Noobs

[sebsand09]

Guys what if we swapped a z4 with an s85 and TT'd it???

[BadgerDog]

Howdy! Just got my new (to me) 2016 Z4 sDrive35i home yesterday. Had to go to Tucson from SoCal... TWICE... to get her! (Wasn't through dealer service yet the first time... sigh). Worth it, though. Got the wholesale price on it, so I will NOT complain.

I LOVE THE CAR so much so far. Having some minor issues like the GPS isnt working but once I get those sorted I think it will be an amazing car experience for me. If only BMW bluetooth wasnt so finicky (I know its not just my car, my wife has had a 2016 mini for years and its always been a royal PITA).

View post on imgur.com

View post on imgur.com

[bryanhoag]

Sharp looking car! You could consider a CarPlay/Android Auto retrofit kit so you don't need the stock GPS.

Also, the 296 wheels look great. Given yours is a 2016, they're probably the reinforced version. But the earlier ones were so prone to cracking there was a class action lawsuit. May be worth checking yours for cracks periodically as minor cracks can be repaired.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by bryanhoag

Sharp looking car! You could consider a CarPlay/Android Auto retrofit kit so you don't need the stock GPS.

Also, the 296 wheels look great. Given yours is a 2016, they're probably the reinforced version. But the earlier ones were so prone to cracking there was a class action lawsuit. May be worth checking yours for cracks periodically as minor cracks can be repaired.

Thanks! Oof on the wheels. I did not know about that, and will keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the heads up. Particularly since I hit some pothole today I never even saw... I suspect it was on a light / shadow intersection or something.

I would very much consider one of the android auto retrofits in the future. For now, though, I kinda wanna just enjoy the car mostly as-is for a while. (Plan to do a stage 1 tune sooner rather than later though). Good idea at any rate.

[bryanhoag]

Good deal. I did the Dinan Stage 3. Fun. No issues.

[PhillyZedFour]

Hi Folks - I sold my 28i a couple years ago, but seeing all of these posts makes me want to go looking for one again. Thanks for posting your pics!

[The Stanimal]

Orion Silver 35i

[KeJo]

new to me 2009
added 19" shoes, chrome delete (nearly complete), gloss black top wrap

[Sports_Sport]

Looks just like mine sans the wheels. I got V-spoke 294 18" BMW wheels. Charging camera battery now.

[Ashg]

Originally Posted by Sports_Sport

Looks just like mine sans the wheels. I got V-spoke 294 18" BMW wheels. Charging camera battery now.

New to the board but not new to the car
2014 35is

[90DegreesSouth]

Hello Fellow Z4 Fans,

I am wanting to upgrade my 2003 Z4 3.0i E85 to an E89. Car will be driven primarily by my wife as her everyday, but we are active with Atlanta Z3/Z4 club and like to take mountain drives. No competition events. Looking for lowest maintenance, most dependable Z4.
Here is my thinking so far, and your inputs would be appreciated:
* Moving from soft top to folding hardtop - what do I need to know?
* Manual transmission - currently have SMG; close but no cigar! Gotta be a manual
* Don't want to deal with turbos, prefer naturally aspirated 6 cylinder - looks like that means sDrive 30i
* Handsfree (state law) - Bluetooth appears to have been introduced in 2011. Is it better to just get an aftermarket unit?

What do you wish you knew before you bought your E89?
Thanks for any and all insights!

[KennyP]

* Moving from soft top to folding hardtop - what do I need to know?

Probably takes longer to open/close.Mostly must stop for roof operation. You can creep slowly at max 5km/h or so but thats not really practical. Roof can be coded to operate at higher speeds aswell. Comfort access option allows to operate roof remotely from the fob by holding down lock or unlock button. Seals need to be maintained for longevity, pump salmon relays need be replaced at regular intervals (2-5 years)

* Manual transmission - currently have SMG; close but no cigar! Gotta be a manual. Don't want to deal with turbos, prefer naturally aspirated 6 cylinder - looks like that means sDrive 30i

i think 23i was 2.5l straight six aswell. On anything below 35i i would go manual aswell because the other option is torque converter box. in 35i/35is 7spd DCT is also awesome and i personally prefer it to manual. N52 na engines are known to be pretty reliable.

* Handsfree (state law) - Bluetooth appears to have been introduced in 2011. Is it better to just get an aftermarket unit?

As far as i know bluetooth for phone was already in 2009 cars. I have phone connectivity with phonebook in my 2009 z4 with idrive. Dont know about cars that dont have idrive though. What is missing is playing music via bluetooth. That came later with bluetooth module upgrade (2010 i think). So for music i hook up AUX cable to my phone. Had i known that i would have searched for a newer car.

[90DegreesSouth]

Thank you, KennyP!
Some good insights and clarifications. I had to research the "salmon" relays (could not imagine what those were), and see that serious pump damage (and serious financial damage) result if they are allowed to wear to failure. And I thought the E85 pump motor system was stupid!

[scowlingtuna]

Hello!

I'm in the market for an e89 (30i or 35i) so I'm basically here doing research at the moment.

I do have a question; for those that live in climates with winter (real winter with ice and/or snow), do you store the car or drive it?

If you store it, what do you typically do (for the car itself)?
If you drive it, do you use winter tires, do you only drive on dry days?

Thanks

[KennyP]

Originally Posted by scowlingtuna

Hello!

I'm in the market for an e89 (30i or 35i) so I'm basically here doing research at the moment.

I do have a question; for those that live in climates with winter (real winter with ice and/or snow), do you store the car or drive it?

If you store it, what do you typically do (for the car itself)?
If you drive it, do you use winter tires, do you only drive on dry days?

Thanks

For me my Z4 is a daily and i do drive it in winter aswell.. though i do limit how much i drive it then. In heavy snow i try to not drive it as my car is lower than stock car and if roads are not cleared and there is considerable hump in the middle of the road it would rub under the car. Driving in snow is fun, drifting around and so on but it does come with cosmetic damage. Drifting in snow resulted in smashing paint off from rear bumper wheelwell edge. also sideskirts got some marks that would not buff out. I basically went and repainted half my car after that. Maybe ceramic coating would help. I used to use wax before, but this spring after paint correction i finally went ceramic coating route to protect it (Nasiol ZR53). Will see how it holds up next winter.
So if you can keep it in storage in the winter i suggest you do it. Get a beater car, use it and sell it in spring for example... and get your money back.

I use winter tires, OEM 17inch bmw wheel package and have studless winter tires(Goodyear Ultragrip Performance+).

[scowlingtuna]

Originally Posted by KennyP

For me my Z4 is a daily and i do drive it in winter aswell.. though i do limit how much i drive it then. In heavy snow i try to not drive it as my car is lower than stock car and if roads are not cleared and there is considerable hump in the middle of the road it would rub under the car. Driving in snow is fun, drifting around and so on but it does come with cosmetic damage. Drifting in snow resulted in smashing paint off from rear bumper wheelwell edge. also sideskirts got some marks that would not buff out. I basically went and repainted half my car after that. Maybe ceramic coating would help. I used to use wax before, but this spring after paint correction i finally went ceramic coating route to protect it (Nasiol ZR53). Will see how it holds up next winter.
So if you can keep it in storage in the winter i suggest you do it. Get a beater car, use it and sell it in spring for example... and get your money back.

I use winter tires, OEM 17inch bmw wheel package and have studless winter tires(Goodyear Ultragrip Performance+).

Thanks for the reply. While it would be tempting to go sliding in the snow, I have a Toyota 4Runner for winter (and rain) duty. So I'm good there at least, ha!

[scowlingtuna]

2009, 30i with the manual. Black interior with the dark ash wood. No nav.

[nomoracin]

Hello, I'm Joe! I bought a 2011 35i a little over a week ago. This thing is pretty loaded and it's a 6MT, so I'm pretty happy with it thus far.

I'm in the Northern VA area. Are there meetups for like group photos and drives?

[IN10SE]

Hey guys .... NOT really a newb here, just haven't been on in a few years and forgot my password !! LOL

So, after owning not one but two Z4 M's, (both sold a while back) I just put in an order for a 2022 M40i in Misano blue. This is a wedding gift for my future wife (& me !)
Did a ton of research on convertibles under $100K, and nothing really comes close so I could not be happier to be back in a Z and part of the Z community

Sold this ....

IMG_1161 by Steve Heck, on Flickr

This is the new spec ...

bmw-z4-convertible-petrol-f01681578194 by Steve Heck, on Flickr

Cheers
Steve

[KennyP]

That porsche looks epic.

I did not like the new Z at first when it came out. Maybe because the concept was really awesome and when the real production car came out it was a bit underwhelming.
Then i saw a video of a modded AC Schnitzer M40i and that looked nice. Some small mods really do make it great. So im now warmed up to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzLQUKZmM3o

[dustintf]

New to me 2016 sDrive35i with just under 5k miles.
Valencia Orange for the win!

[B21]

Greetings from bonny Scotland..on second E89..both Atacama Yellow...had a 20i MSport for 4 years and now have a 35is..

I can't resist 'twiddling' with my cars..so far this one has had engine/gearbox re-maps, Ohlins suspension, M3 steering parts, Quaife LSD, H&R ARBs, Apex Arc-8 wheels, paint changes, spoiler etc etc

I do about 7,000 to 10,000 miles a year, mostly 'hooning' around the great roads and wide open spaces of Scotland.

Lived and worked on the west coast in previous lives.