Owning 2009 Z4 35i and 2012 35is

[distinctperson]

Hello everybody,

I am a newbie to Z4s (and to cars, more generally) but I thought I'd share a little bit of my experience of owning both a 2009 35i and 2012 35is to those who are on the fence.

2009 Z4 35i DCT base (deep sea blue):
Purchased the car roughly 6 months ago with 89,000 miles on it for a steal. The car had already had stage 2 ESS tune on it (only upgrade over base stock), so it was very responsive and enjoyable to drive. The only issue that I had was the usual overheating, where the needle would cross the middle of the gauge frequently when pushed, which I thought was not a major issue, until 3 months later when the water pump failed (around 93k miles) and the dealer told me that the mounting tabs for the pumps had melted as a result. So if you are running your 35i at above-operating temps, this is something you may have to watch out for if you redline your car often.

Admittedly, I abused this car a lot. I used to often redline (sometimes from a cold start!!) it atleast 3 times a day just for fun. As a result, and I suspect this stemmed from the incessant overheating due to not having an upgraded intercooler or oil cooler, some leaking ensued, as evidenced by dark wet spots surrounding the engine bay (although I couldn't locate the source by way of visual inspection, as I'm not mechanically inclined). Shortly after noticing the leaks, which were left untreated, the car would start vibrating when I would push the RPM beyond 4k, and goes into limp mode. I suspect the latter was the result of the ignition coil/spark plugs needing replacement and nothing major. I kept driving the car in this condition until some Uber driver ran the redlight and I ended up T-boning the driver. The car was declared a total loss and the insurance sent me a check for a price higher than originally I paid for the car, so in a strange twist, it saved me from having to spend atleast 3-4k to solve the issues the car was undergoing, not to mention that the car was the base model (i.e no upgraded stereo, heated seats/steering, PDC, Comfort Access, etc..)

After losing the car, I went on to rent latest models M4, Tesla P90D and Boxter for about 3 weeks (turned out to be a 5k affair overall lol), but didn't enjoy driving them as much as the Z4. There is some visceral feeling attained in sitting over the rear axle absent in the aforesaid cars, although they were all admittedly faster.

Long story short, I located a 2012 Z4 35is with all options possible for a good price once again, and the following is its review

2012 Z4 35is Alpine White Full Options:
Personally, I think the 35is looks a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the 35i, despite some people who think the rear bumper/diffuser is uglier than standard or M-sport version. I believe having the iDrive, PDC, Comfort Access, and Upgraded Stereo is a must if you are going to purchase a Z4 (very much worth the premium in my contrasting experiences).

Initial thoughts: The car immediately felt much slower than my 35i due to not having ESS tune on it. So for those (if there are any) who think 35is is equally responsive/fast to a stage 2 ESS tuned 35i, you are dead wrong. To be specific, the absence of torque at lower RPMs was so noticeable that I originally thought something was wrong with the car, and even when the limited boost kicked in at above 4k RPM, the car was still sluggish in comparison. The car also came with Ventus V12 EVO 2 tires on 19 inch wheels, and those tires are horrible. On my 35i, I had the RFTs which provided superb handling in comparison. I hit 160MPH a few times on some straights with the EVO2 and the car was so unstable that I thought the wind alone could flip the car. I ditched them immediately for the Michelin PSS and I have since gained my confidence in handling the car at above 120MPH. I have since also ordered the ESS stage 2 tune and, overall, I feel the car is marginally faster (acceleration-wise) than my previous 35i -- not an impressive upgrade in this regard, actually.

Exhaust differences:
Both exhaust systems sound phenomenal when in Sport and Sport+ mode. Untuned 35is generated a relatively muffled exhaust notes in comparison to the tuned 35is (speaking of ECU tune only). However, after tuning the 35is, the exhaust notes were even "sexier" than the tuned 35i. Specifically, after stepping off the throttle, the tuned 35is generated more "gurgling sounds" than the tuned 35i. Also, when quickly accelerating, the tuned 35is generated louder exhaust notes than the tuned 35i (although tuned 35i generated louder acceleration notes than untuned 35is). Getting redundant here, so I will move on haha.


Can't think of much else to compare atm, if you have any further questions regarding either, feel free to ask.

And lastly, thanks for reading!

[ljkiter]

Pics of both cars? Did you do the golf tee mod? I did it on my 35i 6sp and it sounds amazing with the flap being open for the low rpms. gurgles galore and I can now hear the turbo whine after letting go of the gas above 3k rpm. We must be nerds loving this weird sound. I wouldn't want it any louder.

[jts1981]

I hope you tale better care of the 2nd one. I feel bad for the 1st one...sheesh

[Zyal8r]

Enjoyed it all. Nice to hear you doing all the crazy things we wish we could do.

[ljkiter]

Originally Posted by Zyal8r

Enjoyed it all. Nice to hear you doing all the crazy things we wish we could do.

lol i wouldn't want to buy his IS now. These are the drivers i worry about! I found out the car I bought had jb4 installed before i bought it but he took great care of his car.

[distinctperson]

ljkiter, I did not have any mods on it, although now that I know of the "golf-tee" mod, I'm going to do it on my IS.

I only have pics of the old one atm, as I have already rear-ended somebody a few days ago (not fault of my own; the driver suddenly braked for some unknown reason) and the IS is at the shop until Monday or so. Once I get it back, I will post them. But for the moment, check out the pics of the crash.

[ljkiter]

aww man that sucks. the golf tee mod is the perfect sound. lots of gargles and ggraghahhaghr coming from the exhaust at low rpms.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by ljkiter

lol i wouldn't want to buy his IS now. These are the drivers i worry about! I found out the car I bought had jb4 installed before i bought it but he took great care of his car.

LOL, is this thread for real???? ...and are you related to Nostradamus?

[ljkiter]

Originally Posted by tranquility

LOL, is this thread for real???? ...and are you related to Nostradamus?

This thread is LOL but he got a 90k with an ess 2 already on it and wanted something to beat up until he got into another one. I'm jealous of all the wreckless fun he probably had in his 35i.

Do you miss the standard at all? I don't think I can ever enjoy a DCT in these little beasts.

[distinctperson]

ljkiter, you understand me lol !!

I have another Z4 (04 E85) with a manual transmission. So whenever I need a dose of the manual, I just drive it for a little bit and my urge is satisfied lol. But, honestly, DCT is tons of fun -- do not discount this aspect without trying it out for a while. I am usually in manual Sport+ mode anyways, and it bears -- albeit distant -- resemblance of the manual.

[ljkiter]

I had an 03 e85 as well put 80k on it (bought at 80k, sold at 160). That thing got beat the fuck up and was falling apart by the time I was done with it. Lots of donuts and fun to toss around. I'm sure youre at least waiting until the engine warms up in the new car before going crazy.

[VailM3]

maybe you should actually respect your car a bit more... Dunno just a thought. Abusing your car and being seemingly proud of it makes you look questionable at best.

[distinctperson]

Originally Posted by VailM3

maybe you should actually respect your car a bit more... Dunno just a thought. Abusing your car and being seemingly proud of it makes you look questionable at best.

Point taken, VailM3. Although your perception, like all others, is purely subjective and not indicative of my sentiment, I do agree -- as outlined in the post -- that I abused my car a lot, and I do regret doing so in hindsight. I have been treating my iS much better and do intend to keep it this way.

[VailM3]

Originally Posted by distinctperson

Point taken, VailM3. Although your perception, like all others, is purely subjective and not indicative of my sentiment, I do agree -- as outlined in the post -- that I abused my car a lot, and I do regret doing so in hindsight. I have been treating my iS much better and do intend to keep it this way.

Nice, sounds like you turned the page, enjoy it in good health.

[Frank Costanza]

When you doing this high speed runs at 120+ you got the top up or down? Got a wind blocker?

[2011z435is]

lol....OP this will end well

[robertd33]

Originally Posted by VailM3

maybe you should actually respect your car a bit more... Dunno just a thought. Abusing your car and being seemingly proud of it makes you look questionable at best.

my side is: cars are meant to be driven.
as stated previously, every person's perspective is subjective. some people want to buy a new car & drive it to death in a month. some want to baby it & keep it showroom new.
do what you want with yours.

[jts1981]

Originally Posted by robertd33

my side is: cars are meant to be driven.
as stated previously, every person's perspective is subjective. some people want to buy a new car & drive it to death in a month. some want to baby it & keep it showroom new.
do what you want with yours.

I drive my car, track my car, but I also take care of my car. I didn't just throw a tune on it, beat the shit out if it, and then complain that it was over heating and thing started to break.

But like you said, it's the OP's property and he's free to do what he likes. The rest of us will just look with disgust like seeing a person abusing a pet.

[fmorelli]

Originally Posted by distinctperson

[...snip...]I have already rear-ended somebody a few days ago (not fault of my own; the driver suddenly braked for some unknown reason)[...snip...]

I'm sorry to hear that your new 35is took a good front-end shot. That sucks. But I'm just curious, since you brought it up, how can you rear end a car and have it be not your fault? I don't understand that.

Hope your car comes back looking great!

Filippo

[ljkiter]

Originally Posted by fmorelli

I'm sorry to hear that your new 35is took a good front-end shot. That sucks. But I'm just curious, since you brought it up, how can you rear end a car and have it be not your fault? I don't understand that.

Hope your car comes back looking great!

Filippo

he has a better lawyer

[madcatmk3]

I'm curious what you got both of the cars for. The 35is seems harder to price than the 35i since less are available.

[Eracer76]

I'm surprised you didn't do a little research and pick a better tune the second time around... You definitely would have been a lot more impressed of what the car can really do