Dilemma.. Z4M or a Z4 3.5is ???

[JAD]

Weekend car, no need for toys. I'd go get the ///M!

[stevespg]

maybe its me....i find the M suspension nicer then my 3.0 SI, not harsh at all. few weeks back did 2000 miles in M over a week, very comfy and easy to live with.....

if you want a sporty car, get an M
if you want a GT, get an M

[D4dawg]

maybe its me....i find the M suspension nicer then my 3.0 SI, not harsh at all. few weeks back did 2000 miles in M over a week, very comfy and easy to live with.....

if you want a sporty car, get an M
if you want a GT, get an M

Dan has 3si and just bought z4mc and he said mines rides better than both
Think it's an age of suspension thing and miles under car
Thing as mines as flat as a pancake rough roads we all suffer from but as oem CSLs and h&r springs and arbs
My unsprung weight is lower so I guess it will on rough give a bumpy feeling as suspension reacts quicker

[tomscott]

It is a difficult one. I have been toying with both for a long time.

If it was just for me I would have the M all day long, but SWIMBO is a massive consideration I dont really want it to be locked in the garage only used once and a while. Wouldn't want to be too precious over it and be happy with her driving it and taking it out so it doesnt become a barrier where its my car and its a risky thing her grabbing the keys and going to the supermarket etc

I want her to be involved come on meets and continue a tradition of a Euro roadtrip every couple of years.

I know for a fact she would hate the Ms suspension and gearbox, especially the gearbox and the thought of missing gears and rough changes makes me cringe. Even the best drivers struggle with the getrag to start with, although I loved it. The Ms are fun on a weekend hoon but not for traveling long distance imo. My M also had H&Rs and although fun to drive it was absolutely spine shattering, to the point and ex flat out refused to go out in it (that lasted long )

Just moved around 100 miles from my home town so we spend a lot of time driving back and forth seeing friends and family on the weekend. When I had my M I had a long distance relationship and the M wasnt the best steed for the task.

The 35IS makes a lot of sense and is so comfortable and with the torque it has makes quite a sleeper on the motorway and I found the M great but you do have to wind it up a bit when your cruising.

At the same time loosing money is a worry and the 2011-12 plates with decent mileage are sitting around 22-23 and for a non M car at 5-6 years old I think they are bucking the trend and are on the more expensive side. For example a similar 335I would be around 15k and would probably have a better spec as not many 35IS were made and not many were speced highly. The 35IS is less of a weekend car I think so the toys are more important.

We took a 35i for a test drive and swimbo fell in love with it. Problem with the one we test drove was it has 12k miles on it and the interior was such a mess the leather had warn really badly there were scrapes and scratches everywhere. It may have been down to the fact it was red and shows wear more than black for example if not looked after. The aluminium trim had marks all over the interior door handles and the center console. The car had come from Guernsey so I assume it was due to small trips getting in and out of the car a lot but was disappointed in the quality, it could have been sorted but there was no room to manover with the car as it had to be imported and re-registered, so i walked away and someone else bought it.

Similar with the M the interior, it wears poorly but my previous M with some looking after fared well in my ownership. The nappa is also so soft and lovely, loved the seats. The 35IS wasnt quite as nice as I think it has Dakota? Not sure if a nappa was offered apart from in the white pack? Probably wrong but not many have it if thats the case.

Lots of things to think about both are excellent but as I keep saying it depends on your use case and a compromise has to be met.

[stevespg]

maybe its me....i find the M suspension nicer then my 3.0 SI, not harsh at all. few weeks back did 2000 miles in M over a week, very comfy and easy to live with.....

if you want a sporty car, get an M
if you want a GT, get an M

Dan has 3si and just bought z4mc and he said mines rides better than both
Think it's an age of suspension thing and miles under car
Thing as mines as flat as a pancake rough roads we all suffer from but as oem CSLs and h&r springs and arbs
My unsprung weight is lower so I guess it will on rough give a bumpy feeling as suspension reacts quicker

as with a lot of M, mine has had new oem springs recently. stock tyres and wheels. definitely more forgiving than my SI.

[D4dawg]

maybe its me....i find the M suspension nicer then my 3.0 SI, not harsh at all. few weeks back did 2000 miles in M over a week, very comfy and easy to live with.....

if you want a sporty car, get an M
if you want a GT, get an M

Dan has 3si and just bought z4mc and he said mines rides better than both
Think it's an age of suspension thing and miles under car
Thing as mines as flat as a pancake rough roads we all suffer from but as oem CSLs and h&r springs and arbs
My unsprung weight is lower so I guess it will on rough give a bumpy feeling as suspension reacts quicker

as with a lot of M, mine has had new oem springs recently. stock tyres and wheels. definitely more forgiving than my SI.

Good to hear buddy:)

[Pastry]

Well Monday morning and another thread has gone to s**t again...welcome to the forum Gramps....

How we roll round here
Wait for Fred to turn up and tell you the aerodynamic benefits of a whippy aerial haha

He's probably too busy polishing his wood

[D4dawg]

Well Monday morning and another thread has gone to s**t again...welcome to the forum Gramps....

How we roll round here
Wait for Fred to turn up and tell you the aerodynamic benefits of a whippy aerial haha

He's probably too busy polishing his wood

Now there's a horrible mental image hahahah
He would have an open log fire place instead of a heater if could

[Nanu]

"How can something that looks so good drive so rubbish?" J.Clarkson on e89.

Would that be the same J Clarkson that said if it was the last car he could ever own (The 35is) he would die a very happy man indeed??

[mr wilks]

"How can something that looks so good drive so rubbish?" J.Clarkson on e89.

Would that be the same J Clarkson that said if it was the last car he could ever own (The 35is) he would die a very happy man indeed??

& the same fella that once claimed the Fiat Coupe was the best looking car of the year must have been before he had his cataracts removed

[D4dawg]

"How can something that looks so good drive so rubbish?" J.Clarkson on e89.

Would that be the same J Clarkson that said if it was the last car he could ever own (The 35is) he would die a very happy man indeed??

& the same fella that once claimed the Fiat Coupe was the best looking car of the year must have been before he had his cataracts removed

Hahhahah

[john-e89]

3 full pages of nonsense and we've heard precisely the square root of diddly squat from the OP...just goes to show the level to which this topic gathers steam.....

[Zoomer]

I would love to own either, but I haven't driven either do would test them out and decide based on whether its for fun, day to day etc and drive in the sunset with a smug grin as they are both fantastic cars in there own way.

[Pastry]

3 full pages of nonsense and we've heard precisely the square root of diddly squat from the OP...just goes to show the level to which this topic gathers steam.....

Its only the bits about choosing the 35is that are nonsense John

[Fishy Dave]

"How can something that looks so good drive so rubbish?" J.Clarkson on e89.

Would that be the same J Clarkson that said if it was the last car he could ever own (The 35is) he would die a very happy man indeed??

& the same fella that once claimed the Fiat Coupe was the best looking car of the year must have been before he had his cataracts removed

Oi, I love the Fiat Coupe, have owned two in the past (former board member of FCCUK too). You've posted a pic of an early 16 valve in the worst colour.

Here was my first one on a European road trip, in Austria:

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