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On Saturday, I reached a turning point with the relationship I have with my Z4MC. And wanted to share this moment with fellow car peeps as trying to explain this to my girlfriend was pointless and involved lots of yawning and eye rolls 😂 So up until Saturday, I was still on the fence about my Z4 M Coupe (or Moupe as my GF calls it). After selling my beloved E46 M3 over two years ago (which I had a spent a lot of time and money bringing back up to near mint status - shout out to HellBM and OCD for helping with that), I bought an F80 M3. This was an amazing car but I never really fell in love with it. It looked the part, had performance up the wazoo, but it never had any soul. I missed what the E46 M3 was - analogue, visceral, and raw… After waiting for over a year with a saved search for another E46 M3 in Trade Me (and having my cheeky offer to the purchaser of my old M3, to buy it back with extra $$$, refused), I turned my search to something else. This is when I found my Z4MC. I knew of this car in roadster form, but I didn’t know much about the coupe version. So after a bit of research, decided that this would make a good replacement for my E46 M3. Especially given it is manual, has the same high revving and beautiful sounding S54, and shares a lot of parts from the E46 M3 and M3 CSL (basically a bit of a parts bin M). But it wasn’t all good news. After purchasing it…I just wasn’t sure I’d made the right call. I mean, compared to the E46 M3, I think it looks odd and borderline ugly in places (particularly the droopy front end). It also doesn’t drive the same - it’s very twitchy, not as composed, and suffers from understeer. My first few drives of it didn’t leave me with a feeling of excitement or elation. However… 6 months in (and many many weekend drives) I have come to understand and LOVE this car. As mentioned, it’s not as poised as the M3, so the biggest thing I had to get used to was that you can’t drive into a corner hot - it’s more of a slow-in/fast-out car. This took some time to get used to, but once I learned this, I found that the turn-in on the Z4MC is incredibly accurate and the car feels so planted (provided you turn TC off). Also, after changing the tyres from the OE spec to 10mm wider all round, this has removed some of its twitchiness (this was originally done because I hated the aesthetics of the factory spec with Michelin PSS’s on the front but the handling improvement was a silver lining). Additionally, it feels like a proper little sports car. You sit low and slung so far back (the bonnet is huge - and I once had a 3.0L Z3). There is a sense of occasion every time I remove the cover and disconnect the battery charger. The side profile, rear, and rear three quarters look incredible (the front is still a little weird but I’m getting used to it). And, no surprises, the S54 is sublime (even if the ZF transmission doesn’t feel quite as good as the Getrag in the M3). It sounds better than my old M3 (and 1000% better than the F80) and the odd interior styling has grown on me too (though I have always loved that go-kart-like steering wheel). So I finally think I can sleep at night now without waking up in cold sweats regretting the sale of my E46 M3. I think this Z4MC will have a home in my garage for a long time… Attached are some pics from Saturday (up South Head - which still remains my favourite road in Auckland after Woodcocks and Monument).

1966 BMW M10 “Apfelbeck” radial valve engine. 260 hp at 8000rpm. Dual injectors per cylinder with a 4 cylinder Kugelfischer injection pump - there's a tee in the fuel line to add the second injector.

Finally got around to getting a proper paint correction done. Car had quite a few little scratches, lots of swirl marks and a lots of over overspray with water spotting in its time being passed from shop to shop to shop by the prick dealer with no-one seemingly taking any car. Anyway, its come up great, looks like a different colour and for once in its life is cleaner than the E46 🤣

Best thing I ever did was ditch petrol tow vehicles (X5 v8, Cayenne V8) and get a diesel X5. Self leveling suspension, trailer sway control, outstanding economy. It has no issues keeping up. Generally towing around 2 ton.

BMW 130i 6 speed manual 150km Le Mans Blue with cream leather interior and woodgrain finish (unusual) Items I have done since owning (less than 800km since installing) · Rocker cover gasket · Oil filter housing gasket · Oil cooler housing gasket · Serpentine belt, tensioner and idler pulley · Water pump and Thermostat · Power steering reservoir o-ring · Replaced Gearbox oil with Redline oil · Recent Engine Oil change and filter · New Air filter · New Cabin air filter · Brand new Bridgestone Potenza RE003 all round (staggered rims) · Wheel alignment after fitting new tyres - Headlining recently replaced WOF: expires August Reg: expires December Will also include for peace of mind a new sump gasket kit with new sump bolts and Shifter replacement kit (bushes, clips etc Some scuffs under the front bumper Purchased in Auckland last November, only reason it is up for sale is I have purchased another BMW more suited to my needs. Optional extras (wont be sold separately prior, but could take names): Purchased the M3 Lower control arms, tension arms and headlight adjustment rod Revshift transmission mounts (80A durometer) – fitted but removed straight away as a little too much vibration for a nice quiet road car.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3023916419?bof=limFAahL Deposit paid in under 24hours, does look very good though

@qube imagine my surprise when i found a thread on the timing issue with my name on it haha

TBF the average equivalent civic isn't much (if any) better. My daily Ti a $30 a week car now after spending twice what ive paid for it on a thorough refresh. It's close enough to factory running and driving spec that its far more dependable than anything in the ~5k bracket that didn't have the equivalent work done on it (basically everything for sale)

Waiting on some parts to come in to do the VCG and OFH gaskets etc so will check plugs and do a maf clean. but i think the loud hissing noise is definitely a big enough sign of a bad vacuum leak so will need to order in a new PCV and hose as Brent mentioned. And I have a feeling that this is a good indication of the lumpy idle since the fuel smell is quite bad indicating that its running rich also. Will check the mounts and other pipes also. sometimes i laugh at why i bother with this as a “daily/runabout” when i can just buy a civic and just drive it for $40 gas for a week..

Glad you're lovin' it. And nice plate.

I'm actually comparing it with my old E46 M3... But I think the point of my post has been missed... Also, I already mentioned about the handling fix (suspension/springs) further up. Plus it was I who changed out the OEM grilles with black as I didn't like the chrome ones (on this particular car - I preferred the original chrome on the E46 M3). Personal preference though eh P.S. Thanks for sending me down an internet-search-rabbit-hole lol. I always thought it was Chris Bangle's creation. I guess he just took the credit as the lead designer. Also found this great short video on the design of the Z4 by Anders Warming. Sexy Math FTW!

Hi Jon @E30 325i Rag-Top could you please let me know if the fan clutch is still available? thanks

"Not traditionally beautiful" - I think that sums it up really. The E46 M3 (again IMO as looks are subjective) is definitely traditionally beautiful. The Z4MC is not but yet it all works as a package. And the rear three-quarters is just awesome - especially when viewing it from a lower angle. Like Woodcocks, South Head Road has the perfect combination of everything. Not too much traffic, a few great straights, lots of decent corners, some good inclines, and it's a road that doesn't get munched by the trucks!

pcv /ccv faulty , vac hoese around it too

Best BMW tow car I had was my E60 530D. With a heavy Hirepool trailer and a full weight E30, the E60 barely noticed it. 10.5L/100km from Wellington to Auckland. The best tow car I had was my fathers Merc E55 AMG. It actually didn't care there was something attached to it. I did stupid things like destroying an SS Holden racing onto the motorway with my E30 series car being towed along. But 27L/100kms haha.

What colour was it? Do you remember? We have a gentleman in Auckland who has been building a register - so always keen on securing any intel on elusive E39 M5's. As for your comments regarding how there they were dirt cheap a few years ago- yes there were a few sold for around $20k years ago. Anecdotally, double that value now. Same everywhere. A friend of mine here in San Francisco was sadly reminiscing recently that she sold her tidy 2001 example in Silverstone with 100,000 miles for $11,000 USD in 2015. It would be a $22-25k USD car to purchase now- minimum!

Saw this on Reddit. This guy's description was dead on. First off, fantastic color choice. Thank you for the pictures. Enough has been said about the face. That said this makes the rear door problem really apparent. It's just so lazy that they didn't more smoothly blend the rear wheel arch with the rear door. And I didn't know the "prolapsed anus" rear bumper came on the M3 too, thought it was just the M4...I'll bet it drives really nice though! At least you can't see the outside when you're sitting in it!

Prices seem to be rising faster than inner city 3-bed houses....

keen for the fan clutch, can u post it to wellington? TIA

Without pics, I'd say about 15k A prefacelift 4 door factory manual sold for 12k within hours and had multiple offers so id say in the same ballpark

Thought it had gone pretty quickly as I couldnt find it again. Looked pretty good from the photos.

We've not found anything we can't get from sources in Germany and SA. Just need to join the relevant Baur groups. They seem to arrange remanufacture faster than most.

The white M325i Tech II started at $32500 correct, with a buy now of $36000. Which was quickly pressed and the car on the way to a new home by 12.38pm, just four hours after listing.

Out of interest how many E30 Baur were built? How hard / expensive is it to get the Baur specific bits for the roof etc?