1000 miles onto BMW Z4 35is

[maxbaybe]

1000 miles added driving my 2011 Z4 since last Tuesday and I’m loving every second. Downshifts in the DCT and the burbles are amazing, the sounds are just awesome. I also can’t get myself to not get out sport + in city driving and highway ramps! It’s been a blast of a few days.

Now, I have a few questions for the veteran e89 owners and new owners. As this is going to be my daily driver, I am hoping I can get some more insight on other owners opinions/views or advice on how they live with their Z4. I am driving pretty hard given it’s only been a few days since buying the car, do any of you guys continuously push the car to its limits since owning your Z4?

Also planning a lot of trips this year, one of them being 1,500miles from Missouri to Las Vegas and back. For those doing long distance traveling was there anything you changed internally just as a peace of mind, or anything that made the trip easier.

As of right now I am planning on replacing a lot of the OEM parts (charge pipe, coils, sparks plugs, intake, and FMIC) also wanting to replace wheels as they are scratched up and from what I know that the 326m wheels crack and Missouri roads are not forgiving.

Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated!

[Marcoose]

It’s a car that can be fun, indeed. Stock is awfully disappointing, but with the right mods, it’s really fun. See sig below.

[Belair62]

Very nice ! Is that Melbourne over extended white ? I looked at its twin last year in Palatine Illinois right down to the carbon mirror caps and newer style fender indicators. If you are still running run flats that would be a good upgrade to get rid of those.

[B21]

Welcome..I’ve done over 110 mods to my 35is..some ideas are in my build thread here..

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=131886

[KennyP]

You dont have to get new wheels because of scratches... you could just send them off to get refurbished and they will look like new. These wheels dont look bad and do fit the car quite well dont they? i have refurbed my wheels twice... scatches are normal wear and tear if you use the car.

Yep sport + and manual with paddles is how i drive mine almost all the time... normal mode to warm it up before... Only in bad winter conditions i use regular sport to keep all the aids on... and maybe when im using cruise control on the highway... you have to use normal or sport with that. Cruise control doesnt work in sport+ mode...

no need to go crazy with mods..
If you think its not sharp enough handlingwise, there are a few mods that make it sharper and sporty. But it will come somewhat at the cost of comfort. If you have bad roads then really think what your goals are.

If you want some extra power.. also there are some easy to do and well established mods. you probably saw them already on the second z4 you were considering.

Main thing is good maintenance with these... and some of it is costly. Be prepared for that.
I like what Matt Farah from Smoking tire once said in a video about m3 vs isf... It was something along the lines of this: Always keep couple of grand on the side for when things go wrong... and they will go wrong in the bmw at some point.

Understand what things cost ahead of time. Recently there have been users who hadnt done that, drive around in ignorant bliss and then when their adaptive shocks fail they get a big suprise and start looking for shortcuts...
I knew how expensive those shocks were before i bought the car.. i did my research before... i was mentally prepared for it and knew that they were eventually at somepoint going to fail...

Anyway.. enjoy the car. Ivory interior is nice!

[Drummer$Dude]

Originally Posted by Belair62

Very nice ! Is that Melbourne over extended white ? I looked at its twin last year in Palatine Illinois right down to the carbon mirror caps and newer style fender indicators. If you are still running run flats that would be a good upgrade to get rid of those.

I concur with Belair62, ditch the run flats. That said, make sure you have a flat kit in the trunk. I'm on my second set of Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires (staggered) and have never had a flat tire. The first set lasted about 40,000 miles.

As for taking long trips, I've driven my Z4 from Michigan to Kansas and back 4-5 times. It's about 2000 miles round trip and my Z has never let me down. It currently has over 145,000 miles and still runs great! I think one reason is regular maintenance of course, but I also don't run a tune which adds additional stress to the drivetrain. I understand why Z4 enthusiasts do though so I'm not being critical.

It's a sweet ride, and a blast to drive as you know. Oh, and I've been to Palentine, IL. There is a drum shop there that's pretty cool.

[KennyP]

Originally Posted by Drummer$Dude

I'm on my second set of Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires (staggered) and have never had a flat tire. The first set lasted about 40,000 miles.

Yep im on my second set of Michelin non-runflats/ regular tires. First set was Supersports, second is newer 4S. Never had any punctures, never been stranded anywhere. And they do improve the ride and handling alot.
Simplecarguy had a video recently on youtube about putting 4s tires on his z4. He couldnt praise them enough.

[maxbaybe]

Originally Posted by Belair62

Very nice ! Is that Melbourne over extended white ? I looked at its twin last year in Palatine Illinois right down to the carbon mirror caps and newer style fender indicators. If you are still running run flats that would be a good upgrade to get rid of those.

Yea, this actually might be the vehicle you were looking at. I bought this Z4 from Palatine and drove back home to Missouri.

[Belair62]

Originally Posted by maxbaybe

Yea, this actually might be the vehicle you were looking at. I bought this Z4 from Palatine and drove back home to Missouri.

Well that was a nice car. Tough people to deal with. In the end my wife didnt want the white interior. I downloaded the window sticker . That car was 75k new ! Loaded. If you want me to send a copy PM me your email.

[maxbaybe]

Originally Posted by Belair62

Well that was a nice car. Tough people to deal with. In the end my wife didnt want the white interior. I downloaded the window sticker . That car was 75k new ! Loaded. If you want me to send a copy PM me your email.

Much appreciated, I actually had the dealer send me a copy of it before actually going to Chicago. The options is what got me to go purchase the car. It’s an awesome spec, usually I wouldn’t go for a white interior, but seeing it in person I couldn’t say no. Also I was really hoping I’d come across a Valencia Orange Z4, but I couldn’t find one, the Melbourne Red will do!

[Belair62]

Originally Posted by maxbaybe

Much appreciated, I actually had the dealer send me a copy of it before actually going to Chicago. The options is what got me to go purchase the car. It’s an awesome spec, usually I wouldn’t go for a white interior, but seeing it in person I couldn’t say no. Also I was really hoping I’d come across a Valencia Orange Z4, but I couldn’t find one, the Melbourne Red will do!

Melbourne over Valencia all day for me. Congrats.

[maxbaybe]

1700 mile update Z4 35is
I opened up the engine cover for the first time and found out that my 2011 Z4 has Index 12 Fuel Injectors installed making this buy so much more special!

[KennyP]

Can have some peace of mind then. I remember how happy i was when i checked mine and found them all to be index 12. have had my car for over 8 years now and no issues with them...

TBH this index 12 thing is so wellknown and been so for years, so that i believe most n54 z4-s are already on the latest injectors and stumbling on a car that has older problematic index injectors is becoming rare now... these index 12 injectors came out more than a decade ago... in 2013... theres been more than enough time for cars to be upgraded to use them...

[maxbaybe]

New Tires for the Z4!
I didn’t realize this at first, the rear wheels have so much positive camber! I noticed that the insides of the tires were pretty bald with some internal threads showing on the Sumitomo rears. Booked my car to install new tires today, going with the Continental Extreme Contact DWS!

Super excited to see if I’ll have more traction now knowing that I’ve been driving on pretty bald rear tires.

Does anyone have Continentals installed on their Z4?

[KennyP]

i think you mean negative camber... positive camber would have the outside edge wear out faster...plus it wouldnt be good for handling...

regarding tires...
As i understand these that you mentioned are all season tires.
You specifically chose all season tires?

i would go with a dedicated summer tires and if needed a winter setup.

Whats the weather like in your area? Snow?


I think B21 liked Continental tires and has a set of their summer performance tires on his. I personally have had bad experience with that brand and refuse to testbuy anything made by them again. And i am almost on the edge to becoming a Michelin fanboy.

but yeah,,,
Summer tires that a lot of people run are:

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S - isnt the newest model but it is very well recommended... good comfort, sharp handling... low noise... grip is great... and lasts a long time aswell. Pricey though. But for how long they last and how good they are i think its worth it.

Seen a few US guys run Firehawk indy 500 tires and i guess they like them.
This model is basically not available in my area so dont know...

Continental Sportcontact 7...
i think this is the tire B21 really liked... it does very well in recent tire tests. Its also newer model than Michelin ps4s and has edged it out in some recent tests. but its bit noisier than ps4s. And also theres the question of longevity...

But all these are dedicated high performance summer tires and not all seasons..
if you dont really see icy conditions or temperatures below freezing then summer tires are fine...

i have driven in snowy conditions on PS4S numerous times.. im always late with my seasonal tire change and get cought in the first snow falls with summer tires still on Anyway i wasnt expecting much from them in such conditions but they were better than i expected...

Anyway if you want your sporty roadster to perform, handle sharp and feel sporty then get dedicated performance tires. A touring all season or regular sedan tire will make it feel less confident and more understeery in the corners, it will not hook up as well when accelerating from the traffic lights, less stable at high speeds.
And if you start giving it more power... then performance tires are even more recommended.

[maxbaybe]

Originally Posted by KennyP

i think you mean negative camber... positive camber would have the outside edge wear out faster...plus it wouldnt be good for handling...

regarding tires...
As i understand these that you mentioned are all season tires.
You specifically chose all season tires?

i would go with a dedicated summer tires and if needed a winter setup.

Whats the weather like in your area? Snow?


I think B21 liked Continental tires and has a set of their summer performance tires on his. I personally have had bad experience with that brand and refuse to testbuy anything made by them again. And i am almost on the edge to becoming a Michelin fanboy.

but yeah,,,
Summer tires that a lot of people run are:

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S - isnt the newest model but it is very well recommended... good comfort, sharp handling... low noise... grip is great... and lasts a long time aswell. Pricey though. But for how long they last and how good they are i think its worth it.

Seen a few US guys run Firehawk indy 500 tires and i guess they like them.
This model is basically not available in my area so dont know...

Continental Sportcontact 7...
i think this is the tire B21 really liked... it does very well in recent tire tests. Its also newer model than Michelin ps4s and has edged it out in some recent tests. but its bit noisier than ps4s. And also theres the question of longevity...

But all these are dedicated high performance summer tires and not all seasons..
if you dont really see icy conditions or temperatures below freezing then summer tires are fine...

i have driven in snowy [...]

Thanks, I looked at a few options and it ultimately came down to the continental’s because it was available in a wider size, I was hoping Michelins would have it in stock.

Tire Size: Front 235/35 Rears 265/30

As for weather, Missouri is really unpredictable. It does snow here in the winter time, but nothing compared to the more northern states. We tend to have a lot of days where the roads do get icy, makes for a lot of stuck vehicles on the side of the road in the winter time.

Thanks for the input, I may actually see if I can get a set of Summer Tires just so I don’t wear into these all season sets and just switch them out for when the weather does start getting bad.

Also, I have been looking into acquiring some parts pretty soon:

Chargepipe BOV (vRSF), Dual Intakes (Burger Motorsports), downpipes (vRSF) and an FMIC 5” (vRSF).

Is there a place where I can outsource all of these parts from one place? Anyone know any designated sites?

[KennyP]

hmm i run stock tire width on mine... 225 and 255. On PS4S i have no issues with grip at all..

Vrsf i think had its own web shop... Alsu you can use VRSF DCI aswell instead of BMS... That way you can get it all from one place.

https://www.vr-speed.com/?s=e89+z4&post_type=product

also maybe shoot an email.. maybe get special offer on a package deal.

also maybe think about getting the 7.5 inch intercooler instead of the 5 inch...
I know their 7.5 is well liked and recommended... 5" not so much... google around a bit and youll probably find some answers... use n54 vrsf intercooler and not Z4... it gets you better results...
intercooler is the same in 335i 135i z4 35i and is models... chargepipe is different and so are downpipes...

with the single big BOV.. that bigger BOV likes to have more vacuum to operate better.. i have read that stock vacuum line that operate stock dual valves is too small and that its recommended to run a bigger line.. there are a few ways of doing it.. drill and thread a hole into intake manifold and install bigger nipple for bigger vacuum line... or use a special block that you can install to one of the sensor spots on the manifold between the manifold and sensor itself.
I personally would prefer diverter valves... there are aftermarket ones out there too that replace stock plastic ones and can be used as bov or be plummed back to the intake.

[Drummer$Dude]

Originally Posted by KennyP

i think you mean negative camber... positive camber would have the outside edge wear out faster...plus it wouldnt be good for handling...

regarding tires...
As i understand these that you mentioned are all season tires.
You specifically chose all season tires?

i would go with a dedicated summer tires and if needed a winter setup.

Whats the weather like in your area? Snow?


I think B21 liked Continental tires and has a set of their summer performance tires on his. I personally have had bad experience with that brand and refuse to testbuy anything made by them again. And i am almost on the edge to becoming a Michelin fanboy.

but yeah,,,
Summer tires that a lot of people run are:

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S - isnt the newest model but it is very well recommended... good comfort, sharp handling... low noise... grip is great... and lasts a long time aswell. Pricey though. But for how long they last and how good they are i think its worth it.

Seen a few US guys run Firehawk indy 500 tires and i guess they like them.
This model is basically not available in my area so dont know...

Continental Sportcontact 7...
i think this is the tire B21 really liked... it does very well in recent tire tests. Its also newer model than Michelin ps4s and has edged it out in some recent tests. but its bit noisier than ps4s. And also theres the question of longevity...

But all these are dedicated high performance summer tires and not all seasons..
if you dont really see icy conditions or temperatures below freezing then summer tires are fine...

i have driven in snowy conditions on PS4S numerous times.. im always late with my seasonal tire change and get cought in the first snow falls with summer tires still on Anyway i wasnt expecting much from them in such conditions but they were better than i expected...

Anyway if you want your sporty roadster to perform, handle sharp and feel sporty then get dedicated performance tires. A touring all season or regular sedan tire will make it feel less confident and more understeery in the corners, it will not hook up as well when accelerating from the traffic lights, less stable at high speeds.
And if you start giving it more power... then performance tires are even more recommended.

Kenny P, very good analysis.

The Contis will be good if driving in less than ideal conditions. I tried to drive my Z on my snow packed driveway a few years ago and it wouldnt go due to the summer tires (Firestone Firehawk Indy) so my car is a three season car only. That, and road salt isn’t a good thing.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/conti...ct-dws-06-plus

[maxbaybe]

Initial driving with the new set of tires:

Here in Missouri it hasn’t been ideal conditions, continuous rain showers all day today with some flash flooding around the area. With the bald Sumitomo tires, with a quick blip on the throttle the rear gets loose which is pretty fun.

Now that I have the Continental tires on my vehicle I did a few full throttle pulls in the wet and they grip so much. Can’t wait for it to dry up! It’s been continuous raining so I can’t wait to stretch out the new tires when the sun comes out! Keep y’all updated

[maxbaybe]

Originally Posted by KennyP

Also maybe think about getting the 7.5 inch intercooler instead of the 5 inch...
I know their 7.5 is well liked and recommended... 5" not so much... google around a bit and youll probably find some answers... use n54 vrsf intercooler and not Z4... it gets you better results...
intercooler is the same in 335i 135i z4 35i and is models... chargepipe is different and so are downpipes...

Alrighty, so I went with vRSF for both the intakes and Chargepipe BOV! I know you mentioned to go with the n54 intercooler, is that the 7.5” Stepped HD Competition FMIC? On their site there is an FMIC (7.5 HD specifically for the Z4, is it this one?

Also, with the vRSF catless downpipes has anyone had any issues with emissions?

[B21]

Oh dear ..another DCI/BOV vandal hits the streets !-

[KennyP]

i think its the regular competition 7.5 inch with high density(HD) core. They have changed their naming over the years... there used to be a regular 7.5 inch and then a HD variant. guess they dropped the regular one and only offer high density cores now...

One thing to note! Eventhough people like those vrsf 7.5 inch intercoolers they arent totally plug and play. You will have to do some irreversible mods to get it to fit. Cut some stuff behind the bumper. With a 5 inch you dont have to do that...

Also VRSF intercoolers dont have Bmw quickconnect piping connections...They use silicone hoses to hook up the piping, This means you have to do again some irreversible mods and cut those quick connects off from the ends of the piping. Thats something you have to do even with vrsf 5" unit.

If you dont want to do any cutting,then look at CSF intercooler for example... it still has stock connections. just google CSF n54 intercooler. Aint as big as vrsf 7.5 inch but will do the job...

also can look at Wagner tuning:
evo 1 is totally plug and play intercooler
evo 2 uses silicone hoses..

there has been arguments made that the stock quick connector becomes a bottleneck at some point as the piping inner diameter shrinks down at the connection point... with silicone hose it doesnt do that... i guess it all depends on how far are you willing /wanting / planning to go.

Also look at intercooler weights... big intecoolers weigh alot...

Take your time and dont hurry!