M Roadsters, thoughts?

M Roadsters, thoughts?

Author
Discussion

andy g bmth

Original Poster:

4,974 posts

236 months

Saturday 17th September 2005
quotequote all
Hi all,

I've currently got a lotus elise which i love dearly but a change in job role at work means i'm going to be spending more time driving to london & back and the lotus isn't really a motorway car.

i still want a car thats got really good handling but a few more creature comforts and is equally at home on motorways as b roads.

I have previously owned a M3 evo covertible but never a Z3 or M roadster.

I've heard the Z3 is a bit of a lame duck, but does the Z3M fall into the same category or will come close to the elise in the handling stakes?

Is there anything else to look out for?

cheers

andy

trackdemon

12,317 posts

268 months

Sunday 18th September 2005
quotequote all
Z3M will be nowhere near an Elise in handling, infact roundly panned and the only one I know of was critized for poor handling. Thought about an NSX? Awesome handling + creature comforts/habitability

griff2be

5,090 posts

274 months

Sunday 18th September 2005
quotequote all
Unlike the previous poster, I have owned an M Roadster.

Plus points - very impressive performance - as fast as you'd ever need, pretty good handling, that superb straight six with 320bhp, aggressive styling, watertight, reasonable luggage room, all the toys inside, the BMW warranty (if it still applies), lovely big chromed alloys, 4 tail pipes, its quite cheap now

Minus points - the two tone leather interior is a little challenging, but there are cars around with one colour or black/grey, there was a VANOS problem but this was fixed FOC on a recall, without warranty it will be expensive to fix the engine if it goes wrong.

I have not driven an Elise, but I have raced Caterhams and currently a Tuscan. The handling will not be in the same league as your Elise, but by most cars standards it is good. The rear suspension may have been based on the old E30 - but as I recall that series spawned the original M3.

I found the brakes to be very strong for road use, but faded towards the end of a lap of the 'Ring.

The two cars are chalk and cheese. Lightweight small engine versus heavy weight big engine. There is the odd main dealer selling one - do a search on the BMW website and go and get a test drive.

Broccers

3,236 posts

260 months

Sunday 18th September 2005
quotequote all
I guess they are supposed to sloppier than the coupe but fitting braces should help sure things up. I was surprised how well mine compared around Donington to a VX220 turbo - you might be too with a roadster.

Philrose

478 posts

249 months

Sunday 18th September 2005
quotequote all
Check out zroadster.net and www.bmwmregistry.com/model_faq.php?id=16

trackdemon

12,317 posts

268 months

Monday 19th September 2005
quotequote all
griff2be said:
Unlike the previous poster, I have owned an M Roadster.


Philrose

478 posts

249 months

Tuesday 20th September 2005
quotequote all
I've got an M Roadster -- by choice go for the S54 engined although there were only 79 built in RHD