BMW Z4M Coupe --> 370Z ??
 

First post:

I am currently driving and thoroughly enjoying a 2007 BMW Z4M Coupe. It will be coming off of lease in a few months (I like to shop for cars early), and I have no interest what-so-ever in the new Z4 hardtop convertible. The new Z4 has grown in size, has no M version, and just doesn't appeal to me. BMW is talking about a higher performing (higher boost pressure) on the current 3.0 liter twin turbo to give more torque and HP, but that is still speculation, and will end up pushing the current higher performance Z4's ridiculous price even higher, without even addressing M-style handling and braking.

I have a couple of choices: 1) Buy my current ride at 3 years old for ~ $30M, or 2) buy a new something else. I have driven P-cars for many years, and don't want to go that route, which leaves me with a 370Z as a viable candidate. I am also drawn to an Exige, but they are more track toys.

The last Z-car I loved was a friend's 240. I hated the 300ZX, liked the 350Z, and think the 370Z might a winner.

I've done some research, and know I would want the Sport Package and 6mt, but unsure whether Base or Touring. The car would be my daily driver, weekend canyon carver, and a few times/year track car.

I really like my current Z4MC, but it will be 3 years old, and for nearly the same price I could get a new 370Z.

Any and all comment and feedback would be welcomed. I have never owned a Nissan, let alone a Z.

Thanks,

EB

top gear test drove both the new Z4 and the 370z at the same time. check the vid... just to see and i know your not getting the new z4..but have a look.

for a daily driver and canyon runner... touring package gives you comforts.

you hated the 300ZX?!?!

exits thread (don't let a forum pick a car for you, pick the car you want)

First of all, welcome to The370Z.com. We are very glad to have you with us in our forum. Please feel free to share pictures of your current and previous cars

Looking at your choices, do you really want to drive the Z4 any longer? I personally get tired of ANY car if I drive more than 2 years ( 3 years is max) In my honest opinion, why not give the 370Z a try? Coming from a Z4, I can def tell you Z is a more aggressive, noisy, harsh raw sports car. If that's okay with you, then you'll like the 370Z. I also saw where you mentioned that you liked 350Z. If you liked 350Z, then you'll absolutely LOVE the 370Z without a doubt.

Stig actually ran a better time (half second quicker) with the 370Z than the brand new 2010 Z4 ;)


Coming from a BMW, I def suggest Touring model with sports. But if you want to save 4000 dollars, then base+sports will do the job just fine. It's the lightest and most performance oriented out of the box spec. (this is what I have).


I say, go to your nearest dealer and ask for a test drive on a sport 6speed 370Z. Make sure you test out the SyncroRev match feature. I haven't turned it off since I left the dealer.


If you DO plan to take the Z to a track (long road courses), it's suggested that you put a oil cooler. But for everyday driving, it's not necessary.

Keep us posted. thanks.

I didn't realize you were talking about Z4 M. I thought you said regular Z4. :o

Power is almost identical in both cars. So, it's upto you to test drive the Z and find out if it's really worth buying.

The Z4M is a nice car. The interior is gorgeous, which makes sense, as it was much more expensive new.

The Z4 also feels much more like a classic sports car to me: compact, tight. The Z has a bit more of a muscle car feel, though it's not nearly as cavernous or bulky as a Mustang. The odd thing to me was to see that the 370Z and the Z4M are within 50 lbs. of each other because the Z4 definitely *feels* much smaller.

The driving experience feels different too, because you sit so far back in the Z4 compared to the 370. The 370 really does pivot around your head, where the Z4 feels like you're a bit on for the ride. Numbers are similar on both, but it's well worth a drive. I'd be very interested in your opinion. The 370 will be louder for sure on the highway.

The one thing I don't like about the BMWs is that they feel more digital to me. Part of that is refinement, but I also feel like it can be hard to sense the throttle, the shift points, and the steering quite as much as the Z. That's likely one for personal preference...

As far as packages, I say base+sport, personally. The Bose isn't worth a crap anyway, and though I do like the job Nissan did on the leather, it wasn't worth the extra $. I actually wouldn't be surprised if you like your M better after a drive, but I'll be curious to find out what you think.

If you haven't already, it's probably also worth driving a used Cayman S (sacrilege on a Z board, I know). You can find good ones for $40K in basically mint condition (Porsche owners can be more anal than anyone).

I was disappointed in the interior and I just didn't fit properly in it, but it is a better pure sports car than either the Z or the Z4M, and it won't need as many add-ons as the Z to go on the track, if that's your thing.

I imagine compared to a Z4M, the 370z will feel a bit less refined. That can be taken as a good or bad thing depending on what you want.

If you're after a "hot car" - the Z is it, if you're after a car that won't make the old lady complain while she's on a cell phone, the G37 is the other side of that same performance coin. (same platform)

The touring appealed to me because of the seats, primarily. The bose system isn't bad (better than most OEM), but isn't OMFG great, and I knew that going in. Sat radio doesn't appeal to me, but may to others. At the time, bluetooth wasn't something I cared about as my phone didn't have it - but my new one does, and I've got it set up, and it sure beats having to dig out my cell phone while driving! (like in my other vehicles)

Sport Package, unless you intend to go with higher-end aftermarket parts, is a must.

Navigation, I decided to go without - I know my way, I look at mapquest and memorize the route before I go, and can remember easily which ways I need to go to get back to where I came from (due mostly to doing the same with a motorcycle)

Anyhooooo

I cross shopped these cars when I was looking and found the BMW to feel more powerful but not as stuck to the ground. I like the looks of the Nissan better (subjective).

Things to consider - if you're going new on the BMW, the maintenance for the first few years is free. If you're going used on the BMW, maintenance can be expensive. The Nissan all out of pocket for the maintenance.

When you decide and/or test drive both, give us a post so we can hear your thoughts!

Kevin

Wow! What a fast bunch of responses!

nogoodname... thanks for the youtube post. I watched it immediately. Richard's seeming love of the new Z4 baffled me.

areyouin729... sorry, I really didn't care for the 300ZX: to each his own

AK370Z... The SynchroRev feature seems very, very cool. I am very good at heel/toe downshifts, whether on the track or in town, but even then I am not close to what I have seen demo'd on the SynchroRev. I would have to put an oil cooler on (is this a dealer install?), and I understand that track pads would also be needed for high speed track driving (Mid-Ohio, Nelson Ledges, and certainly for Road America).

imag... I could care less about the sound system in a sports car, or nav when my blackberry has TeleNav on it. Bluetooth, though, is now almost a requirement.

kannibul... I drove a G35 before buying the Z4M. Very nice car, but not what either I or my wife wanted.

YellowZ.. at first I felt the Z4M lacked grip, and I was completely right, for as soon as I bought the car I took off the miserable OEM Conti SportContacts (1) and put on fatter Bridgestone RE-01's. What a difference! The car corners perfectly, and the grip in very predictable when reaching the limits. Also, I would be buying my current MCoupe, so I would have 1 more year of no cost maintenance and warranty.

The thing is I really like the MCoupe's styling and mechanics, but I can get a new 370Z for just a bit more $ than a 3 year old MCoupe. I will definely have to drive the Z. I looked at one yesterday, and it fits, but the weather precluded driving. Also the salesman knew the answers to only a few of my questions, and those were guesses. No run flats, right?

EB

See if a local dealer will give you a 1-hr test drive in a 2009 370Z. Mine did in September.

I'm a big BMW fan, but did not feel like shelling out $55k for one I could live with at this time and in this Economy.

I wound up buying a 2009 Z in November, Sport/Touring, for well under Invoice. I am very happy with my decision 1200 miles in. :tiphat:

I drove P-cars beginning in 1984 until this Z4M, and I just don't care for the Cayman or Cayman S. It's steering is as precise as any car I have ever experienced, but the car does nothing for my soul. My 928's and 911's did, but not the Cayman. The only two P-cars that excite me now are the GT3 and the Turbo, but both totally impractical and costly. The RMS problem has me avoiding the 911's. Rational or not, Porsche really turned me off when they left their customers hanging with an obvious design/manufacturing flaw.

The MCoupe feeds my soul making beastly speed and sounds all the way to its 8,000 red line, and I hope the 370Z will as well. I wish I could get the Exige out of my thinking, for I don't want a weekend only or track only car.

EB

"I have a couple of choices: 1) Buy my current ride at 3 years old for ~ $30M, or 2) buy a new something else."

OMG $30 million dollars!!! jk

Welcome, ebrude. It's nice to have another auto enthusiast on the board.

My thoughts in choosing the 370Z:

As a former 350Z owner, I am very happy with the evolution of the 370Z as performance first car. Lack of refinement in areas of interior and road noise didn't bother me either, as this is an extra car for sport driving. I have to also reiterate the sentiment of the Synchro rev - at first i thought it might be a little gimmicky and intrusive but it really is a nice feature if you choose to use.


I test drove an 09 Cayman 6MT and although its the most refined sports car ever driven, I wasn't comfortable (6'2") and it didn't invoke the emotional reaction the Z does. The muscular feel of the Z appeals to me much more so than the refined feel of the Cayman - particularly when accounting for cost difference.

The Sport package is a must, but money saved on Touring package will go a long way in covering oil cooler/brake pads for the track.

I see you are in Cleveland, I would recommend contantacting Lou Fusz Nissan (Forum Sponsor) if you have more questions. Lou has a great reputation, offers very competitive pricing, and is a Z enthusiast and is very knowledgeable.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted.

IMHO the BMW is an ugly looking car. The Z is good looking, reliable and sporty and it is great bang for the buck. Get the touring Z with sports package (nothing less), the only maintenance you'll need are oil changes and those are fairly inexpensive.

http://i.zdnet.com/gallery/162390-440-330.jpghttp://www.dragtimes.com/images/1752...issan-370Z.jpg

One word of caution, if you get rid of the Z4M, apparently you and the wife won't be nearly as popular at the fishbowl parties :) Another two seater worth looking at is a 08+ Audi TT or even better TTS.

And let's not forget the G37 coupe. I mean, it's kind of a middle ground there. One person I know w/ one loves the 370Z but loves the ride of her G37 more. And she races it ^_^

Nah, the Z4M Coupe is totally gorgeous!

EB

http://www.bimmerfile.com/wp-content...80x1024_07.jpg

Yeah, the new one looks nice. Even better in person. The Bangly one looks like heck with its silly diagonal line.

Actually, I've been weighing up the 370z and the new Z4. I've spent so long looking at the 370z even the new Z4 is starting to look ugly.

:eek:

Uh oh...

Horseface: Now you're talking, that convertible one looks much better than the 370Z. Price wise there is no comparison, I am sure.

The BMW reminds me of the Cheetah back in the '60's.

I had a 06 Z4 3.0i convertible MT. Right now I have a 2010 370Z 7AT with sports package. Here is a summary of what I think about the 2.
Winner:
Performance:370z
Ride quality: 370z
Comfort: 370z (I'm 6'3")
Visibility: Z4
Noise: Z4 (Do not overlook this, especially if it's going to be your daily driver)
Cargo Room: Z4
People gawking: Z4 (especially from women, my 370 only gets looks from teenage/young adult males :ugh2:)
Engine Sound: Z4
Exhaust Sound: 370z
Audio quality: Z4 (Keep in mind both I had were stock with no premium packages)
Interior Design/Quality: 370Z
Exterior Design: 370z (however, I'd think its a tie compared to a M series)
Fun to drive: Tie

I'd say pick the 5 categories most important to you from the list and you will find your answer. Hope this helps.

Bummer, man. Mine's a chick magnet :tup:

I hope you aren't giving off the wrong vibe :eekdance:

I hear you on the Exige. Even now I'm tempted to sell my Z for a used S. I keep thinking about just going whole hog on an S260...

Word, women break their necks looking at my Z, whats even more hilarious is that married women with their husbands in plain view in the car with them, still gawk :) I love it.

I was thinking the same thing, especially from this photo!

I think it's more to do with location than wrong vibes... ;) ......In LA, there is no shortage of exotic cars... In fact, anything less than a Veyron goes pretty much unnoticed.

;)

I'm a BMW fan, plus drive an 07 Mini Cooper JCW. Originally the Z was not even on the list, I was in a quandary of getting a M Coupe or a 335i. When I drove the M Coupe I wasn't impressed with the ride quality or performance, took it for about a 30min test drive in a variety of conditions. I guess for the $58K they were asking for the car I was expecting something quite a bit more refined. One bad thing I guess is I drove the MIni to the dealer, which is modified, suspension, tune, etc. and the Mini felt almost as fast, smoother, and better handling. I was looking for an upgrade, and just wasn't feeling it. So I kept looking. A friend of mine invited me to an Edmunds event in Nov 08 where they were previewing the 370Z. I had seen pics on the internet, but was not too excited, but when I saw it in person, wow! I immediately fell in love.
The driving position to me felt really natural, there was more room behind the seats then the M Coupe. A Touring fully loaded with Sport package and Nav would cost me $18K less then the M Coupe, and mods and maintenance would be less expensive, so it was a no brainer. I bought my Z on Jan 5th 2009, the first weekend they hit the dealers in So Cal. :tup:
I've got maybe $4K invested in mods so far and she is a real dream to drive, handling and performance is top notch, and even when I go with a supercharger say $10K, my total invested would have still been less then the M Coupe purchase.
Syncro Rev is awesome!! I heal and toed for years, but you will not be able to be that perfect every shift.

My vote is for the Z, and if I were you, since you are not concerned with leather in Touring model, is to check out the Nismo 370Z. This car wasn't available at the time I got mine, if I was to purchase one at this time, I think I would go with Nismo, better starting base if you are going to be tracking the car, and a bit more exclusivity, Nismo is kind of like the "M" for Nissan. :tup: They are dealing on these now at the Nissan dealerships.

i am going through this same decision process. i also want a rwd track competent car that would be my daily driver.

i am leaning toward the z4mcoupe, but it worries me to get a "dead end" car-- very limited production means a fairly scant aftermarket.
the z looks awesome, and gets some really good gains from simple mods.

to be trackable, the z needs an oil cooler. oil coolers are a compromise, as it would delay the rise of oil temps to optimum, which would be an issue for me due to a very short daily commute. the z4m does not seem to have engine cooling issues at all.

the z4m also has a proper lsd. the 370z lsd is decent, but can get overwhelmed by track use, cooler or not. you can swap the lsd on the 370z, just like you could add one to a cayman.

as for brakes, the z4m brakes (csl brakes) are probably a bit better than the 370z's. of course, there are bbk options for either.

so, i see it as z4m vs. 370z with oil cooler and diff cooler. i'd guess that the two cars would be a pretty close match on the track.

:iagree:
Unfortunately, people in LA look at the brand before the car. You can put a Mercedes emblem on a Genesis and the girls will drop their panties when they see it.

A common misconception or a poorly designed oil cooling system. If you are concerned about warm up times a thermal switch/valve much like the one in your cooling system keeps oil out of the cooler until it comes up to temp. Oil coolers are a good idea on any modern engine as much of the cooling is done with the oil now. The 370Z will hardly break half way on the temp gauge for engine coolant yet you'll be in limp mode with the oil overheating with track use and no cooler. An oil cooling system should be thought of as an anti-oil-overheating system rather than one that keeps the oil temperature low. Its important for your oil to be running at temperature for flow/lubrication and a proper oil cooling system will do just that.


For track use a diff cooler isn't really needed.

did you have the non turbo 300zx? thats why u didn't like it?

i can assure that a modded Twin turbo 300zx is a different animal. i have one and it's just destroys 350's and 370's.

take the new Z4 for a test drive. you'll like it i bet. BMW really nailed this one.
sure it's an expensive car but it's a hardtop vert which is always nice.

plus you can always JB3 it and it'll make tons of power.

between the Old Z4 M and the New 370z i think it's a tie really.

i'd keep the Z4 and do a full supersprint exhaust on it, the wheels, brakes, lsd and call it a day.

that does look nice, I want a convertable but it has to be a hardtop one. The soft tops just take away from the cars looks for me. Z4 roadster looks nice, hows its power?

well I just looked it up, they will have TT V6 that only gets 300 hp and a 225 hp one. I just dont understand how they only get 300 HP out of a v6 tt? They should get that just from the V6 The TTs should give it another 100 HP IMO. A V6 TT that does 0 60 in 5 secs, hmmmmm.

good point on the thermostat.

i think the use (or overuse) of the viscous diff will depend on the track, but i don't think there are many track rats that are glad that the z has a viscous lsd vs a mechanical.

Oil temp and oil coolers
 

Since picking up on the oil temps issues raised here, I began digging into other threads re: oil temp and coolers.

There seems to be quite a bit of concern regarding high oil temp certainly for track and also for canyon carving. There is also a a lot in a thread about oil coolers needing to be blocked off to allow oil temp to come up properly, and that a thermostat for oil coolers is a less than perfect answer.

Is there a factory fix or dealer installed Nissan cooler available that I am missing?

Otherwise this is probably a deal killer.

Thanks,

EB

I dont think I'd trade Z4M for the 370 if I already owned it - not at all. I think they are great looking cars.

I suppose if the 300 in question has been modified to insane levels putting out massive horsepower specs, it will beat a stock 370...in a straight line, anyway.

Conversely, a modded 370 or even a 350 would just destroy a modded 300TT. :stirthepot:

I'll have to try that with the wife's SUV, should give her something to talk about at the next bridge game.