What makes a Z4M mint?

[buzyg]

Some differing opinions. Always good to read. For me Mint means fresh has new. So less than 20k and immaculate service history. Spec is pretty irrelevant as long as what is there is A1. There can't be many mint Z4's around these days. Those that are may unfortunately become art instead of cars. I guess as long as people are enjoying them then that's fine.

[FD3S]

The term mind is different for each person. For a car to be mint it should be with the closest miles to 0 and undamaged to every cm of the car. Since that is not possible or very expensive for me the list goes with the following to consider a car to be perfect:
1) To be accident free or have something minor on the crash report.
2) Good service history.
3) Rod bearing service done.
4) Suspension replaced.
5) Brake pads and rotors replaced
6) Interior in mint condition.

All the above will make me feel happy and that I found a car in mint condition.

[JAD]

I'd say it would have had to had a new clutch, 10 years old and 60k on the same clutch isn't mint!

Also new springs are a must....I'd probably also say a refreshed steering wheel would be needed.

New springs are a great shout, but clutch? 62k here and no sign of slipping. Not something I've read much about either, unlike my previous car (S3).

Mint to me..

Impeccable history
Never had paintwork,must be arrow straight,no dings,minimal stonechips.
Seat condition must have no damage on the bolsters,shiny leather of baggy bases.
Steering wheel,no scratches on switches or leather,
Brake discs/pads must be nearly new or replaced recently.
Wheels must be undamaged,preferably without refurb and in 95% OEM condition.


These are a good start point for me..

Surprised at paint? Mine has had a front respray to a very high quality - you wouldn't know apart from the fact it has zero stone chips and is on 62k (i.e impossible to have such miles without a blemish).

[Nictrix]

I don't think 'mint' has anything at all to do with much of what's been listed.
Such a term would correctly refer to a car being in the condition in which it left the factory

You can have a basic spec BL Allegro with velo0ur seats, painted beige, zero service history, 100k mileage, rebuilt from a shell and it be 'mint'

Take a stroll around a classic car show and see what's mint

Are you really looking for what makes the car most saleable, desirable, highest value, etc. ?

The topic title is different from what is being asked.
I agree with CJ10 and the spec of the car or mileage has nothing to do with whether it is mint or not.
For me a mint car is one that needs absolutely nothing done to it or bought for it whether that's mechanical or aesthetical.
What is being asked though is what does a car have to have to get the most money in a sale which makes it completely different.

[stevo///m3]

I agree with a few of the above points.
As someone who works with words and their meanings day-in, day-out, what is crystal-clear is that you must define "mint" before you can measure a car against it. I know we ARE trying to formulate what would constitute a "mint" car - i.e. what elements must be present for a defined term to be met - but surely we all know by now that each of us will have nuanced thoughts about what "mint" really means? Sat-nav and its presence or absence is the easiest to point to in the above thoughts. Failing that, tyres with 5 or 6 mm tread, are they mint or straight for the bin?? Bonkers to throw 6mm tread tyres away in my book given their cost. You'd be changing tyres every thousand miles to keep your car "mint" if that was the definition...
The better view in my opinion - and we all have one and none of them can be proven to be exactly correct - is that we are listing lots of different factors which indicate a car's provenance and what might make it worth extra money. The more of the factors on that list you have, the closer to what everyone would describe as "mint" despite the fact that it is perfectly acceptable for one individual to get ten ticks on the list and declare themselves satisfied that the car meets their definition of "mint".
And didn't mmm-five's clutch do 140k miles without a change?
Stevo

[Z4M-2006]

I'd say it would have had to had a new clutch, 10 years old and 60k on the same clutch isn't mint!

Also new springs are a must....I'd probably also say a refreshed steering wheel would be needed.

New springs are a great shout, but clutch? 62k here and no sign of slipping. Not something I've read much about either, unlike my previous car (S3).

Mint to me..

Impeccable history
Never had paintwork,must be arrow straight,no dings,minimal stonechips.
Seat condition must have no damage on the bolsters,shiny leather of baggy bases.
Steering wheel,no scratches on switches or leather,
Brake discs/pads must be nearly new or replaced recently.
Wheels must be undamaged,preferably without refurb and in 95% OEM condition.


These are a good start point for me..

Surprised at paint? Mine has had a front respray to a very high quality - you wouldn't know apart from the fact it has zero stone chips and is on

62k (i.e impossible to have such miles without a blemish).

I would prefer to see what "I " was painting of the car needed paint, then it would be my decision.. I have nothing against having had paint on the car per se, but if I was buying at "mint" money I would want to see where I am starting from

[Argenta]

A car might well be the mint-est there is - regardless of any spec list.
It's the state of the condition.

[jimmybell]

Would echo it's entirely condition related, rather than spec.

If you want to be a pedant - mint would be.. factory fresh or better. That doesn't exist in 10 year old cars.

I would argue 'mint' is 'the best condition a car could be considering it's age. And on that basis, tehre's probably also a difference between mint and 'properly looked after', as mint would probably demand some level of 'barely used' to even be possible. Unless you consider a well maintained example with no expenses spared 'mint', and accept that things happen but the mint'ness is a product of how well the owner maintains stuff.

For example - if wheels get scuffed, (which is pretty much impossible to avoid in 10 years of ownership unless its driven at weekends on blasts only, and garaged 24/7 .. but then you could argue it's not mint as it hasn't been properly exercised) they get fully stripped, repaired, repainted .. versus a quick bodge job repair.

If/when i come to sell my car - it'l be in what i consider 'mint' condition, as it gets used, but things get damaged, but i repair them fully and maintain it correctly. I wouldn't want someone buying a car off me unless it was in the best possible condition, and they were aware of it's entire history. I actually expect my car will be in better condition when i sell it than when i bought it 3 years ago! But despite this - to achieve some people's ideas of 'mint' would be impossible.

[pHilli0]

Would echo it's entirely condition related, rather than spec.

If you want to be a pedant - mint would be.. factory fresh or better. That doesn't exist in 10 year old cars.

I would argue 'mint' is 'the best condition a car could be considering it's age. And on that basis, tehre's probably also a difference between mint and 'properly looked after', as mint would probably demand some level of 'barely used' to even be possible. Unless you consider a well maintained example with no expenses spared 'mint', and accept that things happen but the mint'ness is a product of how well the owner maintains stuff.

For example - if wheels get scuffed, (which is pretty much impossible to avoid in 10 years of ownership unless its driven at weekends on blasts only, and garaged 24/7 .. but then you could argue it's not mint as it hasn't been properly exercised) they get fully stripped, repaired, repainted .. versus a quick bodge job repair.

If/when i come to sell my car - it'l be in what i consider 'mint' condition, as it gets used, but things get damaged, but i repair them fully and maintain it correctly. I wouldn't want someone buying a car off me unless it was in the best possible condition, and they were aware of it's entire history. I actually expect my car will be in better condition when i sell it than when i bought it 3 years ago! But despite this - to achieve some people's ideas of 'mint' would be impossible.

Excellent explanation

[Z4M-2006]

Ahhh..


I would see factory fresh as concourse, which of course is better than mint....

[MrPT]

What kind of "mint" are we talking about here? Peppermint or spearmint?

[dan yeates]

Sat Nav - only put this so PVR doesn't soil himself, personally don't think it's necessary, a well specced car important in any case, specifics arguable

They look so much better without sat nav!

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

[tomscott]

Sat Nav - only put this so PVR doesn't soil himself, personally don't think it's necessary, a well specced car important in any case, specifics arguable

They look so much better without sat nav!

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

I think the way the nav screen sits and moves is the best bit about the interior except the steering wheel. Although the nav is poor its functionality for DSP telephone and car information is worth having it for IMO.

If you want a decent nav system and connectivity you have to remove the air vents for a double din which is what 90% are today.

The single dins seem to be a thing of the past. A double din also looks stupid in a Z because its not a standard size with its rounded corners.

[jamie_z4]

Sat Nav - only put this so PVR doesn't soil himself, personally don't think it's necessary, a well specced car important in any case, specifics arguable

They look so much better without sat nav!

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

BMW Z4 M 3.2 Roadster by Daniel Yeates, on Flickr

I think the way the nav screen sits and moves is the best bit about the interior except the steering wheel. Although the nav is poor its functionality for DSP telephone and car information is worth having it for IMO.

If you want a decent nav system and connectivity you have to remove the air vents for a double din which is what 90% are today.

The single dins seem to be a thing of the past. A double din also looks stupid in a Z because its not a standard size with its rounded corners.

on the flip side, you could argue its a 2 seat sports car no need for over engineered gadgetry, which is what a traditional 2 seater is all about, the fun factor, not watching what MPG your getting on a run

[dan yeates]

It was ok. I had sat nav on my 3.0i. But I much prefer the Z4M with the Dice iPod interface. Plug my iPhone into the cradle and use Spotify and Google Maps. Instant traffic alerts, rerouting around traffic and road closures, accurate real time ETA etc. Plus I prefer the cleaner lines to the dash personally.