[ Owning a BMW Z4 ]
Will Wong, Cambridgeshire
Will Wong bought his post-facelift Z4 2.5i roadster to replace a Peugeot 406 Coupé two years ago. ‘The manual gearbox was crucial, plus there’s more room in the boot than there is in an MX-5,’ he says. ‘But the main appeal is that combination of putting the roof down and playing nice tunes with the straightsix. The chassis was designed for six-cylinder engines so it doesn’t feel nose-heavy, and although the four cylinder actually doesn’t give much performance away to the 2.5, it just doesn’t sound the same.
‘I looked at several before buying this one, but their interiors and engine bays weren’t the best-kept. A lot are being questionably modified now, and it’s usual to find scratched centre consoles and grubby leather, but I wanted something to cherish. Thankfully, this one had been garaged all its life.
‘Look at the motor in the boot operating the hood. It’s often relocated behind the seats to get it away from water ingress and is often a sign that the boot has leaked in the past. Mechanically I’ve had no problems at all, but the radio receiver is weak, a problem traced to an electronic control module that’d cost £350 to replace. There’s no getting away from the fact that parts are expensive, but servicing is reasonable from a good indy like TWG in Peterborough.’
John Parry, Worcestershire
‘I bought this Z4 after a friend with a Z3 took me on a trip to the Morgan factory,’ says John Parry of his 2.8. ‘I’d seen what Morgan was doing with BMW running gear and wanted a convertible, but preferred the modern looks and technology of the Z4.
‘I actually bought the first one I saw, although I only came back to it after looking at a couple of other examples, which had bodywork damage and tatty interiors. I was initially put off by its high price and SMG gearbox, but the owner brought the price down.
‘It’s been reliable, although a pump had been replaced on the gearbox before I bought it. The only thing I’ve had to replace was a noisy tensioner in the engine bay, for £250. The next problem to deal with is a binding rear brake.
‘That said, my other car is a V10 BMW M6, so it’s very cheap to run by comparison! I’d check the hood module in the boot though, because unlike a Z3 there’s no manual way to raise and lower the roof if it fails. They do feel harsh and tinny for a BMW on the road too, a result of a combination of runflat tyres and no sound-deadening in the doors.’
[ Sponsored by Carole Nash insurance]
Peter Mcilvenny of specialist classic car insurer Carole Nash says, ‘Starting from £2k the smallerengine E85 versions now seem a good proposition if you’re looking for an affordable, wind-in-the-hair entry into modern classic ownership. From £7k will get you a 3.0-litre E86 coupe. With only a two year production run these should prove sound investments. From £13k should get you in Z4M territory with 338bhp on tap. Wanting even more exclusivity? Then opt for Alpina’s take on the E85, the Roadster S – only 167 made it to the UK in rhd. I can’t see values going anywhere but skywards but as with any complicated modern classic, do take into consideration those maintenance bills.’
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