I hope you won't mind if I stay here....

[Balr14]

I sold my Mustang GT convertible and bought a BMW. But, this community is a lot more lively and interesting.

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[Inthehighdesert]

How do you like it? I have a vert Gt but have always toyed with the idea of a vert in the two seat german variety. How’s the bottom end in the car, does it need to be wound up.

I sold my Mustang GT convertible and bought a BMW. But, this community is a lot more lively and interesting.

 

[Balr14]

I have not picked the car up yet due to the weather (The picture is from the dealer). But, I have owned other BMW small sedans with basically the same engine.... It has been around for about 10 years. The B58 turbo motor has an extremely linear power delivery with considerable low end torque. Horsepower numbers are understated and the engine is easy and cheap to tweak. It's an honest sub 4 second 0-60 and low 12 sec quarter mile car, without winding the crap out of it.

I have owned several German 2 seat convertibles. Depending on your budget and driving taste, I would recommend a Mercedes SLK55 AMG or SL63 AMG, a Porsche Boxster or 991 and the BMW Z4. The Porsche 991 isn't technically a two seater, but the back seat is only good for carrying packages.

Once I have had a chance to drive this Z4 for a bit, I'll post my impressions here.

 

[Biggus Dickus]

Great Color - That's a car to go for a nice spring time cruise in the countryside around Lake Geneva. Does it have the same motor as the Supra? I hope you post up a lot of pics of a cruise in an idyllic setting.

 

[ice445]

Great Color - That's a car to go for a nice spring time cruise in the countryside around Lake Geneva. Does it have the same motor as the Supra? I hope you post up a lot of pics of a cruise in an idyllic setting.

Yes it does, should be a b58d which is a great engine

 

[Balr14]

I picked up the car yesterday. It's cold here (20F), so I didn't have the top down. I drove it about 150 miles in different conditions. I got a pretty feel for it, so here goes....

The main thing I can say about it is it's a lot more expensive car than my Mustang, and it shows. Fit, finish, materials and ergonomics are just better... no surprise. It's more driver friendly and more refined. Acceleration is smooth and linear, steering and handling is quicker but very predictable. It's an easy car to get comfortable with. The BMW feels lighter, which would be expected. For me the biggest difference is the seat. No back issues. I tried for 4 years to find a comfortable position in my Mustang but it only got worse.

Now the downside....
A larger area behind the seats would be nice, we need some place for our dog.
The interior is a little tight for me. If I was a reasonable size, it wouldn't be.
Sport + mode definitely changes the handling and performance. But, it also changes the exhaust to make a lot of noise and crackling and popping. I can do without that.

 

[Tinpot]

Begone betrayer.

 

[Hack]

I picked up the car yesterday. It's cold here (20F), so I didn't have the top down. I drove it about 150 miles in different conditions. I got a pretty feel for it, so here goes....

The main thing I can say about it is it's a lot more expensive car than my Mustang, and it shows. Fit, finish, materials and ergonomics are just better... no surprise. It's more driver friendly and more refined. Acceleration is smooth and linear, steering and handling is quicker but very predictable. It's an easy car to get comfortable with. The BMW feels lighter, which would be expected. For me the biggest difference is the seat. No back issues. I tried for 4 years to find a comfortable position in my Mustang but it only got worse.

Now the downside....
A larger area behind the seats would be nice, we need some place for our dog.
The interior is a little tight for me. If I was a reasonable size, it wouldn't be.
Sport + mode definitely changes the handling and performance. But, it also changes the exhaust to make a lot of noise and crackling and popping. I can do without that.

How does it handle when the rear tires start to break loose? Is it a smooth, controllable transition? Better or worse than a Mustang?

I like the size of the Z4. And BMW manual transmissions are nice. I've just never thought they were quite worth the money.

 

[Balr14]

How does it handle when the rear tires start to break loose? Is it a smooth, controllable transition? Better or worse than a Mustang?

I like the size of the Z4. And BMW manual transmissions are nice. I've just never thought they were quite worth the money.

The torque curve starts at a lot lower rpm and is much smoother, so when you break the tires loose it's predictable and easy to control. I always found traction with the Mustang could be exciting in freezing temperatures, especially if the rpms got high. No surprises or pants filling events with the Z4, typical BMW behavior.

I appreciate that BMWs are expensive, some are just absurdly priced. I keep coming back to them (this is my 4th one) because they are so driver friendly and confidence inspiring. I drove the Z4 for 10 minutes and it was like meeting an old friend, it felt like where I belonged.

The manual transmission is not available on the Z4 M40i, don't know about the 4 cylinder versions. It may be made available in 2024. I have driven the Supra and it is set up to be a bit wilder and does have a manual transmission. The Supra is a good deal cheaper, but it shows.

The Z4 will be discontinued in the next year or two and they have only sold about 11k in the USA. I suspect it may become a viable collector car.

 

[Hack]

Thanks for the info. I should probably drive a Supra at some point just to see what it's like. I don't care much about the appearance of the interior having it be luxurious or something. And I would stay away from a convertible.

 

[Balr14]

Thanks for the info. I should probably drive a Supra at some point just to see what it's like. I don't care much about the appearance of the interior having it be luxurious or something. And I would stay away from a convertible.

Nobody is going to be impressed with the look of the interior of a Z4. Unless you are buying the top of the line BMW models, you won't find the interior to be anything special to look at. It's all about fit, finish, ergonomics and comfort. For me, it's the seats.

The Z4 only comes in a convertible. You would probably like the Supra. It's handling is not quite as refined, but it's still predictable and easy to toss around. It's very quick, too. Toyota doesn't lock down the ECU as much as BMW does, so the Supra is easier to mod.

 

[Balr14]

Well damn, here's something I didn't expect.... They have only sold about 6000 Z4 M40i models in total since 2020. So, there's very little Z4 forum traffic or aftermarket upgrades to be found. At least when I take it to a local car meet, it should be unique.

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