Z4M Coupe vs Z4C

Sneaky Peaky

Sneaky Peaky

Sneaky Peaky

Associate
Joined
21 Jan 2003
Posts
2,499
Location
Farnborough, Hants
Following on from my recent thread, I am pretty sure a Z4 coupe will be the next car sometime in the spring. The petrol head in me says go for the M coupe but the reviews are mixed and most saying any additional performance is just not worth it in terms of additional running costs.

Checking online though I can get fully comp insurance on a Z4C for £437 per year so apart from the higher initial cost how much else approx am I looking at in terms of petrol/servicing/general maintenance over the normal coupe ?

Anyone have experience of both and can say what they are both like for living with day to day ?

Something like this for just over 21k, gorgeous..

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1377155.htm


and just to widen it out a bit more, if I really pushed the budget how about a Cayman S instead ? :)

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1254060.htm
 
Last edited:
Cayman is already sold :p

I'd personally go for the Z4M - being the original shape it will stand out with all the 23i's that you see these days. The Cayman is nice, but servicing could be steep and IMHO always receives negative attention in either jealous damage or bias on the road (people not letting you out of junctions etc).
 
He is talking about the Z4C not the new Z4. It's the same shape as the Z4M and is only available with the 3.0Si engine.
 
f00f1ght0r said:
Cayman is already sold :p

I'd personally go for the Z4M - being the original shape it will stand out with all the 23i's that you see these days. The Cayman is nice, but servicing could be steep and IMHO always receives negative attention in either jealous damage or bias on the road (people not letting you out of junctions etc).
Click to expand...

All coupes are 3.0si so he wouldnt struggle to stand out from the 2.3's there....
 
Sneaky Peaky said:
Following on from my recent thread, I am pretty sure a Z4 coupe will be the next car sometime in the spring. The petrol head in me says go for the M coupe but the reviews are mixed and most saying any additional performance is just not worth it in terms of additional running costs.

Checking online though I can get fully comp insurance on a Z4C for £437 per year so apart from the higher initial cost how much else approx am I looking at in terms of petrol/servicing/general maintenance over the normal coupe ?

Anyone have experience of both and can say what they are both like for living with day to day ?

Something like this for just over 21k, gorgeous..

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1377155.htm


and just to widen it out a bit more, if I really pushed the budget how about a Cayman S instead ? :)

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1254060.htm
Click to expand...

I understand the argument regarding the running costs of the 3.0 over the 3.2M, as I have the the earlier M54 roadster and couldn't justify doing 30k a year in the M at twice the cost, but I can't understand why anyone that is concerned about this would consider a Porsche? From what I've read online, the family resembelence extends to parts and servicing costs in that the costs of the Boxster S/Cayman S are similar to all but the more interesting 911s...

On a personal level, I never really found a place in my heart for the Cayman S. I gather it's a slightly better handling car than the 997 C2S/C4S, but given the similarity in running costs, I'd always prefer a well specced 997... Which is strange, because I prefer the Boxster S to the 911 Cab...

That said, the Cayman is likely to be much stronger residually than the Z4MC, and won't immediately cost you (especially you! :D) a set of the obligatory CSLs, and suspension tweaks to make it sit right on them...

Forgive me, but how does one go from tuned Imprezzas, Foresters and Focii, down to a Mondeo and an MG TF, and up a £20k-£25k sports car in the space of a few months?
 
Kingy said:
I understand the argument regarding the running costs of the 3.0 over the 3.2M, as I have the the earlier M54 roadster and couldn't justify doing 30k a year in the M at twice the cost, but I can't understand why anyone that is concerned about this would consider a Porsche? From what I've read online, the family resembelence extends to parts and servicing costs in that the costs of the Boxster S/Cayman S are similar to all but the more interesting 911s...

On a personal level, I never really found a place in my heart for the Cayman S. I gather it's a slightly better handling car than the 997 C2S/C4S, but given the similarity in running costs, I'd always prefer a well specced 997... Which is strange, because I prefer the Boxster S to the 911 Cab...

That said, the Cayman is likely to be much stronger residually than the Z4MC, and won't immediately cost you (especially you! :D) a set of the obligatory CSLs, and suspension tweaks to make it sit right on them...

Forgive me, but how does one go from tuned Imprezzas, Foresters and Focii, down to a Mondeo and an MG TF, and up a £20k-£25k sports car in the space of a few months?
Click to expand...

Are you stalking me ? :eek: :D

I got disillushioned with modding, then finances took a hit but I will come into some inheritance in the new year so would like to get something interesting again. However I won't be so keen to mod the hell out of it anymore and running costs will be a consideration, CSL wheels would be hard to resist though I have to say.. ;)
 
Z4M every single time if you can afford it. £600-£800 inspections are as much as I know about the running costs.

If you got the coupe, I can't help thinking you'd be gutted if you saw a Z4M drive past.

CSL's are a must.
 
mr tommo said:
If you got the coupe, I can't help thinking you'd be gutted if you saw a Z4M drive past.
Click to expand...

Nope no problems here, but saying that I haven't seen many Z4Ms.

Quite happy with my Z4C in regards to both performance and running cost. But today my Z4C has gone in for some work:

Nail in tyre - £230
Window regulator - £520
 
mr tommo said:
If you got the coupe, I can't help thinking you'd be gutted if you saw a Z4M drive past.
Click to expand...

I dunno why people say this, it comes up a lot but I just dont think its the case. I'm not 'gutted' every time an M5 drives past and the chances of another Z4M driving past are what? Slim to none?
 
[TW]Fox;15490441 said:
I dunno why people say this, it comes up a lot but I just dont think its the case. I'm not 'gutted' every time an M5 drives past and the chances of another Z4M driving past are what? Slim to none?
Click to expand...

It's a Clarkson quote if I remember correctly. In the Range Rover Sport review he said you simply couldn't buy a standard Range Rover anymore because one day you'll be at the traffic lights and a Sport will come up next to you and you'll just feel ultimate fail.

Don't agree with it just explaining the origins.
 
I sort of understand the point though - I was the same when I bought a WRX, always regretted not getting an Sti straight off although granted there are more of them about :) Having said that the running costs of an Sti vs WRX were a bit more but not 'double' as has been suggested above and that's what I'm trying to guage I guess.

Smokedog - do you have a feel for the scale of the additional running costs of the Z4MC over the Z4C ?

Cheers
 
Peerzy said:
It's a Clarkson quote if I remember correctly. In the Range Rover Sport review he said you simply couldn't buy a standard Range Rover anymore because one day you'll be at the traffic lights and a Sport will come up next to you and you'll just feel ultimate fail.

Don't agree with it just explaining the origins.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm on my own here, but I'd much prefer a Range Rover than a Range Rover Sport.
 
Peerzy said:
It's a Clarkson quote if I remember correctly. In the Range Rover Sport review he said you simply couldn't buy a standard Range Rover anymore because one day you'll be at the traffic lights and a Sport will come up next to you and you'll just feel ultimate fail.
Click to expand...

Given he is a huge fan of the conventional Range Rover and its a different type of car to the CHEAPER Sport, I doubt he said that.
 
Sneaky Peaky said:
Smokedog - do you have a feel for the scale of the additional running costs of the Z4MC over the Z4C ?
Click to expand...

I don't have much knowledge of general running cost of the Z4M. Best to head over to Z4 forum and ask a few owners of they running cost break down.

I only had my Z4C for about 6 months and so far its only cost me about £200. Not including petrol and insurance.
 
[TW]Fox;15490516 said:
Given he is a huge fan of the conventional Range Rover and its a different type of car to the CHEAPER Sport, I doubt he said that.
Click to expand...

I'm fairly sure he said that the sport was peopl who lived in cheshire, and wasnt as good as the proper one but think there was something about the split tail gate too (does the sport not have one?)
 
[TW]Fox;15490516 said:
Given he is a huge fan of the conventional Range Rover and its a different type of car to the CHEAPER Sport, I doubt he said that.
Click to expand...

It may have been the other way round, you can't buy a Sport cause a real one will come up next to you, but it was him who said it :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom