Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Yep, I'm a coupe (vs. roadster) guy myself.

alienRX8

thats just an amazing looking car

jones75254

iTrader: (2)

^^I agree. As in most cars, it looks so much better in person. I LOVE that car, my fav Bimmer by far, and in my top 3 of most gorgeous cars on the planet. Dare i say, sexier than an 8?

Kevo

Nah...not sexier...just more chiseled and aggressive. The 8 is sleeker and more svelt. Both very nice.

Just like the 8 though...most people either hate it or love it. Hardly any middle ground.

RshnRoket

Without question the Z4M is probably one of the best driver's cars on the road today. It makes the M3 even feel somewhat boring.

Had the opportunity to drive one and found nothing at fault with it for me at least. I couldn't afford the price at the time, and now that I can, I'm fearful of job cuts...

Kevo

I had initially asked myself why the Z4M was not BMWs car in the best handling car shootout since it is basically an M3 CSL in a 2 seat package. That would have been great to see. But the M3 gets all the press since the 3 series is their best selling lineup. Can't fault them for that.

Even with this level of performance though its funny how overlooked the Z4M is...even among the bimmer crowd. No real secret that BMW did NOT want to make the car, but did so kicking and screaming. Which is why most likely there will not be a Z4 M model in the future.

Which is fine by me...4200 M Coupes ever made with only 1800 here in the states...nice and rare! Just the way I like it.

RshnRoket can probably attest, although there are subtle differences, the M and 8 handle in a very similar fashion. Both go right where you point them without any arguments whatsoever. I have recently starting tracking the car and finally getting a chance to consistently push it WAY beyond any car I have ever owned. Real fun!

delhi

Wifey said that my next replacement car for the 8 can be an M Coupe finally! Question is when....

M3 is overrated to me. Z4 M coupe >>>> E46 M3 in terms of sports car experience. the m3 is a fast E46 330ci. Personally I didn't feel any 'magical' with it. Actually I was quite let down perhaps due to the hype around it. But that's me.

Kevo

Good deals can be found for a Z4M these days...although the price seems to be stabilizing somewhat. Enjoy your search (the test driving will be a hoot no doubt)!

alienRX8

Too bad the new Z4 coupe is horrible. Just read some reviews and it is no longer a stripped down bmw for sport purists. Now its just another pig in their lot. Its sad really

delhi

I was a brief owner of a Z3 M Roady. Then out came my little daughter and it's bye bye S54 MRoady and hello RX-8.

Kevo

I have to agree with you alien...although you can get use to the new styling you can't undo the techno garbage that bogs it down.

The new Z4 may be alright for the banker who wants to drive a "sports car" but isn't willing to give up any of the technology...I just could not imagine tracking one of those...too much crap to get in the way.

IMO the Z4M represents BMW's last true ///M car...raw and uncluttered...classic S54 inline 6, old fashioned hydraulic steering, a proper manual and DSC that can be turned completely off...it's just you, the car and the road. The way it was meant to be.

Kevo

Saving a seat for you brother!

alienRX8

I just wish I had enough money for one of those

they are almost non-existent here in Puerto Rico too

Raptor75

I have a few issue with BMW, first off most are owned by Tools who wouldn't know a great ride if they were hit by it. The whole line is 20% overweight and gets worst with each generation. Chris Bangle butchered the Z and 7 series yet Tools just keep buying them for the name plate.

The 1 series are just plain ugly, I would much rather have a STi, and the 355i are having over heating issues. The last review I read on the new 355i a few months ago saw the over heating issues on the test track.

BMW is a brand that has lost its way from the sports sedan market it was born to. I hope one day they return but for now there is better out there for the money. IMHO

Kevo

Don't hold back bro...tell us how you really feel! Lol

RshnRoket

BMW needs to put that smaller, lighter, more compact 4.0 liter V8 in the new M3 in your model Z4M coupe. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Well, if anything, stock for stock, the new M3 is a much more exciting car than the old generation. It no longer under steers at all, yet it still doesn't feel as "eager" as the Z4M. Tough to beat a car like that. The new generation did lose the cockpit feeling though, which was not really good for it.

delhi

355i?
Actually virtually all cars have gained weight over its previous gens. STi is a fat turd compared to the GC8 STi! Same can be said of EVO X too. Why? Because of electronics, structural reinforcements, more airbags, more gadgets, larger engine for motivation = heavy duty tranny and larger brakes etc. It's just the way it is because market dictates it.
Now that we see a >400hp M3 that weighs 3600lbs, will one settle for a 300hp M3 that weighs 3000lbs? Some will, but lets face it, hp is a great marketing tool. Horsepower sells, weight doesn't. When was the last time someone asked you how heavy is your fancy little sports car?

alienRX8

that is true, we have to remember that 90% of the customers out there dont know mucha bout cars and just buy based on numbers. So they see a HUGE HP number and they go bonkers buying it.

Raptor75

True and not true, cars have gained weight for the reasons stated but that does not have to be the case it is just easier to do. As gas prices increase you will see the reverse start to happen. Cars will get lighter because higher strength steels and composites will take over. Prices will become competitive as mass production settles in. As turbo DI 4 and 6 take the spots of 8 and 12 cylinder cars weight will become a very important factor and will drop especially in premium car lines that can afford to pioneer in these areas.

Your last comment proves my point that most BMW drivers are tools who know little of what they drive except for the name plate and hp ratings. Look at the M3, HP rating is up with larger yet lighter engine but the whole car is hundreds of lbs more then its predecessor.

BMW makes a nice car but they could make a great car. Unfortunately the people who buy BMW are happy with a nice car so BMW has little incentive to change it's current course not until someone steps in to take their spot. Kind of like the fat old king who suddenly see a young up knight going for his thrown. Time will tell.

Icemark

Very true. Mazda is claiming a weight target savings of at least 200 lbs for most of their next gen models, including the 2700lbs 2nd gen RX-8 (or RX-9 or whatever they will call it) all due to new tech in composite plastics and aluminum.

Well I take a little offense to the tool statement, that since I also own a 2008 335i coupe, that the wife drives. We had a 2007 328i coupe, but when time came to replace it; the 335i power and suspension tune was better. But I agree that the car is numb when compared to the RX-8... perfect for my wife. Neither of us cared for the M3 coupe though. So the big HP isn't a big thing.

But if you look at it, there are very few RWD sporty coupes available right now. Nothing from Lexus, The Mercedes is crap both in handling and reliability, nothing from any American or Japanese manufacture except the RX-8 from Mazda and Nissan/Renault's G35/G37 (which is just butt ugly and has the same reliability issues as benz)... so there are not a lot of choices other than the BMW coupe if you must have at least vestibule rear seats, rear wheel drive and 2 doors. So really the purchase was more that no one else makes a car that we wanted.

Well BMW has the market... what do you expect? Just like the vette for years was 1000 lbs over weight, until the market demanded otherwise and it shed some of its bulk. Until someone comes out with a true contender to replace the BMW, people are going to buy them.

Raptor75

No need to take offense, I did say most BMW owners not all. I think there are other coupes out there you may have missed. Hyundai just came out with the Genesis coupe which for the money could be a nice choice. Audi has the A/S5. I will admit it is a limited field.

As for the G37, I think it is one of the best looking cars on the road and reliability is better then BMW, based on the G35s reliability as reported by CR. Of course if a car looks good or not is a very subjective matter to the point that argument of it is pointless.

delhi

Bottom line is car mfgs are out to make money. Market dictates the rise and fall of a business. BMW like any other car mfgs, will do whatever it takes to sell cars. If the buyers want 20 airbags, 20 speakers and subs, SatNav up the ying yang, independent climate control etc etc etc... then so be it.
You seriously think an A5/S5 or even a G-coupe be any lighter than a 3-series coupe??? Some fella who just traded in his rx-8 for a g37 praised how the car has an SD card reader! Misplaced priorities? Don't know.... because people want certain things in a car and priorities.
Turbo and its required plumbings add significant weight compared to its NA brethren. That is one reason why Mazda will not add a 2.3l DISI in its sportscars. It throws off the weight balance. But yet we keep reading all the complaints that if RX-8 has the 2.3l DISI it would be a better car. In what sense? To gain another 0.3s to 60mph? At the sacrifice to weight balance and handling agility?

Icemark

Yeah, the Hyninda just came out, while we bought the 335i last year. But I think it would be a hard sell for my wife to go from a BMW coupe or Lexus coupe (she had Lexus SC400's before the BMWs) to the Hyundia. You know going from a BMW or Lexus (tier 1) to a Mazda would be a step down to Tier 2, but the Hyundia would be a two steps down to a Tier 3 manufacture.

I forgot about the A5/S5. Budget means we only looked at the A5, which was way underpowered, and felt slower than the 328i coupe. Also the fit and finish was questionable. I felt I was in a VW more than the supposedly upscale Audi, and there were the typically odd VW gaps through out the interior, but the exterior was pretty tight.

Yeah I guess because the G35/G37 looks so generic.. so well... almost Honda like (you could put a accord coupe next to it and find it similar shaped and size)... it just doesn't do anything. And my buddy that has a 06 G35 coupe is always having stupid stuff fail... things like the radio surround was only held on with double stick tape and when it gets warm it pops off, or the rear end that howls, and the brakes that never stopped well and never stopped making noise after 3 trips to the dealer.... plus he only gets about 15 MPG on a good day in the thing and that is with the 2nd engine, he only got about 12 with the first engine (which was clearly a manufacturing defect- it blew out at around 4000 miles- burnt valves or rings as I recall- but I could be wrong)... Anyway I get 17-19 on average in my 8, on nearly identical drives and no engine replacement for me.

alienRX8

Yeah I cant believe the ammount of things people want in their cars these days. To me as long as it has a decent sound system with ipod connectivity, a good A/C, and handles and drives well and is decently fast im happy. Why do you want hard drives of data, sd cards, monitors, 20 airbags (im happy with the 2 original ones).

Also turbo and plumming doesnt add that much weight. Compared to stock my RX8 should not be THAT much heavier and plus the turbo which is most of the weight is at the center of the car almost so it shouldnt dmg my handling. But I do agree putting a 2.3 DISI motor would be FAIL.

Kevo

Amen...I am on a one man mission to change that stereotype! I have my work cut out for me.

Although, it looks like Icemark is with me...I sure could use the help