileage example, but at a price to match (and then some). I managed to find one privately in the last month with 34k miles, full service history back to the 1200-mile service, immaculate condition, super-desirable (for me) spec - Space Gray, carbon leather trim, NON-nav (an absolute requirement) and basically bone stock. Boom, done deal.
I would strongly suggest you drive both versions before making a final decision on M vs non-M. They are vastly different cars. Good luck with your search!
Wecome to the forum.ColoradoCruising said:Having been searching for decent arguments as the merits of both, and my last car in the UK was a 911, here in Denver I've been bewitched by a 2007 Z4Mc. I'm not sure I'd ever not regret going for the M, as the roads in Colorado are pretty fine. So, will likely get my next door neighbour to do his side gig, and head to Vegas with him for an auction and drive back an M. We've just started the search. Otherwise, there is a fine example in Maryland with just 9k on the clock, pristine, from a respected German cars prestige seller.
https://www.avaziauto.com/2007_BMW_Z4%20M_Gaithersburg_MD_22858635.veh
That being said, for $35k less, is an equally well-looked after si: https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/45343509 Oh, the American way of putting exclamation marks after each feature. Ho hum.
The point being, found this thread to be very informative. And the pros/cons, SWAT analysis, lead to the M. Cheers.
Hope you bag a cracking ///M. That top link looks like a Beauty. 8) 
That will be one great drive home. If you get a chance post a hello in the Newbies section, with a pic of your car. :wink:I got my E86 in 2011 (I think) and intended to keep it for around 2-3 years. I decided against the extra £3-4k for the M.
Heart says I wish I had bought the M. The car would have depreciated less, I would have had more power, better steering and I love the M looks.
However, the head says for me it was the right choice. The car lives outside and is treated as a daily driver when I do use it. The OH totaled the passenger front wheel and scuffed the front bumper and before that some *rse took out the front wing and bu$$ered off with no note (2 months into ownership). To have that happen to a M would have killed me.
The OH also struggles a bit with the RWD and vision and has a tendancy to light up the TC. Another 80bhp just wouldn't be sensible. That said she now has her own car.
Plus a few things have gone with car: AC condensor and compressor, stuck calipers, new discs all round, starter motor, altenator, water pump, lower control arm bushes. Add in servicing and that would have been a fair bit more expenisve.
Depends on what you will use it for and what your budget is. On the road in real world terms, I've nevr had a problem keeping up with the M boys on runs out. But power is fun
Heart says I wish I had bought the M. The car would have depreciated less, I would have had more power, better steering and I love the M looks.
However, the head says for me it was the right choice. The car lives outside and is treated as a daily driver when I do use it. The OH totaled the passenger front wheel and scuffed the front bumper and before that some *rse took out the front wing and bu$$ered off with no note (2 months into ownership). To have that happen to a M would have killed me.
The OH also struggles a bit with the RWD and vision and has a tendancy to light up the TC. Another 80bhp just wouldn't be sensible. That said she now has her own car.
Plus a few things have gone with car: AC condensor and compressor, stuck calipers, new discs all round, starter motor, altenator, water pump, lower control arm bushes. Add in servicing and that would have been a fair bit more expenisve.
Depends on what you will use it for and what your budget is. On the road in real world terms, I've nevr had a problem keeping up with the M boys on runs out. But power is fun
Hi Kevin, I know, hence the "well-looked after si" understanding it is not an M.KevinC said:
Anyway, the Vegas auctions which my neighbour attends sounds like a good way forward. And unlike many UK auctions, you do get a 30-day guarantee if there are some major failures, or outstanding liens. Cheers.
Finding either car with the low miles suggested in your post is going to cost you a few quid. Private or dealer. Equally I think prices are solid but you get what you pay for.No one is giving these away. If you have no prior preference go for the 3.0 si. If you wanted an M, you would probably already know you wanted an M and why you wanted an M. Have a think about the look of the car also, colour, wheels etc. There is a lot of additional cost if you want to change things around afterwards. There is not as much choice as you think, once you start getting a bit more specific with miles, colour etc. You won't be disappointed in any case.
I've had both. Totally different engines and they drive like chalk and cheese. However, £5-6k for a higher mileage 0-60 in 5.6 second two seater sports car........its hard to beat the value for money of the 3.0ltr. On the other hand, my Z4MC was awesome and being lower mileage I sold it for 25% more than I bought for after only two years. It recently sold again with another few thousand miles on the clock for £10k more than I originally bought it for. Therefore you could argue that running the more expensive, more fun, balls out mini supercar Z4MC is better value for money than the much much cheaper 3.0ltr?
i used a different selection system , i bought the one i could afford
grins..picky picky ..
Franzino said:
365 HP is the Z4M engine, S54B32. The 3.0si had the enhanced N52B30 with an output of 265 HP, and the face-lift 3.0i had the same engine but with a lower output of 215 HP.
Never trust wikipedia
I adore the look of the E86 Coupes and seriously considered buying a stunning 3.0i off a member on here. In the end I decided to get a Z4MR, as it was ticking pretty much every box I wanted with my next car. I would have loved a Coupe, but prices were a few grand over what my budget was. I use to own a 323hp Impreza P1 and felt I might find the 3.0i a tad sluggish.
I'm now in my 3rd week of ownership and on Sunday, it was dry enough for me to really drive it as hard as I did my Scooby. The B roads around Oxfordshire are not too great and I actually scared myself silly when the TC light came on! The s54 is a special engine and was a big motivator of going with a Z4M, as it really does dominate the vibe of the car.
The insurance was painful, but I kinda expected to be shafted as I had not owned a car or a policy in my name for several years, so even with 6 years as named driver, it was still kinda high, but on par with my Impreza P1 and it's listed mods (which were many!). Fuel costs have been a bit mixed, I seem to be averaging about 26.3 mpg, which is slightly better than my Scooby would do. One thing I do agree on is having an Z4M as a daily would be really draining. The temptation is always there to just grab it by the scruff of the neck and go mental.
I'm now in my 3rd week of ownership and on Sunday, it was dry enough for me to really drive it as hard as I did my Scooby. The B roads around Oxfordshire are not too great and I actually scared myself silly when the TC light came on! The s54 is a special engine and was a big motivator of going with a Z4M, as it really does dominate the vibe of the car.
The insurance was painful, but I kinda expected to be shafted as I had not owned a car or a policy in my name for several years, so even with 6 years as named driver, it was still kinda high, but on par with my Impreza P1 and it's listed mods (which were many!). Fuel costs have been a bit mixed, I seem to be averaging about 26.3 mpg, which is slightly better than my Scooby would do. One thing I do agree on is having an Z4M as a daily would be really draining. The temptation is always there to just grab it by the scruff of the neck and go mental.