The Awesome BMW Sports Car That Nobody Bought

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BMW has a very simple way of doing things - take a platform and then upgrade it to an M car. The BMW M series is legendary in every way, but this car was overlooked due to a bunch of different reasons. This is a BMW Z4M - a car that was too expensive for the world at the time of the 2008 Great Recession. So what made this car special? Let's talk about it.
#bmw #bmwm3 #bmwcar
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[@TheManmoths]

Z4M owner here - please don’t let everyone know they’re so good. It keeps the M3 tax away from our parts 😂 Incredible cars, perfect balance of pace for a road car, ITBs, a locker and manual box. Incredible car.

[@thecremeegg]

I just got one last week, upgrade from my Z4 3.0i, wonderful piece of kit for £10k

[@davidsturma9635]

Have one as well. 06’ roadster

[@MS-mr4zm]

How’s reliability?

[@ImARealHumanPerson]

Here come the BMW reliability complainers. Go back to your Honda 😅 ​@@MS-mr4zm

[@Unicornpirate]

Imagine walking into a BMW dealership in 2007 where you had the option to buy a Z4M, E92 M3, and E60 M5/M6. All BMW I6, V8 and V10 NA motors. Each car with a different personality. Today all the modern turbo BMW cars feel the same.

[@JHONNYR98]

They won't make another Z4M but they will continue with the XM SUV that costs twice as much

[@yung_richtah]

i hate that shit

[@S2kTi]

They all get discounted well below invoice just to move them. No one wants em.

[@Tomk916]

The closest is the new Z4 M40i with the Manual. A B58 Roadster Manual. Ive already signed up for a test drive.

[@FreddyOJohnny]

The automotive landscape in 2024 summed up

[@CB12345]

​@@FreddyOJohnnyI agree,the automotive industry has been a joke for the past decade now.

[@CB12345]

These Z4 coupes are rare. I see the convertibles way more than I see these.

[@YoSuey]

Saw 1 here in STL and that was nearly a decade ago haha

[@TwoDollarGararge]

Yeah the normal buyer of a z4 is different then an m3 think poor man's boxster

[@epbrown01]

They only sold about 1800 Z4 M Coupes in the US. I owned mine for 5 years and I don’t think I saw another on the road the entire time and that was in Chicago.

[@JasonJoyrides]

What's wild is I saw like 4 of them for sale near me in the span of a couple months. I was so confused made me question if they were as rare as I thought

[@Acer435]

@@JasonJoyridessame

[@fatherfirefighter7751]

Day 1,524 of trying to get my 1996 Mystic Cobra in your hands to review. I will not give up.

[@jeree477]

m3 powered z4 is never a bad thing

[@dakotadillon6527]

I think I saw this car this week parked at a Lowe's here in the valley. I just stared, happy and confused but saw no one to chat about it.

[@danielchampion2982]

It's sucks that these were not more popular, probably one of my favorite BMWs

[@lordraiden5398]

I just found out about these last month. Thanks David, now the prices will go up!

[@arutezza]

could try looking for a mercedes slk 32 amg, around the same era, and a very similar car

[@whyareyoureadingmyname5854]

​@@arutezzaSHUT UP

[@gyuck]

Z4's are one of the most slept on modern sports cars. Future classic for sure

[@mr.j1600]

FINALLY. As a 2006 BMW Z4MR owner, ive been waiting for this day and contemplated having you drive mine up here in NY

[@macattack57]

I used to own a Z4M Roadster. I loved that car. The motor was fantastic and the transmission felt great. This is also one of the only S54 engined BMWs where you can get to everything in the engine bay. With the hood being as long as it is, there is a surprising amount of room in the engine bay. I miss my Z4M every now and then (mainly that 8000rpm I6), but I sold mine to buy a Miata and I don't regret that decision. The car overall is so much cheaper and when it comes to maintenance and consumables it's way cheaper than the Z4M. I agree, a lot of folks don't know about this BMW and that's a shame because it's actually super good. It only ever came with 3 pedals, and it came with, what I think, is one of BMWs best engines ever. It is such a great little car. And, I think the styling as aged pretty well, especially for the coupe. The coupe looks really good.

[@mastercricket7626]

I want the diff and trans out a z4 for my miata 😅 I just put a g25-550 snail on it over the weekend and it's forged and boared over and a ton of other stuff but I'm at the point that the Trans and diff are my weak links now and the zf would be a great replacement as I believe they rated at around 700ftpd oem and the diff I not to familiar with as I was gonna do a 8.8irs but if I could get one these then I would imagine that the diff is good to 😅.. peace and love bro keep it rad stay safe and build on l8z famz

[@sonof69star]

The Z4 is multiple leagues above that overhyped stinking Japanese Miata garbage box!

[@sultanofswingdrift3021]

Which gen miata did you go to? I rented ND for 3 days and it was a disappointing despite me wanting to love it. Now looking at Z4 325i for more space or maybe NC...

[@vltruane]

I know what you mean, I got rid of a z4 3.0si manual, for a K24 MRS. Definitely did not regret that decision. The MRS is one the most slept on JDM platforms of all time imo.

[@toineyy]

Ima start doing videos on my Z4M. This car is something else especially in the back roads

[@christopherwilliams9418]

Love the Z4 and the Z3, they feel like they get slept on. Same for the SLK. I miss when everybody was making their own little sporty cars... Remember the VW Bluesport concept? Shame that never saw production... Now it's all tanks lmao.

[@maddogsk8er86]

SLK's downfall is the hard top roof that when it goes.... It's never going again.

[@googleuser4207]

Nobody sleeping, they 15 thousand euro more than m3

[@christopherwilliams9418]

@@googleuser4207 IDK about Europe but in the states you can find Z3s for pretty much Miata prices lmao

[@The_Unpunished]

People who played Need for Speed games like ProSteet, Undercover, Shift and World know of this car. What a beauty.

[@kevincollins8620]

Yup

[@beng5213]

Also the z4 3.0si is a awesome car super slept on, as fun as the M but at a lower price tag

[@lancemannion4113]

Can confirm! I've had just over 90 cars in my life so I typically have two or even three a year. But my current car, which is a JDM 2006 Z4 3.0 SI coupe I have had for 14 months, which is pretty much a record because I can't imagine what I would get to replace it that will give me the same thrill. Even with 265 horsepower, these are pretty light-weight so it's definitely quick. And we all know bmw is notorious for underrating the numbers. Many say the N52B30 in the 3.0si is actually a more enjoyable experience and a fair bit less expensive to maintain - as well as being very dependable...for a BMW! Keep up on the cooling system and suspension and the engines are surprisingly trouble free! Drove mine from Vancouver, Canada to Los Angeles last September (3500 miles, round trip) and even 'bending' the law on the drive down, I got 36 mpg (about 440 miles/tank)! I've seen one other Z4 coupe in the entire time owning it and it gives me the silliest $hit eating grin everytime I tap into it a bit. If you get the opportunity, get one! Like the Z3 'clown shoe' coupe, these will (and are) climbing in value. 80%+ of the Z4M coupes thrill at 60% their price!

[@jjchockey]

These are very different cars, not what I would call “as fun”. It’s not just more power. The M has stiffer suspension, sway bars, hydraulic steering with a quicker ratio than any E46 vs electric in the 3.0, different trans, brakes from the M3 CSL, and of course the S54.

[@IvanMiata]

A z4 coupe didn’t always mean it was an M. There was a 3.0si coupe but also an M convertible. Even the 3.0i’s are great cars, I used to have a 07’ back in 2017 that I got for $6,000. For the money you can’t beat it.

[@27Ctrojans]

I own a roadster and it has been very good to me. Suspension mods, maybe a shifter mod...thats all this car really needs to shine. You do have the usual S54 maintenance but it is well worth it because the motor has so much character. It makes a great track car as well

[@billypurdy8581]

I adore these cars, mom had an auto 2.8 and even that car was very inspiring to drive and she even missed it when upgrading to the 2nd gen Z4 with a TT 4cyl. The original Z4 was just so tight and responsive in all of the right ways.

[@SuperBongface]

The Z3 M coupe' was even better...

[@kevincollins8620]

No question

[@IDonkeysblowI]

Not a fan of the clownshoe but my respect to the car that laid the path to get the z4

[@kevincollins8620]

@@IDonkeysblowI I prefer clown shoe to z4

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

@@kevincollins8620the Clown Shoe is much better car, the z4m is bland

[@louKushh]

except for the suspension

[@Syn0203]

i’ve always loved these, good to see them getting some love!

[@AEMediaPR]

I remember at the cars and coffee at the Steel Stack in Pennsylvania, there is one of those Z4 with Porsche caliper covers🤔

[@matthewdavies4358]

Don’t these have the larger CSL brakes and CS steering rack? They made fewer than the Z3 M Coupe so should values do well long term

[@orangeoffline]

I daily drive a 3.0i e85 Z4 (non-m) and it's one of the most fun cars i've ever had.

[@jjchockey]

Just to note the Z4M roadster chassis is stiffer than an E46 M3. So it’s not really that compromised like most convertibles. The M Coupe is just insanely ridged.

[@-PLAYER0NE-]

I absolutely love these cars. I see them from time to time, and they're always a pristine example driven by an old guy since new. I don't understand why these didn't sell. Kinda like the z3 better, though because i wear clown shoes only on my left foot for driving.

[@liamthomas2032]

My dad bought an M series z4 some 10 years ago while I was driving a K swapped Del Sol. I had no idea that the cars could handle so differently. I also noticed you missed the adaptive suspension in sport mode. that was the biggest thing I noticed driving it on 575 was it dropping about an inch or so. I don't recall the year his is, but it had quite a few different options than the one you were in. I was honestly impressed with that car, and one day I'll be torn between loving it and insuring it.

[@robertct06]

Always liked these. I would stare at it after getting off my bus all middle and high school

[@kvge9627]

Thanks for making a video on this car

[@shannacollins4741]

Always loved these cars as GT3 racecars ! Z4 GT3 YES PLEASE ! ESPECIALLY THE SILVER ONE AT SEMA ! CHEFS KISS !

[@jacobasuncion3132]

Ik what car your talking about it’s really beautiful 🔥

[@Adam-ub9nu]

The one with the really high winding V8?

[@Adam-ub9nu]

@@coletrickIe What engine did it utilize?

[@shannacollins4741]

@@Adam-ub9nu i believe it was the E92 M3 V8 motor ! S54 i think its called !

[@shannacollins4741]

@@Adam-ub9nu yeah and the huge supercharger sitting right in front off of the belt drive !

[@adamoboccitto5595]

Love the vibe of this video.

[@Will_Lenz]

These also had to compete against the all new E90/92 and E82 with the new line of engines they introduced, Then the Z4 that followed this kept the old N54 until like 2015

[@TheUsz28]

Bro! I just seen that you're in the crew motor fest! Thats awesome!

[@Robby94LS]

It's funny, my dad had an E36 and I know EXACTLY what you mean by the "squishy" shifter, it's not bad though! There's like 90s Corolla squishy, and then there's this. It's very sure, but very cushioned!

[@pj_morrison]

Idk much about these cars, does the Z4 come with a hardtop (non-M)? I always encounter one in the mornings going to work, we’re both always running late😂

[@alexmatheny9295]

I had an 03 Z4 3.0i SMG car for a while that I got from my uncle who could no longer drive it. It was a blast, but after getting my C5 Vette (dream car) I eventually got rid of it due to it’s german car ism’s that would pop up almost any time i took it out for a good drive.

[@SamuelSantos_]

I think one reason this car didn’t sell too well was timing. It had the straight-6 engine from the E46 M3, and shortly after it came out the E92 M3 was released with a 414 horsepower V8. The Z4M was made obsolete in a sense.

[@slimeplayz164]

The Z4 line is one of bmws bests

[@kellyhersh4042]

Yup love my Z4m and going on 3 years now as a daily driver. Hope to mothball it a bit when I retire.

[@blackcow8114]

my favorite bmw, the z4 m coupe. still the most beautiful bmw ever made imo

[@hilmiwali]

E86 is probably one of my fav bmw ever made

[@bimmeracing]

Here in Europe , they are quite rare too , but lovely car and future classic.

[@ethanconnors2569]

My father owns one of these. Learned to drive manual in it. It will always hold a place in my heart. It drives like an arrow 🤙

[@Birmingham_racing]

I remember clarkson racing one against a viper on a tight track and winning

[@ScorpioIsland]

Thanks for not talking about the Z3 much. Gotta keep prices down

[@adawil2002]

Z4 Coupe is Chris Bangle's best design which is the direct homage to the 1967-1968 1600GT. There are fewer Z4 3.0i Coupes the Z4M Coupes, the M Coupe is 0.3 faster 0-60 & is generally $30K more expensive & the rear mounted battery takes up 1/3 of the very limited rear storage space. Both Coupes have an incredibly low center of gravity short wheelbase,, stiff suspension, near 50/50 balance & exceptional power to weight ratio, with Continental Extreme Contact tires makes these capable of absolutely amazing handling. The Z4 Coupes make the E36 & E46 feel huge & soft .

[@UltraMagnis]

Always liked the z4 m. It's a pretty car, not overly aggressive but looks nice. Not my style really but I can appreciate it.

[@crysisbai]

where can you find those for the price of an FRS????? cuz in cali they are at least 35k

[@michael9218]

I own two of these wonderful cars. A low mileage street car and a track car. The Z4MC is the best BMW made if you want a visceral fun to drive sports car. I’ve owned an E36 M3, Z3MR, E39 M5. Z4MC is my favorite.

[@Walter370z]

This in the hard top and the rear end look so good ,the front just needs a lip. Just need to be lowered with some nice wheels and it’s a pretty nice car.

[@kazumasato9017]

Finally a Z4 review!!

[@kip8790]

I had one for a couple of years, I really miss it.

[@Tieaga]

I've always loved BMW but thhey always had crank bearing issues

[@ItsMavicBrah]

I remember really liking these cars when they came out but they were just so damn expensive. Still a cool car. I mean at the time you could get a 2ng Gen viper gts for half the price of this car new. I know which I would choose lol.

[@WSKRBSCT]

I almost got one of these, but I got a Lotus Elise instead. Had two E89 Z4s 3.5is later.

[@prettyridesmedia]

I have a Z4M coupe as a weekend toy, very fun to drive.

[@fhblake04]

Man, BMW really turned things around making the Zupra.

[@pr0craztinazn]

I'm glad others chimed in on this review about how they were slow moving when they were new. If you bought one during the recession, there were some significant deals BMW cut on these where $12k off wasn't uncommon. The trunks are near useless and the transmission not being the same as the E46 M3 hobbled the car's potential as well. These also held their value remarkably well despite not getting the greatest reviews when new. It's great to see you review BMWs, but contextualizing the cars better might help you get better viewership numbers. These are still going for more than new 86s or BRZs so I'm not sure where the price comparison is coming from.

[@user-mz1dw5bs4s]

When this first came out here in the south of the EU, it was cheaper than a Cayman S while being significantly faster. The problem with them was that almost all car reviewers back then agreed that it's a car that's almost impossible to keep from going sideways every corner and only people with significant rwd experience should consider it. I assume suspension tweaks and newer tyre technology did away with most of these concers, but it's the main reason most people just bought the 3.0si over here.

[@BrakRulesAll]

I owned one from new for 8 years, July 2007 into 2015. Dealers couldn't give them away - mine sat on the lot for 8 months before I bought it at a massive discount. List price was nowhere near $64k - base was $50,100 - mine had Premium package (most did), metallic paint, $1k gas guzzler tax, total list $55,020. As for suspension being unbearable, I respectfully disagree - but I lived in metro Phoenix at the time, with pretty good roads. In an area with bad roads, yeah, it would have been brutal. Immediately regretted selling mine and bought another in 2018, only to lose it to an inattentive driver in 2021. Great cars, would love to own another someday.

[@maudlewis8536]

The Z4M coupe is one of my dream BMW’s

[@Randomoffensiveguy2.0]

The z3m and z4m HATCHBACKS ARE UNDERRATED!!!!!

[@carlosarroyo5262]

Few yrs ago when I lived in cali I tried to get your attention but you never replied. I had a 05 ford gt, demon, 68 charger and what ever else they brought to me for weeks on end to just daily drive while pretty much living on a two story yacht on Shasta lake. Some of the cars where stuff like cc8, gt40 mark 2, Enzo, rof yellow bird, Zonda s, some weird Mercedes like the 650amg mb ( all white with blue top and interior). Was a pretty cool job for about 6 months.

[@ericsmith1878]

saw a Z4 coupe the other day actually. ive hilariously seen more Bugatti Veyron's than Ive seen the Z4M coupes but ive always loved them, even ordered the paper brochures from BMW back in high school when they first came out lol

[@turbowankel1264]

Would you class the M3 as a sports car?

[@MS-mr4zm]

You can buy a Z4M still essentially- you can get em w/ the straight 6 turbo in BMW or Toyota flavor

[@Fatal_Inertia]

One of the best cars bmw ever made

[@todddunbar176]

I thought about buying one of these but went with a Mk1 TT 3.2 instead. I live in Colorado so having AWD is a nice insurance.

[@axe2grind244]

Ive always wanted one. Nice ones have been hovering around $30-35k for a while and I just haven’t pulled the trigger.

[@xinx-fn8973]

There was a Z4M at a local road race event, it was a vert and it had a procharger/Paxton blower on it

[@spaRTan3246]

Charging an S54 is sacrilege… 🫣

[@S50Sinner]

The Z4M reminds me more of a 240Z than it does an M3. A long-nosed, high-revving inline 6 2-seater sort-of-GT fastback.

[@Goosevargas95]

I owned a base Z4 they handle amazing

[@Borsac]

I was looking at one the other day but ended up on the 2011 bmw z4 35i funny to see this pop up

[@axe2grind244]

Did you get a manual?

[@bodhim4353]

The convertible is still absolutely worth it!

[@djdrastic1]

My brother had one, absolutely scary in the wet. Had a modded tune+intake Mazdaspeed 3 at that time and this thing would absolutely leave me or dead.Very very fast for its time. Another member of the Mazdaspeed community at the time had his one enter someones pool after it snapped on him after some Mexican fun.

[@EstorilE36M345]

Even better is the late Z3 with the S54….sooo rare

[@GarrettsGear]

My buddy's dad still has his clown shoe Z3M and it is so awesome and unique!

[@topwrapzltd]

Plot twist...... TDIB said the couple fixed ALOT of the roadster shortcomings as it was twice as stiff........ the roadster in the meantime was stiffer than the e46 m3 coupe.... by a LARGE margin. Stiffness was never its issue, the platform is amazing. The stock setup was however extremely flawed!

[@akkhanomotive7585]

The roadster was stiffer and lighter than the e46 coupe. It also came with the CSL steering rack and the better ECU.

[@WolfsburgSlim]

No back seat but this and the Z3MCoupe Legendary

[@kvge9627]

I love the z4 but I was unaware there was a z4M

[@lancemannion4113]

If your budget can't swing for the Z4M, I highly recommend looking for a 3.0 SI coupe. It has the brilliant N52B30 with about 70 less horsepower that you really won't even miss. It actually has more usable bottom end grunt. And the bonus is they get great gas mileage (especially on the highway - mid 30s easy). I've had mine for 14 months and it's been flawless, except the water pump/cooling system finally just needed replacement at 109,000 km (18 years old) so no real complaints. Plus, with the huge hatchback you can actually stuff a full size bike in there with the wheels off! So it's actually very practical. But the bottom line is you can pick up the the basic 3.0 SI coupe for about 60% of the M. And you'll have about 80% of the performance ...or more. I love mine to death!

[@corygiordano5476]

The looks are dividing but she sure is my type. Beautiful.

[@Sammyzuko]

BANGLE

[@SenselessVybez]

Always loved the z4m, call it the Supras grandfather since the new supra came out

[@longbowdt]

The rod bearings in the S54 were upgraded when the Z4M appeared.

[@RMoney65]

I gotta a feeling the XM suv will have a the same fate the price is outrages but the performance is so underrated

[@BrokeMahWallet]

Fire review

[@jonlee580]

They are kinda rare tho and the folks who have them do not want to give them up for cheap, if I'm not mistaken they came out around the time of the Z8 and that was only a few years maybe

[@jdmrider]

Saw this gen z4 with a supra badge on it.

[@Tummymunster]

Idk where you got $64k new from. The Z4M coupes had a base MSRP of around $50k and it was cheaper than a new Cayman.

[@sonof69star]

BMW Z4 = Stepchild of BMW

[@Tangent360]

The Z4s have always been treated to strangely by BMW. They go through the trouble to develop, manufacture, and sell them, and then they seem to do their best to completely forget that they exist. I have an E89 Z4 35i and it's pretty common for even other BMW fans to say something like "I totally forgot about that car". Not surprising when even in the middle of its production run you'd see "look at our entire lineup" ads from BMW that didn't include the Z4...

[@papasmurf986]

These things were in the low 50's (starting) when they came out...where he got 65k I don't know and the cayman S was priced the same if not more almost always.

[@gms03sbd3]

In Europe this z4 m coupe are expensive AF. You can get a new GR86 tune it and still have money for a year of fuel.

[@swisscourthustle]

In Australia, people ask more for these than they do for E46 M3’s 😅

[@phontsolo]

I'm actually looking at buying a Z4 Coupe 3.0si which is also pretty great and a good amount less than the Z4 M. Honestly, I had forgotten about them. They are very rare. Lower it with bigger wheels and it looks almost exotic.

[@lancemannion4113]

Did you end up buying it

[@phontsolo]

Not yet but I do have one lined up that I will be buying very soon. Excited about it.

[@lancemannion4113]

@@phontsolo I've had mine since last February and I love it to death so hopefully you have the same experience

[@zach.avenarius]

The s54 is legendary

[@akkhanomotive7585]

I have a roadster with a carbon intake manifold and I’m in VA if you ever wanna link up.

[@albertomanzo5334]

I would love to own one. But they were expensive for the time. Trying to find a manual one is hard to find

[@jjchockey]

They only come in manual.

[@MountainMasella]

What is the license plate 8GRDLN supposed to mean?