BMW Z4 Coupe (E86)
Discussion
After years of reading posts in this section, I thought it was time I contributed to it.
Here's my 2006 BMW Z4 Coupe (at Elan Valley in 2022).
I bought it on the 8th of February 2020 at around 90,000 miles from a well known Pistonheads and Z4Forum member.
It's Montego Blue with Pearl Grey leather seats and Cirrus Aluminium interior trim.
It's a 3 liter, straight 6 (N52) with a manual gearbox.
I travelled from South Wales to the Reading area to pick it up.
I looked into a number of different cars before buying it, such as the Civic Type R FN2, MX5 NC, MR2 MK3 and the GT86/BRZ, finally settling on a Z4 after realising I wanted something with more than 4 cylinders, plus the price to performance and looks were difficult to beat.
I fell in love with it as soon as I pulled up and saw it, it looked a bit sad next to it's Z4M Coupe replacement however.
I still remember how nervous I was driving it for the first time, peering over the massive bonnet, nearly double the power of my car at the time (Celica VVTi MK7), rear wheel drive and with the owner in the passenger seat.
It drove brilliantly on the test drive but It was an absolute pig to drive home, the M4 plus runflats are a terrible combination, it skipped across imperfections and it tramlined all over the place.
First change: Michelin PS4 tyres and a flat tyre kit.
Unfortunately I haven't got any pictures from around the time I bought it, apart from this one I took through a dirty window at work a few days after buying it.
In March 2020, my partner and I were planning a trip to the Midlands, we were set to go on the 18th, just as the UK was starting to see Covid-19 as a serious issue.
After a lot of umming and ahhing, we set off, with no idea if we were to be stranded somewhere A. due to lockdowns or B. due to breakdowns.
The main destinations were West Midlands Safari Park, Coventry and then on to Stratford upon Avon for another night's stay.
Here's how I'd rank how civilised these places are:
1. Stratford upon Avon, 2. West Midlands Safari Park, 3. Coventry
I knew Coventry would be rough, I tried to dissuade my partner but it was of no use.
The highlights of Coventry were:
Eating McDonalds in the hotel room, a side lamp that switched on when you got on the bed, and going back to my car in the morning to find one of Coventry's inhabitants had poo'd behind it.
Oh well, at least it wasn't on the car.
It was surreal being out during the Covid scare, there were only us, the animals and the staff atCoventry the Safari Park.
Between Covid and the rain, there were no queues for the rides, with just my partner and I on them.
The staff kept themselves busy by literally sweeping puddles!
Stratford upon Avon was much the same, the weather was better but there was hardly anyone around.
I managed to get in a visit to Caffeine and Machine, though there wasn't much of an atmosphere due to the circumstances.
The Z4 performed brilliantly and had proved reliable, with only the odd whining noise from the passenger side.
Between then and 2023, I've done another trip to Stratford up Avon, a couple of trips to Tenby, a trip to Cornwall (a very long drive) and plenty of drives out in Mid Wales.
It's a good all-round car, It's got decent performance and a big boot for what it is.
Not had one issue but I have done a lot of maintenance on it (Covid was a blessing and a curse).
Since I bought it:
93,023 - Oil Service - 11/07/20
95,755 - New Battery - 13/10/20
98,669 - "Inspection 2?" - fluids, filters and spark plugs" - 02/04/2021
Water pump, thermostat and expansion tank changed same time
99,268 - Ignition Coils x6 replaced (preventative maintenance)
99,285 - Calipers, pads, disks and brake fluid changed - 18/04/2021
103,253 - Suspension refresh (Front control arms, tie rods, ARB link rods, Suplex springs and Bilstein B4 shocks front and rear) - 05/11/2021
This made one hell of a difference, massive improvement in comfort plus handling!
104,065 - Oil Service (plus oil, air and cabin filter) - 24/06/2022
106,465 - "Inspection 1?" - all filters (including cabin again!) plus fluids under bonnet - coolant flush, brake fluid flush. - 09/04/2023
I also changed both DISA valves, both Vanos solenoids, the CCV and associated pipework in that time, also got underneath it to paint and treat it to keep it looking good.
Fixed leaking door membranes at some point too.
Apart from that, the only changes were a Maxton lip spoiler in 2021, removal of the front number plate surround and fitting of new plates, plus a full set of Goodyear Eagle AS5s were fitted in 2022 due to a puncture in the rear and getting a really good deal.
Random assortment of photos:
Fixed leaky door membrane with new butyl tape.
CCV replacement, inlet manifold out.
Exhaust got some protection too...
Here's my 2006 BMW Z4 Coupe (at Elan Valley in 2022).
I bought it on the 8th of February 2020 at around 90,000 miles from a well known Pistonheads and Z4Forum member.
It's Montego Blue with Pearl Grey leather seats and Cirrus Aluminium interior trim.
It's a 3 liter, straight 6 (N52) with a manual gearbox.
I travelled from South Wales to the Reading area to pick it up.
I looked into a number of different cars before buying it, such as the Civic Type R FN2, MX5 NC, MR2 MK3 and the GT86/BRZ, finally settling on a Z4 after realising I wanted something with more than 4 cylinders, plus the price to performance and looks were difficult to beat.
I fell in love with it as soon as I pulled up and saw it, it looked a bit sad next to it's Z4M Coupe replacement however.
I still remember how nervous I was driving it for the first time, peering over the massive bonnet, nearly double the power of my car at the time (Celica VVTi MK7), rear wheel drive and with the owner in the passenger seat.
It drove brilliantly on the test drive but It was an absolute pig to drive home, the M4 plus runflats are a terrible combination, it skipped across imperfections and it tramlined all over the place.
First change: Michelin PS4 tyres and a flat tyre kit.
Unfortunately I haven't got any pictures from around the time I bought it, apart from this one I took through a dirty window at work a few days after buying it.
In March 2020, my partner and I were planning a trip to the Midlands, we were set to go on the 18th, just as the UK was starting to see Covid-19 as a serious issue.
After a lot of umming and ahhing, we set off, with no idea if we were to be stranded somewhere A. due to lockdowns or B. due to breakdowns.
The main destinations were West Midlands Safari Park, Coventry and then on to Stratford upon Avon for another night's stay.
Here's how I'd rank how civilised these places are:
1. Stratford upon Avon, 2. West Midlands Safari Park, 3. Coventry
I knew Coventry would be rough, I tried to dissuade my partner but it was of no use.
The highlights of Coventry were:
Eating McDonalds in the hotel room, a side lamp that switched on when you got on the bed, and going back to my car in the morning to find one of Coventry's inhabitants had poo'd behind it.
Oh well, at least it wasn't on the car.
It was surreal being out during the Covid scare, there were only us, the animals and the staff at
Between Covid and the rain, there were no queues for the rides, with just my partner and I on them.
The staff kept themselves busy by literally sweeping puddles!
Stratford upon Avon was much the same, the weather was better but there was hardly anyone around.
I managed to get in a visit to Caffeine and Machine, though there wasn't much of an atmosphere due to the circumstances.
The Z4 performed brilliantly and had proved reliable, with only the odd whining noise from the passenger side.
Between then and 2023, I've done another trip to Stratford up Avon, a couple of trips to Tenby, a trip to Cornwall (a very long drive) and plenty of drives out in Mid Wales.
It's a good all-round car, It's got decent performance and a big boot for what it is.
Not had one issue but I have done a lot of maintenance on it (Covid was a blessing and a curse).
Since I bought it:
93,023 - Oil Service - 11/07/20
95,755 - New Battery - 13/10/20
98,669 - "Inspection 2?" - fluids, filters and spark plugs" - 02/04/2021
Water pump, thermostat and expansion tank changed same time
99,268 - Ignition Coils x6 replaced (preventative maintenance)
99,285 - Calipers, pads, disks and brake fluid changed - 18/04/2021
103,253 - Suspension refresh (Front control arms, tie rods, ARB link rods, Suplex springs and Bilstein B4 shocks front and rear) - 05/11/2021
This made one hell of a difference, massive improvement in comfort plus handling!
104,065 - Oil Service (plus oil, air and cabin filter) - 24/06/2022
106,465 - "Inspection 1?" - all filters (including cabin again!) plus fluids under bonnet - coolant flush, brake fluid flush. - 09/04/2023
I also changed both DISA valves, both Vanos solenoids, the CCV and associated pipework in that time, also got underneath it to paint and treat it to keep it looking good.
Fixed leaking door membranes at some point too.
Apart from that, the only changes were a Maxton lip spoiler in 2021, removal of the front number plate surround and fitting of new plates, plus a full set of Goodyear Eagle AS5s were fitted in 2022 due to a puncture in the rear and getting a really good deal.
Random assortment of photos:
Fixed leaky door membrane with new butyl tape.
CCV replacement, inlet manifold out.
Exhaust got some protection too...
Edited by Birr97 on Monday 5th June 21:36
Part 2 of the post...
I'd been interested in track days for a while, and having been to Prescott Hillclimb in my Celica twice I decided this year to book a track day at Llandow.
Also somehow managed to convince two friends to bring their MX5s as well.
Here's some videos of that:
Quite a big oversteer moment!
That's what I get for wishing the Z4 would rotate like an R56 Mini...
Went pretty well on the whole apart from the two big-ish oversteer moments, open diff and lack of skill to blame for those!
Really enjoyed being able to use the performance of the car and feel the balance and grip limits in the corners, again the car performed brilliantly apart the brakes going soft a few laps in to the day due to a bad bleed by myself - lesson learned - don't use those "one man" bleeder bottles.
That was sorted with a Sealey Pressure Bleeder.
I also killed my front tyres, I was having too much fun and stayed out on track too long.
Luckily had a spare set of PS4 tyres for the front in the shed to tide me over.
How it currently stands:
It's on a square set up - 8x18 inch 2Forge ZF6 wheels, ET33 offset with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersports in 235/40/18.
Only had a a quick drive locally but it feels great, the wheels are so much lighter than the type 295 wheels that were on there.
Weight difference is around 4kg per wheel so a significant change, feels much dartier and more responsive.
I love the look of the type 295s but they were in need of a refurb, I also wanted lighter wheels and to try a square set up.
Very interested to see the difference as I have another day at Llandow booked in September.
Plans are to do a few track days a year, a few roadtrips and just enjoy it for what it is.
No major modifications planned but these are on my list of things to do:
New BMW center caps for the wheels
Repaint the brake calipers
Lanoguard underneath
Valve cover (plus valvetronic), oil filter housing and sump gasket
Serpentine belt plus tensioners
Fit a limited slip differential
Fit lighter seats, either aftermarket or manual Z4 Sport seats as the electric ones weigh a ton.
Figure out what to to with the paintwork, showing it's age a bit now and the front wings have some rust...
For myself:
Some kind of car limits training
Thanks for reading if you've made it this far, hope to keep updating this as time goes on.
I'd been interested in track days for a while, and having been to Prescott Hillclimb in my Celica twice I decided this year to book a track day at Llandow.
Also somehow managed to convince two friends to bring their MX5s as well.
Here's some videos of that:
Quite a big oversteer moment!
That's what I get for wishing the Z4 would rotate like an R56 Mini...
Went pretty well on the whole apart from the two big-ish oversteer moments, open diff and lack of skill to blame for those!
Really enjoyed being able to use the performance of the car and feel the balance and grip limits in the corners, again the car performed brilliantly apart the brakes going soft a few laps in to the day due to a bad bleed by myself - lesson learned - don't use those "one man" bleeder bottles.
That was sorted with a Sealey Pressure Bleeder.
I also killed my front tyres, I was having too much fun and stayed out on track too long.
Luckily had a spare set of PS4 tyres for the front in the shed to tide me over.
How it currently stands:
It's on a square set up - 8x18 inch 2Forge ZF6 wheels, ET33 offset with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersports in 235/40/18.
Only had a a quick drive locally but it feels great, the wheels are so much lighter than the type 295 wheels that were on there.
Weight difference is around 4kg per wheel so a significant change, feels much dartier and more responsive.
I love the look of the type 295s but they were in need of a refurb, I also wanted lighter wheels and to try a square set up.
Very interested to see the difference as I have another day at Llandow booked in September.
Plans are to do a few track days a year, a few roadtrips and just enjoy it for what it is.
No major modifications planned but these are on my list of things to do:
New BMW center caps for the wheels
Repaint the brake calipers
Lanoguard underneath
Valve cover (plus valvetronic), oil filter housing and sump gasket
Serpentine belt plus tensioners
Fit a limited slip differential
Fit lighter seats, either aftermarket or manual Z4 Sport seats as the electric ones weigh a ton.
Figure out what to to with the paintwork, showing it's age a bit now and the front wings have some rust...
For myself:
Some kind of car limits training
Thanks for reading if you've made it this far, hope to keep updating this as time goes on.
Edited by Birr97 on Sunday 4th June 23:54
ads_p said:
Awesome car and great updates. Thanks for posting. Have wanted one of these for ages… the coupe just looks incredible in profile and, from the amount of gear you’ve packed into it, seems (relatively) practical too.
Thanks for reading, I love the profile of it too.Can never seem to get a good angle in photos though, looks like it has no rear end from the front!
It's such a great all-rounder, pretty practical for a two seater, decently quick and has decent handling.
Highly recommend getting one, I don't ever plan to sell mine.
Court_S said:
That’s lovely; these are such a good shape. Is the Mr Tidy’s old car?
I nearly con my wife that we should buy one this year for her, but we ended up with a 330i touring instead which is a much more sensible choice for lugging family life around!
Yes, it is his old car!I nearly con my wife that we should buy one this year for her, but we ended up with a 330i touring instead which is a much more sensible choice for lugging family life around!
A lot of its history is documented online so thought I'd continue that.
Which generation have you gone for?
I love coupes but I do have a soft spot for quick estates.
Edited by Birr97 on Monday 5th June 13:38
d_a_n1979 said:
Love these cars and their shape... I'd never fit in one mind; still doesn't stop me wanting one...
Best colour too
They do have a great shape, they look a lot more exotic than the price point would suggest.Best colour too
Shame to hear that, height issue I'm assuming?
Yeah, Montego Blue is my favourite.
I like all the colours they come in apart from white.
Edited by Birr97 on Monday 5th June 09:42
Birr97 said:
Yes, it is his old car!
A lot of it's history is documented online so thought I'd continue that.
Which generation have you gone for?
I love coupes but I do have a soft spot for quick estates.
As soon as you mentioned the Z4M I thought it was A lot of it's history is documented online so thought I'd continue that.
Which generation have you gone for?
I love coupes but I do have a soft spot for quick estates.
It’s an E91, manual with the N52. It needs a bit of love but I’m convinced there’s a good car underneath it.
Birr97 said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Love these cars and their shape... I'd never fit in one mind; still doesn't stop me wanting one...
Best colour too
They do have a great shape, they look a lot more exotic than the price point would suggest.Best colour too
Shame to hear that, height issue I'm assuming?
Yeah, Montego Blue is my favourite.
I like all the colours they come in apart from white.
Edited by Birr97 on Monday 5th June 09:42
Court_S said:
As soon as you mentioned the Z4M I thought it was
It’s an E91, manual with the N52. It needs a bit of love but I’m convinced there’s a good car underneath it.
It was awesome seeing them both parked up side by side, it was my first time seeing a Z4 Coupe in person too let alone two of them next to eachother.It’s an E91, manual with the N52. It needs a bit of love but I’m convinced there’s a good car underneath it.
Manual and N52 is a great combination no matter the body style, that's what I'd be looking at if I had to get something practical I think, I think a good compromise between the 330i and Z4 would be a 130i though.
Birr97 said:
It was awesome seeing them both parked up side by side, it was my first time seeing a Z4 Coupe in person too let alone two of them next to eachother.
Manual and N52 is a great combination no matter the body style, that's what I'd be looking at if I had to get something practical I think, I think a good compromise between the 330i and Z4 would be a 130i though.
The 130i is a great wee thing, I miss mine although it was an E81 so not that practical and was pretty dinky inside hence it making way for the 335i last April (although I should have hung out for a touring rather than a coupe).Manual and N52 is a great combination no matter the body style, that's what I'd be looking at if I had to get something practical I think, I think a good compromise between the 330i and Z4 would be a 130i though.
Birr97 said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Haha yeah; 6ft 4 and c20 stone, wide with it too... Too many years of lifting heavy weights (competitive powerlifter etc); small cars & I do not gel
I'm imagining this right now. 
This is why I loved my F01 730D and really wanted to get another one...
Court_S said:
The 130i is a great wee thing, I miss mine although it was an E81 so not that practical and was pretty dinky inside hence it making way for the 335i last April (although I should have hung out for a touring rather than a coupe).
You're a big fan of BMWs then!I would love to have a drive of the E81/E82 to see how they compare to the Z4.
I know Birds Autos do a lot with them as well so quite a lot of scope there for modifications.
I've tried to convince my partner to get rid of her Renault Captur and get an 130i E81 but no luck. She's looking at Hyundai Velosters which aren't great but are still a massive improvement over a Captur.
d_a_n1979 said:
Haha yeah; 6ft 4 and c20 stone, wide with it too... Too many years of lifting heavy weights (competitive powerlifter etc); small cars & I do not gel
Similar build to me! Rugby 2nd row and weightlifting.. I do fit in an E89 Z4 OK.. A lot of these fun smaller cars I end up wearing. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff