Z3 M Coupe or Z4 M Coupe???

Hello all!

My dad and I have been mulling around with the idea of buying a "vintage" BMW for a while. We've thought about e30 325is' and M3s. We've even considered an e36 M3. LONG story short we have finally decided on either a Z4 M coupe or a Z3 M coupe with the S54. Originally we were close minded to anything but an 01-02 because of the engine and styling match up. Recently, after looking for quite a while, we have started to wonder if you should consider the Z4 as well. Looking at several ads for each they are very close in price and of course the engine is (by and large) the same. Has anyone out there driven (or owned) both? Which would YOU rather own? This will be an occasional daily driver until my dads 1 series M Coupe gets here next winter.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

For the time being our first choice is the Z3 M. The problem is there are so few of them they are dang near impossible to come across. We want one with lower miles as we plan to keep it for years to come. The Z3's with lower miles are dang near the same price as the Z4s. The flip side of this is of course the Z3 will undoubtedly hold its value better and be more of an oddity (not that the Z4 isnt).

Once the 1 M Coupe comes its role will actually not change all that much now that I think about it. My dad and I plan to use the Z3(4) as a slip "daily" drive between the 1M and my 135i. So It (Z3 or Z4) will be driven 3-4 days a week most likely.

Almost bought a Z 3 M when new (kind of confining inside) I did not buy it. Own a Z4 Coupe and love it. Power, road handling, more drivers room. As far as, rarity goes, the (Z4 M's coupes) are pretty rare, somewhere around 1,600 in the U.S.?

Does anyone know, how many Z-3 M's Coupes were built?

I love these cars!

2180 shipped to North America with the S52 engine
690 shipped with the S54 engine

None yet found in the TeamStowell driveway.

The Z3 non-M coupe (2.8, 3.0?) was made in less production/rarer than the M.

Ahhh yes.... I sit with a glass of Zin corrected! I never visited the mothership when it was the land of Zs. When Beverly and I visited last year we did get to watch some X6Ms being born - which was rather exciting.

Thank you for reminding me! I hope my mistake does not keep me from becoming North Atlantic VP next time around

Dilemma

Having pined for both for awhile and the price point being similar I did get a Z4M coupe, as it was local, and it is a fantastic car. It has absolutely everything I was looking for in a sports car. You will not be disappointed in either though.

At 6'3", I don't have enough headroom in the Z3 M Coupe to fit into the car, unless I wanted to drive around with my head tilted. Haven't sat in a Z4 for comparison. By most accounts, the Z3 M Coupe is a bit of a handful to control at the limit, due to the E30 rear suspension and short wheelbase. Can't speak for the Z4, but presumably it's more stable and controllable when pushed hard. It's always fun to consider cars in theory, but it's always helpful to drive whatever you're considering, if possible.

Good luck with your search!

Thanks for the input guys! I too am 6' 3". I hadn't even though of fitting in the thing. Nor had I thought about the rear suspension of the Z3. I really dont think we are going to go wrong with either one! I mean its an M car! I keep trying to convince my dad that we should consider a roadster too but he wants no part of a convertible.

I hate to plug another forum, but since you cannot get more definitive information, I would go over to http://www.zpost.com/forums/ and ask your question.

You will find that the Z4 Roaster's chassis is twice stiff as the Z3 and the Z4 Coup's chassis four times as stiff as said Z3. I don't know the actual numbers for the Z3, but this is what I have heard numerous times.

The chassis rigidity numbers for the Z4 are:

Roadster - 16000 Nm/In
Coupe - 32000 Nm/In

The chassis on the Z4 is the same between the ‘regular' Zed and the ///M.

The Z4 uses the E36 front suspension and E46 rear suspension.

As for performance, I have a track buddy that has a MZ3 (clown shoe) and he cannot keep up with me on the track. It is not that he does not have the power. He has an S54 also, but his car flex's more in the corners. But he loves his MZ3…. I love my Z4MC.. It just depends on what your priorities are. Would I own a MZ3? Yep….

One other thing and this is purely a subjective thing: You get in a MZ3 Coupe', you strap on a Z4MC…

This number: 32,000 Coupes is much higher than I have read?

Sorry, but those numbers are for chassis rigidity....

1815 Coupe's were built for the North American Market...

Although I have not driven a Z4M Coupe I was lucky enough to put a few miles behind the wheel of an Z3 M Coupe. To this day it remains the most fun I've had behind the wheel of a car. Whether or not it keeps up with newer cars is irrelevant for me, I'm not a race car driver. Whether it puts a grin on my face is very important and that's one area where the Z3 M Coupe (and I'm sure the Z4 as well) clearly shines. For the record, I'm 6'2" and I fit just fine inside.

Well we had all but decided on a Z4M when we got a phone call today. A local well known car broke with whom we have been talking with had found something. He found a 99 with 7000 miles!!! yes 7000. Its black with Red/Black interior and has $9000 worth of dinan upgrades. No it doesnt have the S54..... But dang! Thoughts????

It could be the "it's a special car for special occasions" mentality. When I bought my 968 the owner had only put 12K miles since new (about 3 years) and he told me about how he never drove it in the rain, only on Sundays, yadda yadda yadda. I took it home that Monday and on a trip to Disney the following Friday. It shared equal daily driver duties with my E30 325is at the time.

I put about 12K miles in one year and then sold it to a guy who put somewhere north of 100K miles in the following 5 years. These cars are meant to be driven, not looked at and my only regret is that I didn't drive my 968 more, it was a really fun car.