Need some help and suggestion on Z4 35is

[why13]

Hi Guys,
I used to have a 2007 boxster S, test drove the 2011 Z4 35is DTC with 18" wheels

1) Loved the exhaust on the car
2) The steering was nice and the ride very supple on sport on 18" wheels
3) The handling was great too

But
1) The paddles was blah , push/pull instead of left and right like the ones in m3/ 535 etc.,

I have a few questions befoe i decide on the Z435 is vs another roadster ( 2012 sl, boxster etc)
1) Can the paddles be changed to behave like in m3, left for downshift and right for downshift?
2) Hifi audio worth it?
3) Ride on 19" wheels in Sport
4) White exterior with red interior vs space grey and red interior

Owners please let chime in with your feedback /any regrets on 35is

Thanks

[tranquility]

I only have a 35i but re your questions:
1-paddle functions can't be changed (officially)
2-I heard that the std radio is simply not powerful enough and ppl w/ it regret not upgrading to the Logic7
3-no idea
4-both are great; it's cool that the red interior actually matches w/ several exterior colors, including space grey, titanium silver and of course white and black. I have white on red and it's great too.

Btw, how does the handling compare to your Boxster?

[Constant.S]

Originally Posted by why13

Hi Guys,
I used to have a 2007 boxster S, test drove the 2011 Z4 35is DTC with 18" wheels

1) Loved the exhaust on the car
2) The steering was nice and the ride very supple on sport on 18" wheels
3) The handling was great too

But
1) The paddles was blah , push/pull instead of left and right like the ones in m3/ 535 etc.,

I have a few questions befoe i decide on the Z435 is vs another roadster ( 2012 sl, boxster etc)
1) Can the paddles be changed to behave like in m3, left for downshift and right for downshift?
2) Hifi audio worth it?
3) Ride on 19" wheels in Sport
4) White exterior with red interior vs space grey and red interior

Owners please let chime in with your feedback /any regrets on 35is

Thanks

35i as well here.
1)The paddles CAN be rewired for left/right pretty easilly (-/+) but dont know if BMW does it for you. So it wont be an official upgrade.
2)The top of the line "proffesional labeled" Hifi is at least very good (personal experience).
3)Ride on 19's is all about where you live and what kind of roads you drive the car. Driving behavior (with Continental Conti Sport 5P that im using) is superb especially with the electromagnetic suspension (M adaptive). Just make sure u have it on normal (softer setting) in bad roads because 19's tend to be sensitive in potholes and crack due to low profiling.
4)I was never a white car fan (reminded me of refrigerators on wheels) but i have to say that the Z with white/coral red interior is beautiful.

[cdeslandes]

1) Paddles can be reconfigured but it's not that easy: http://www.n54tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=699

[Alext]

I agree that the exhaust does sound awesome!

I actually quite like the paddle setup BMW use. I have no problems with it whatsoever. I have always driven manual though so I guess if you are used to a +/- system then it will take some getting used to.

[gblansten]

Inside Line (Edmunds) had the 19 inch equipped sdrive35is slower through slalom (66.7 vs 68.9) compared with a 18 inch equipped M suspension sdrive35i. The 35is was better on the skip pad at 0.9 versus 0.87 and braking distances were the same.

If you care more about handling and ride quality go with the 18s. If you really love the way the 19s look (they do look great) get them.

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/z4/201...full-test.html

I don't have a Z4 but I'm considering one so I've pondered the same questions as you.

[mcbeee]

I drove an M6 with the same paddles, it's really no big deal. I like my paddles a lot now. I can up or down with either hand. I have the 19's on mine and will move to non-rft's ASAP. The ride is HAAARD on rft's

HIFI is a necessity, not an option in my mind

Colour choice, that's up to you ....

PS, mine is not an is, it's a 35i with dinan stage II so I have 380 hp, all the time. I like it , ... a lot !!!

Good luck,

[Dr Stig 2]

1) Can the paddles be changed to behave like in m3, left for downshift and right for downshift? Yes - see above link
2) Hifi audio worth it? Yes
3) Ride on 19" wheels in Sport All the time ;-)
4) White exterior with red interior vs space grey and red interior Personal choice

[texref]

Originally Posted by why13

4) White exterior with red interior vs space grey and red interior

Owners please let chime in with your feedback /any regrets on 35is

Thanks

See if a local dealer has any of those two color combos. Pictures are good but in-person is different altogether and see what grabs you more.

Can't comment on the other parts as I'm still starting the look for the Z4 and saving as well.

Let us know how it turns out

[Silver-Bolt]

I came out of a car with the left/right paddles and hated the Z's configuration for about two days. Now it's no big deal. The premium sound is a must unless you plan to go aftermarket on the tunes. I have 19's on our "is" and in reality I think 18's are a far better coice for the roads in my area.

[whym3]

The handling of the boxster was great, very neutral around corners with tremendous grip. I did not like the soft top , noisy on highway and lots of noises from the top

How is the z4 roof? Also noisy?
When I test drove the z4 it was coupe like on the highway and torque was nice and 35is felt very sporty , seats very comfy and supportive
But then only owners know how the cars roof etc is holding up with ownership

[cdeslandes]

Originally Posted by whym3

The handling of the boxster was great, very neutral around corners with tremendous grip. I did not like the soft top , noisy on highway and lots of noises from the top

How is the z4 roof? Also noisy?
When I test drove the z4 it was coupe like on the highway and torque was nice and 35is felt very sporty , seats very comfy and supportive
But then only owners know how the cars roof etc is holding up with ownership

With the top up, the Z4 is as quiet as a sedan (at least from a wind noise standpoint.) Some people complain of creaks on uneven roads - I don't and it may depend on seal maintenance.

As for the handling, getting rid of the run-flat tires would probably get you much closer to the Boxster.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by whym3

The handling of the boxster was great, very neutral around corners with tremendous grip. I did not like the soft top , noisy on highway and lots of noises from the top

How is the z4 roof? Also noisy?
When I test drove the z4 it was coupe like on the highway and torque was nice and 35is felt very sporty , seats very comfy and supportive
But then only owners know how the cars roof etc is holding up with ownership

The roof was absolutely perfect and I didn't notice any diff between it and a real coupe's roof, even hitting hard bumps, etc. It's only now w/ the colder weather that I may hear the occasional noise, presumably from the rubber seals getting hard and rubbing up against the rest of the car. I guess it depends on how 'anal' one is...I'm reasonably 'anal' and strange noises would annoy me a bit so that I would feel the need to investigate (e.g. loose items in the car vibrating when the stereo's turned up loud) but the roof is very acceptable to me noise-wise.

[richard in NC]

Originally Posted by tranquility

The roof was absolutely perfect and I didn't notice any diff between it and a real coupe's roof, even hitting hard bumps, etc. It's only now w/ the colder weather that I may hear the occasional noise, presumably from the rubber seals getting hard and rubbing up against the rest of the car. I guess it depends on how 'anal' one is...I'm reasonably 'anal' and strange noises would annoy me a bit so that I would feel the need to investigate (e.g. loose items in the car vibrating when the stereo's turned up loud) but the roof is very acceptable to me noise-wise.

+1 on that. Very few noises from the top, although more in the cooler weather.
Its nicely insulated too. No coolness even in 15 degree weather.

[Dr Stig 2]

My roof was a rattley bucket of bolts.
On the third return to the dealer they found a technician who cared, and after four hours of investigation into the roof and window seal mountings... no more rattles.

Three weeks later, only one small rattle has made its way back, and it is very minor.
Now that he knows what he is doing, I am sure he will be able to fix it permanently this time when I go back in.
(I have to given they scratched through the leather on the drivers seat while working on it - arghhh!)

Now (and for the first time in the five months I have owned it) I actually enjoy driving it with the roof up. Lucky, as the rains have started now.

[SCBMW02]

Have had mine since May, about 3500 miles so far. Really the only negative I have are the run flat tires which has been discussed to death. I am going to trade out for standard tires in the spring. I think that will make a huge difference in road noise, ( very quiet, however, on good roads) comfort and grip. No issues at all with the top, a few rattles from the roll bars( I think?) on shitty roads, again maybe more the runflats?

Coming from an E92 M3 the Z4 is not razor sharpe, and has some quirky sensations in slow corners (tires?). On fast sweepers this thing handles pretty darn good, and like many BMWs, most will never approach limits on public roads. I think it looks better and does just about everything better than a boxster in real world driving, how many times do we have to hear how great the boxster steering is? The engine is fabulous and the sounds keep me from playing the sound system very much, but I do have the premium sound which is good. I am 6'1" and there is plenty of room, way way better than the Z3 M Roadster I had.

This thing is quick as hell, and to be honest feels damn near as quick to 60 as the M3 did. I think a lot of that is due to the amazing DCT. I am a die hard manual guy, but I won't go back. My buddies at the performance center feel the same way! Edmunds got 0-60 in 5.0s which cannot be right, I am guessing more like 4.5 and doesn't BMW claim 4.7 or so?

Anyway, I love the car and it turns heads aplenty. Cannot wait to change the tires.

[persian54]

i went from a 986 Boxster to an e93 335i to a Z4 35i to now an e93 M3

the Z4 is definitely more noisy than the e93s, but much much quieter than the boxster ever was

the Prem sound is a must; I hate that our Z4 doesn't have it; it was a necessity in the M3

I actually miss the paddles that the 335i and the z4 have versus the ones on my M3

I liked being about to change with 1 hand

But you get used to it either way

I have 19in DPEs on the Z4 with Toyo T1Rs
Handled better and stiffer

But the stock 18s were not bad at all (runflats aren't the best, but they were still pretty good on the track)

Color is preference

I have Mineral White on Fox Red on my M3
I had Alpine white on Black on my 335i
the Z4 is Deep Sea Blue on White extended leather

In my opinion, DSB is the best color for the Z4, and the interior is to die for (except keeping it clean...which is a big hassle)

[Land_Shark]

Originally Posted by persian54

i went from a 986 Boxster to an e93 335i to a Z4 35i to now an e93 M3

Your car shifting is a little strange to me... From E93 335i to Z4 to an E93 M3...
Why did you go through the Z4 ??
I am moving from the E93 to the Z4... I am not sure if I will make the move again to an E93 M3...Emm...

[Rubber Ducky]

Manual mode all the time, Sport. Paddles are fine as is, but have learned to mix in use of the shift lever for most runs through the gears. Paddles are handy for focused shift sequences in a straight line, but the shift lever is way easier in a turn. Try it - you'll like it.

[mcbeee]

Originally Posted by Rubber Ducky

Manual mode all the time, Sport. Paddles are fine as is, but have learned to mix in use of the shift lever for most runs through the gears. Paddles are handy for focused shift sequences in a straight line, but the shift lever is way easier in a turn. Try it - you'll like it.

X 2

[why13]

I agree with the Quirky sensations in slow corners, ofcourse it was cold but i did feel the rear slipping in slow corners . I live in northeast so did not put the top down during the test drive , How is the wind management in the car with top down, windows up and the back net/glass installed? is it very drafty or serene like in the 650 convertible?

The boxster is good but the softtop feels lless integrated with the metal and more noisy. I love the chunky M steering wheel and the car felt solid and IMO is one of the best looking roadster

[BlueZ4AZ]

Originally Posted by tranquility

I only have a 35i but re your questions:
2-I heard that the std radio is simply not powerful enough and ppl w/ it regret not upgrading to the Logic7

I am not 100% satisfied with the base stereo, but like most, do not regret not getting the upgraded audio. The majority of us consciously elected not to pay for what was considered to be an overpriced option, in our opinion. Personally, I found better things to do with $1900, so no regrets. If I had to do it all over again, I'd make the same decision.


So, it is a matter of choice for everyone.