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      05-10-2013, 08:46 AM   #60
Asbjorn
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Drives: Z4 N54 DCT (VTT GC lites)
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: European in China

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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWZ4RIDER View Post
I personally would NEVER buy this underpowered Z, as the only only thing you can do with it is literally putter around. I purchased performance with my 35i and expect to be amazed at every drive. If I wanted to look good with lackluster performance, I would ride around in my wife's MB C300.

However BMW is not Porsche or Lamborghini and the corporate office running BMW is charged with selling cars and knows that there is larger,world wide market to capture for the Z by offering many (watered down) formats and the "All show and no go" market is one of them. The bonus to BMW world wide to offering a no performance Z is a big jump is over all brand fuel efficiency. BMW is in the business of making money and marketing this Z as the " The Ultimate Driving Machine " will sell model models and in my humble opinion, only serve to dilute the Z and brand name once again. I am an admitted Z4 snob and love the exclusive Z4 club.

On the other side, BMW is now doing to the Z what is is doing to every other model. Down sizing the power for better fuel efficiency (for again, markets all over the world). All you have to do is to look at the complete BMW line up of recent releases:
New 320 series with the same motor
New M 3 dumping (I mean downsizing) from the massive V8 to now a turbo 6.
New reduced power 5 series.
Hybrid models
On and on.

I under stand the cost side of the euro markets with heavy taxes on higher power, but it is not for me. As much as I love the Z, when I test drove. Automatic 30i compared to the 35i DCT, I would have not plunked down my Money on anything less the fantastic adrenaline rush of the 300 twin turbo 35i. I cannot image the further power reduction and driving disappointment going from 335 HP 35is, to 300HP, to 255HP 30i to now 184HP 2.0i. ARRRUGHHH

I digress.
So your point is that while the 320 makes sense alongside the 335is and M3, an economy version of a lambo or 911 just doesn't. Similarly a 6-series does not come with any less than 300hp...

And then you are saying that the Z4 brand is suffering from including both an economy and a performance version at the same time. It is hard not to agree. The boxter brand does not suffer from the same problem (all are economy versions ). But then the main competitor, the SLK-brand, wouldn't be any different from the Z-brand.

Sometimes I think it is nice that I can tell people that I "just" drive a Z4, not a 6 or 7-series or something, and they will automatically assume it's the sDrive23i that everyone else drives here. Then you can get better discounts, and won't have to worry about people thinking you are a massive show off. But then at other times...
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