Final week’s leggy however low cost Porsche Cayman S received loads of vital love within the feedback, even persuading its first proprietor to register with PH to share the story behind its spectacular mileage numbers. Anybody who might (or might not) have labored to get it marked as offered by 11am on Saturday morning. So let’s examine if lightning can strike twice with one other capsule that shares some vital similarities.
Sure, there are some apparent variations. This week’s providing carries a spinning propeller relatively than the Stuttgart crest, its engine is on the reverse finish and it lacks a roof. However that is nonetheless a handsome German sports activities automobile that makes greater than 300 hp and directs firepower to the rear axle. A £9,990 price ticket makes it simply ten kilos cheaper than the Cayman S, and whereas its 132,000 mileage is sufficient to be thought of long-legged on this a part of the market, it is nonetheless solely two-thirds of what the Porsche had managed to muster. All that may be discovered, proper?
In fact, those that beforehand anticipated the Z4M to skyrocket in worth have had loads of time to develop lengthy, grey beards as costs have remained as flat because the much less topographically fascinating elements of Norfolk. Towards the factors of probably the most fascinating M vehicles, each the coupé and roadster variations of the Z4M have virtually an entire set of ticks: restricted volumes, cool design and one of many division’s signature powerplants – on this case the 338bhp S54 six-cylinder shared with the E46 M3. But it nonetheless sits within the lingering shadow of the dynamically inferior Z3M, with even tough examples of the previous roadster being provided for greater than double our capsule, and common asking Z3M Coupes within the advert north of £40,000.
That would imply – as crypto-bros with burnt fingers nonetheless guarantee us – that that is the proper time to purchase, man! However it’s additionally seemingly the market’s recognition that the Z4M has at all times been a automobile that is simpler to love than dwell with, from an period when the M Division held its rules sacred. Squeezing the outdated M3’s engine into the light-weight Z4 created a pocket rocket ship with the power to each finest the up to date Cayman S and deal with the beefier Mercedes SLK 55 AMG. The M’s engineers even went to the appreciable effort of tinkering with hydraulic energy steering on the premise that the usual Z4’s electrically assisted rack and pinion wasn’t deemed communicative sufficient. Who wants greater than that degree of dedication?
Most potential patrons, it turned out. The M Division’s ardour could not masks the Z4’s basic flaws for these in search of even a modicum of practicality. The unique UK press launch for the Z4M was held in South Carolina, with proper hand drive vehicles straight from the manufacturing unit in Spartanburg that constructed them. Journos received these for a few days to go and have photogenic adventures – I had the unique concept of going to the Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina. Sadly, the roadster’s measly boot area meant the photographer I used to be working with needed to journey along with his giant digicam bag resting on his lap for 200 miles, with a tripod wedged within the area between the seats and roll bars so the roof could not shut. Nonetheless, I received off simple – the crew from one other paper received caught breaking the velocity restrict by such a margin that they received an evening within the cells and have been barraged with Dueling Banjo jokes ever since.
Though restricted practicality was shared with the usual Z4, the senior model additionally lacked a lot of the driver-flattering dealing with that early 2000s patrons anticipated the M model to ship. It gripped tenaciously and turned enthusiastically, however pushing too laborious made it snappy and snappy the place the up to date M3 was clean and progressive, and the experience may be disconcertingly harsh. The margin between “I’ve received it” and “it is received me” was barely wider than it had been within the an identical Z3M.
However the greatest downside was the worth. As launched, the M Roadster value £42,750, which can appear to be excellent worth in these inflated occasions, however meant the BMW was 4 grand dearer than a Boxster S in 2003. Sure, the Z4 was faster, nevertheless it could not match the Porsche on dynamic finesse or sensible – and to no nice shock, BMW’s depreciation curve resembled the trajectory of a depressed lemming. Lengthy earlier than the earliest examples reached their tenth birthday, they typically dropped to £10,000 and even much less. Which is just about the place this one is nearly one other decade on.
Granted, the cash being requested for shiny, lower-mileage Z4Ms has elevated lately, however whereas our capsule is at present the most cost effective within the classifieds, its four-figure price ticket would not make it an outlier to the broader market. The seller valuation might be warranted by the truth that this one has lined 132,000 miles, which is properly past most of its cherished siblings. However with the advert’s promise of a full service historical past, that needn’t be trigger for undue concern. Nor, to be honest, is the truth that it is had six homeowners in 16 years – that is the form of automobile itch that many will scratch rapidly earlier than shifting on.
The MOT story is brief on shocks. Like most M vehicles, this one has clearly been heavy on brakes, tires and suspension elements judging from semi-frequent advisories and occasional failures. However there’s nothing scary within the put up and our capsule appears to have made mileage at a gradual tempo, the official file indicating it has been on the highway with out interruption. In brief, it appears to be like like an reasonably priced, helpful M automobile of the type that is getting skinny on the bottom for something like that lately. Will it improve in worth? Presumably – however does it matter if it would not? Begin drawing the Venn revolving round “twenty first century M vehicles”, “reasonably priced” and “not an enormous SUV” and the Z4M is the one automobile left within the shadows. For that motive alone, it must be a winner.
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