Took a test drive in the m coupe. Nice car but it just didn't grab me like I thought it would. Part of this was unfamiliarity with the M. Has anyone had decent seat time in both cars to give a good comparison?

Thanks
jim

 

I'd PM gusmiami as he owned both a Z4-M and GP at one time. Course, now he has a kick butt RS4 and GP, but I'm sure he'll have invaluable incite on the matter at hand.

GotMINI

 

Some story about Z4 M roadster from Top Gear.
http://www.topgear.com/content/featu...ries/06/1.html

 

Wht kind of test drive was it? If it was a drive around the block, then I wouldn't expect it to impress much more than a 325i. When not pushed, its just another nice car in a sleek package. Go to the BMW Performance Driving Center, and have them flog one for you and see if its any different.

I did some wet drifting in a M Coupe at the performance center. I must say, quite fun. It felt 10X better than trying to throw the 335i around.

The GP is a great car, but I would be in the M Coupe.

 

Yeah this was a test drive down the highway, etc in busy traffic. Only 187 miles on the odometer, so didn't want to push it. It really felt heavy compared to the GP, which I didn't like. Definitely more power/thrust. Nice shifting, steering wheel, brakes, etc..

Also it was on sale for 45k, brand new which is a good discount. Not sure if I should let the GP go for the M. The GP is a very nice car for what you get. So not sure if it would really be worth the change.

The M seems high maintenance compared to the GP for some reason. Rear wheel drive( potential snow issues in the mid west, very tiny inside ( funny coming from a Mini owner.) Very hard to see around you.

Wanted to hear from someone that actually has both to compare driving dynamics

 

I had one for a night last year: MF Review: BMW Z4 M Coupe

Short answer, it is on a very short list to be my next car.

 

$45k is a good deal on that car. The maintenance of the M will definitely be more. The oil for the Mis a 10W60 which is not easy to come by and not cheap. Also the solid lifters of the S54 need to be shimmed at certain intervals.

I would love to drive a GP and see how that feels compared to the other cars I have driven. I have flogged a '05 JCW w/ Wilwood 4-pot, suspension work, light wheels and good tires, etc through the Dragon which I would imagine would be comparable to the GP. The car definitely felt lighter, and was a blast. Its just a totally different experience. The Mini is light, nimble, and wants to be driven precisely. The M is subtle like a normal sedan when driven normally. When you want to get the performance out of it, you put it out on the edge, and throw it where you want it. The more you demand of it, the more natural the car feels.

I would say the Mini is more rewarding for 90% of the time, but when you get the chance to go all out, the Coupe owns that last 10%.

Of course, alot of this is opinion and personal preference. A little background about me and where my advice comes from (take with a grain of salt). I auto-x quite a bit. Have spent alot of time in my Z3 M Roadster, and quite a bit of time in STis and Evos. I have spent several auto-x in different Mini variants also. I have a few track events under my belt as well as lots of time up at the Dragon.

 

I would say the Mini is more rewarding for 90% of the time, but when you get the chance to go all out, the Coupe owns that last 10%.

Excellent Point! Totally agree.

Maintenance is included 4 years 50k miles.

 

I just picked up a Z4M Coupe and I love it. Don't compare, have both!

 

MCS: EZ to gettin/out of. M-Coupe: A real biotch. Give me an M6 instead...

 

Drive a Cayman as well.

 

The M6 is a great car, but at double the price, I'd take a M Coupe for track and M Roadster for weekends.

 

perhaps so, but at near double the HP and torque (and comfort) Ill take an M6 for highway cruising over the other two.

plus access is much easier, had a Z4 as a loaner while my MCS was being serviced and I had to keep the top down for ease of entry. It was almost impossible with the top up.

and I'll say this: I love the M-coupe's styling. Very sexy. Like the 6-series

 

caugh "lotus exige" double cough and highly muffled "s" caugh, only cause they dont make the na exige anymore. Beecher

 

all though i should say that i do love the looks of the m coupe.

 

High powered RWD has its own fun factors but on slippery road(With more power things get slippery very easily), FWD has better control although AWD would be the best but not for fuel efficiency... No torque steer, however, no matter how much power is put to the rear wheels.

 

GP and Mcoupe (any year) = two cars I really want but can't have.

mb

 

Wait for the 1coupe Tii and have a real blast and put 6 grand in your pocket.

 

before I put an aggressive alignment on my roadster, it wasn't bad at all in the rain and was pretty fun to drive. As long as RWD has a nice linear poewrbad, the rain shouldn't be too much of an issue. That being said, AWD is the most stable and easiest to get yourself back out of trouble.
I didin't notice the Z4M to be any worse entry and exit than my Z3M, and mine is down on coilovers and everything. Only time I actually have any issue hopping in and out are the times I put the Sparcos in the car with the big bolsters. People above the age of 40 comment that it isn't easy to hop in and out, but once you do it a few times and get the hang of if its very simple and I don't even notice it.

The mini seat feels a little more like a bench compared to the seats in the roadster.
cool car, but unfortunately its a pig. Why does a small car have to weigh over 3400 punds!?? They could have done much better IMO.

 

I'm not making any points about vehicles weight... I just thought it was funny to see this on a MINI forum

 

the 335i just bested the Z4M coupe in one of the mags..... faster artound the track...

I had money down on the 135i but went in the other direction and bought a Corvette.... (never had one, figured I'd try it) the nice thing about cars is that if you buy the right one and keep it nice you can experience it an then sell it and try something else..... your not getting married.... (boy, did I step into that)

 

sometime BMW hits the nail right on the head (like the z4m coupe) and other times they are way off he mark, i just don't get it with them. I would like a z4m coupe, but it is after a Ferrari 348tb, and 97 Porsche turbo, and a lotus Exige s, and the the GP then the z4m coupe. although the Audi r8 might deserve a place on that list as well. It always hard to pick a dream car when they all speak to you and say something very different. Beecher

 

So what if you live in a city where the roads are just grids! No twisties AT ALL....just straight shots of country roads and 30 mph in-town streets? Reason why I ask is because the Z4M Coupe and the GP are on my dad's list. He lives in South Dakota and it would probably be a daily driver. Plus he'd probably bring it out to Vegas to visit it me a couple times as well. But if it's primarily used in a small town, what would be the better choice??

 

If that were my situation, I'd buy the GP. It's been documented many many places that it's a lot easier to have fun in a Mini than an M car with double the horsepower. It will not be as comfy during the trips to vegas, but once he gets there, that GP is going to love the strip!

mb

 

In that situation, between those 2 cars, I vote GP. The coupe (to me) just doesn't shine like intended as a daily driver on straight roads.