Planet 9

Yesterday I made a new friend who drives a very lightly modified BMW M Coupe. After switching cars, then switching back and doing a little speed comparison, we decided to trade cars for a couple days. (The M Coupe was definitely my 2nd choice over a Cayman) Right now through our rigorous and scientific testing, we've confirmed the M Coupe is slightly faster at sub 100 speeds, and absolutely identical in performance above 100 MPH. Definitely a very different car, aside from the similar power plants and pricing. My first impressions are quickly becoming "It's what the Corvette should've been.". Raw, aggressive, and savage, yet reasonably composed, tight and well built. Very exciting to drive, but definitely not as refined or elegant as the Cayman. The power delivery at lower speeds will make a Cayman owner frown with jealously though; BMW definitely can make an engine. Visibility is an issue, as is the aggressive clutch. (Delay valve removed) A thorough write up will be forthcoming.

Odd the M Coupe has been slower than the Cayman S in every head to head test I've ever seen along with my own track testing, perhaps 'lightly modified' means different things to different people...

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K-Man S

As a former Z3M Coupe owner I thought long and hard about the Z4M from the day it came out. I've driven four of them (all stock) at one time or another. I think they have killer looks. My spouse, on the other hand, thinks the Z4M is downright ugly. She loves the CS.

I never bought one because:

1. That hood seems to go on forever, and I really don't like that effect, of driving from the back seat. Although the Z4M isn't much bigger than the Z3M, for some reason the effect annoyed me more. This was actually the singular deal-killer, in my case. And the mid-engine CS has ruined me forever for these all-hood cars.
2. The car came out heavy, at over 3300 pounds. My Z3M weighed ~3050 with a full tank of gas.
3. I can't warm up to the Z4 interiors. Even with extended leather the dash has a covering I wouldn't put in a cheap SUV (though it's also in our mid-price X3), the seats were uncomfortable for me, and the audio and HVAC facias and controls are just ugly.
4. You get very little luggage space, because, for some reason, the battery that was under the floor in the Z3M is now a lump above the floor on the Z4M.

Power-wise, I agree, the M Coupe feels a lot faster than the CS. It clearly isn't faster by the stop watch, but the low-end torque is so much more immediate and stronger that you'd think it was 1/2 sec and 5mph faster in the quarter mile. Part of this is due, IMO, to different gearing choices. 1st-2nd gear in the M Coupe means hold on tight. The CS doesn't feel that way.

Steering feel in the M Coupe is surprisingly good, IMO. Of course, steering feel for a 328i surprises me too, and I think they both equal or exceed the CS. Yes, I'm serious.

The engines? Which do I like better? I'd have to call it a draw. Very different, but I can't call a favorite. The CS transmission and clutch kills the Bimmer's though. In one shot.

I don't have a Z4 M coupe but I do have the '01 S54 engined M Coupe and recently got a CS. I picked the CS over the Z4 MC mostly because of the exterior styling and that I already had an S54 engine. The CS seems a little more exotic for a similar price point (if you can live without options).

Both Z3 and Z4 based MCs feel faster than the CS but I've never timed either and I think the speeds and acceleration are so close that it wouldn't be part of the decision making process.

The Z3 MC and the CS are beautiful and shapely and voluptious. The Z4 MC is definitely not that, in my eyes ... maybe good looking but not sexy.

I feel I can push both MCs a lot more than the CS and I think the CS loses it's rear end quicker (contrary to popular opinion) but that could just be comfort level on my part. Anyway, I feel priveleged to own both and I'm never really sure which car I actually like more.

The thing that really turned me off on the Z4 based M roadster was the mileage vs tank size. Assuming BMW's EPA highway mileage is close the thing has a cruising range of maybe 250 miles. That's PITA territory for me. Does it do better in reality? Don't know, dealer wouldn't go for that kind of test drive .

The CS does enough better on the highway to be useful if still marginal. Then too the CS is much better looking.

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Les

I like them and while I wouldn't buy one I always like to see them on the street or at the track. At the track I have never driven my CS with somebody of comparable skill which is frustrating as it would have been nice to dance on the track and see where each of the cars is fastest.

If I had to have a BMW I would buy the last generation of M3. Love that car.

G.

The CS has shown in every test to be faster than the z4m...i think most has the cayman S at ~.7 faster to 100, and the lead only gets larger from there. in reality, its a drivers race...the cayman S' final gear ratio is higher at 3.88 vs 3.62 in the zm4. i hated, HATED the gearing in my e46 m3, which is why i went with 4.10 differential. the m3 i feel the opposite..its feel better down low. the m3/z4m dont start to really pull until ~5500-6000 rpms.
every aspect of the cayman S is better than the z4m; steering, LOOKS by a mile, fit & finish, grip, slalom speeds, etc, etc, etc...the cayman S has been put against even the new m3 in two tests and has won both of them a well.

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I had a Z4 and drove an Z4M roadster before buying my CS... and I'm very happy with my decision. The M I drove felt very heavy and rode like a rock on wheels. The ride and clutch was worse than my 3.0 Z4 with the sport suspension and 19" RFs. Added to that was the sound... guess you gotta like ZZzzzzzzzing noise they make. And one more thing, BMW is having a hard time giving the things away!

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'07 CS, 6spd, Meteor Grey, stone grey, 19" Carrera Sport with meteor grey spokes/polished rim, headrest crests, bi-xenons, Bose, power seats, rain sensor, fire extinguisher, heated seats, dimming mirrors, FabSpeed Maxflo II catback
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I've not driven the Z4MC, but I certainly do like the looks of them as they are different to everything else out there just like the original M Coupe was.

I was torn at looking at both, but after driving the CS I was sold, so it really would not have made any difference I think if I had driven the Z4. Added to this my other half said that if I was looking to spend this sort of money then the Porsche would be the only one she'd back, because of teh looks and the brand.

As an FYI BMW has cancelled the Z4MC btw, I read that in a magazine last month, as someone said above they couldn't give them away, dealers were left with extra inventory they have had a hard time selling. If you want one, get it now because they won't be around much longer.

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K-Man S

Yeah, unfortunately the bulk of this market is looking for a drop top. Can't tell you how many people have asked if my Cayman comes in a convertible! I had a non-M Z3 coupe, loved it, but BMW took a BATH on the residual, losing around $8k on my car alone (it sold at auction for $11k, residual was $19k+). Yes, they buy insurance for that, but I'll bet their carrier has sharpened their pencils by now.

The Cayman vs the Z4 coupe, also a comparison that I made, came down to one feature: mid engine vs. front engine. You can put as much lipstick as you want on a front engine car, but it will never drive like a mid engine with relatively the same quality and fit/finish...in other words, vs. say a Fiero. I've never looked back.

Visually, the Z4 coupe is reasonably attractive; with beer-goggles it even looks like an A-Martin that was left in the dryer too long, or a kit car version thereof. Whereas the Cayman...well, drop-dead gorgeous. At least half the people who've commented on it say it's the best looking P-Car ever. I'm partial to the '73 911 RS myself, but at 1/10th the cost the Cayman ain't bad! And just the fact that folks out there are saying it's a modern day Dino is pretty impressive....sure beats the modern day Mustang comparisons the Z4M is getting. A side by side view of the Cayman with a Dino is not so flattering...what a fatso our Cayman has become! You might feel better though knowing that if you were to crash both at say 100 mph, in a Cayman you might very well walk away, whereas in a Dino, well let's just say you won't have to worry about how expensive a car you just wrote off...your estate executor can handle that!

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2007 Touareg V8, working man's Cayenne, tow vehicle
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It's funny you say this. I totally agree that it looks extremely masculine, and every single woman I know hates it. This is a well-understood effect of it's styling, it looks a little too priapic (too much like a penis as it were) making it (ironic or obvious, depending on how you view psychology) very desirable by men and totally abhorrent to women.

BMW designed the Z4 to be more masculine than the (rather feminine) Z3 but seems they over-cooked it. Subsequent result was a 85%+ male buyer client base, which adds to the "can't shift them" point some of you mentioned.

This is also why the next generation Z4 will be a lot less aggressive in it's styling, with the c0ckpit looking less like it's perched above an erection and the bonnet not so 'bulging'.

Strictly on performance terms, that 3.2 engine is an absolute rock-star. So many awards won over many years can't mean anything other than it's sensational, despite it's iron block. The M-power LSD is also extremely potent.

I test-drove one when it was first out and I must say I was not impressed with how uncivilized it's traction control cut it, how abysmally bad the side-view was (particularly over the B pilar), and how cheap the interior looked. The gear-change was good but I felt the CS was better. The engine, as expected, stole the show. But the bonnet, Christ on the donkey, the damn thing DOESN'T END... And the boot is way smaller than the combined space of the Cayman.

It wouldn't be proper to write about this car without including information on the upgrades installed by its owner, Nathan Styles, a fat bloke from across the pond. The tire sizes have been altered, with the front 225s upgraded to 245s, and the rears stretched to 265. HR Sport Springs are mounted at all four corners, an aftermarket BMC air box scoop has been plopped into the engine bay, and the clutch delay valve has been replaced with an entirely different unit. I will compare this mainly to Caymans, and be necessarily brief with my references to Stuttgart's overgrown Volkswagen, as anyone posting here is already familiar with the nuances of the car. The more I drove the M Coupe, the more I was reminded of another vehicle in its price range however...


The Car
When I first sat into the M Coupe, I realized that the car was definitely a roadster in the traditional, low slung sense. The second thing that I noticed was the car had about as much visibility as a World War 1 U-boat. You peer over the limitless expanse of hood, adjust your seat upwards, and then find your eyeballs aimed at the headliner. More careful fiddling with the manual seat controls, and you get the front visibility right, only to discover that the side view is totally occluded by the seats and C pillars. The rear view mirror might as well be removed, as looking into it is an exercise in futility. You basically have a small square porthole good only for inspecting the license plate of the car directly behind you. Also disappointing were the backache inducing seats. Definitely nowhere close to the excellent chairs that come stock in a Porsche. Then there was the cheap steering wheel adjustment lever, which I was afraid of breaking, and some minor trim issues. Think Chevrolet Corvette, and you'll know what to expect from this one. Thankfully, from there, it's all uphill.
The controls are typical BMW quality, with an excellent, fat steering wheel that's both reasonably heavy and very precise. There is steering feedback, but somehow it feels curiously dampened, and doesn't lend the same confidence as the thin rimmed Porsche wheel. The brakes are extremely responsive, matter of fact, if anything, they're over-servoed a bit. The clutch action is very firm and mechanical, but in the case of this particular car, far too abrupt and grabby. (In my opinion, the clutch mod seriously detracted from the driveability of the car) Combine this with a gas pedal that's a hair trigger in normal mode and downright dangerous in sport mode, and you've got a recipe for neck snapping starts and gear changes. This car also came equipped with an excellent sat nav, something I wish my Porsche had standard.
Everyone raves about the S54 with good reason; it's one of the finest engines currently in production. The power-band, while being very similar to Porsche's own boxster engine, is significantly fatter, making the car much less fussy to start from stops (Further assisted by that lovely hill-holder function), and an absolute blast in lower gears. The engine note is a distinctively metallic BMW raspy wail, not as exotic as the Cayman's midengine song, but certainly enough to get anyone's attention. My biggest complaint is the aggressive response of the gas pedal; Sport Mode is TOTALLY redundant. The throttle mapping also makes the car feel much faster than it really is.
I like the gear box, it is more mechanical and positive than the softer Cayman shifter, but this is a matter of personal preference. (The owner prefers the Porsche unit) It does have the typical level of BMW slop in it, unlike the more precise shifters I've found in Porsches and in the aftermarket. The modified clutch action is entirely too aggressive, requiring intense concentration to be smooth with. The suspension is extremely stiff, almost on par with the heavily modified track/autocross setups I've driven. The ride quality is good, a bit more stiff than a Cayman S, but not enough to be a real issue. The level of grip from the fat low profile tires is astonishing, definitely a real sports car.

The driving experience.
This is the Corvette Chevrolet should have made. Except for the seats and visibility, BMW has removed everything I hate about Corvettes. Sure it's not as blistering fast as a 'Vette in a straight line, but the tight, responsive chassis more than makes up for it. The steering is precise, accurate, and firmly weighted. I do not consider it on par with the Porsche unit, somehow it just didn't feel as communicative. It does however blow away anything in the Chevrolet parts bin. Mostly though, I was just impressed by how firm and responsive the chassis was. No diving under hard braking, no body roll, just grip, grip, more grip, and finally some steady state understeer. For a 3200 lb car, it really darts and moves like something much lighter. You only really feel the extra mass over bumps and elevation changes, the rest of the time it's almost entirely disguised. In hard driving it's very composed, not as delicate or poised as a Cayman, but more hard edged and serious. The M Coupe feels like a rocket ship around mountain curves, however, the apparent speed of the car is actually exaggerated a lot by the low slung profile and the visual effect of seeing the road surface disappearing under the hood. The brake feel is definitely inferior to the Porsche though, to me it's far too overboosted and doesn't offer that firm, easily modulated pedal. I did not have a chance to run it on track, but I can testify that the car is VERY competitive on an Autocross Circuit, as Nathan managed to get within 2/10s of a Nissan GTRs time in the local SCCA event. Why has the M Coupe been slower in official testing? If I had to hazard a really simple guess, I'd say it's those crappy Conti Sport tires that came as OEM on all the ones I've seen in comparisons. Granted, I do think the Cayman has a slightly higher performance envelop based on it's superior chassis layout (Midengine versus heavier front engine), but ultimately it is a driver's race between these two, and skilled pilots could milk astonishingly fast times out of either car.
The Verdict
I like it a lot, it's a very fun, well built car, at 35,000 miles Nathan has had no problems out of it, much more than I can say for my Cayman. If I were in the market for a different car, it would be high on the list, and I think it's a great alternative to a 'Vette. However, the lack of visibility is a SERIOUS issue, you can definitely tell this thing was supposed to be a convertible. Matter of fact, the M Roadster might be a bit superior, simply because you can drop the top and actually see things. It's not so much what I'd call "inferior" to a Cayman as I'd say "different from a Cayman" in the final analysis. Yes there's some niggling issues like that damned steering wheel adjuster that must've been stolen from a Chevy Cavalier, and the glove box that's really too small for your Isotoners, but for several thousand dollars more, I expect the Porsche to be higher quality in places. Definitely in my top five favorite cars to drive.

FWIW, I think they are beautiful cars. A real driver's car. You know the guy who buys one bought it for a reason. And very unique...since no one seem to want to buy them. Imagine the steal you could get on one...



No one ever asked a Z4MC driver, "Why didn't you get an M6?" LOL
I have always thought of it as the most directly comparable car to a Cayman S.

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Alex,

I had a Z4, and I agree with everything you said. Incidentally, the clutch delay valves get replaced because they make it almost impossible to drive smoothly when shifting quickly at high rpms, as their function is to consistently engage the clutch at the same rate, which results in slippage under those conditions. I was told the CDV was added to make it almost impossible for incompetent drivers to stall the car on takeoff. The end result was that it made competent drivers feel incompetent. Also, the Porsche sport mode makes a lot more sense than BMW's, which makes their cars almost impossible to drive smoothly. Hard to figure why they calibrated the ultimate driving machine the way they did.

The Cayman is a far more developed car than the Z4M. The Z4 coupe is not even a drop in the bucket for BMW. The Cayman is a very important model for Porsche (they all are, since there is only four). I think we can deduct our own conlusions from this fact.

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Yours trully...The Caymanista

I never have thought too much about these cars. They do look much more utilitarian than beautiful. And they seem pretty good for storage for such a small car. Yet they have never seemed particularly fast on any track that I have visited.

But I do remember one VERY wet day when almost everyone was slowing down quite a bit due to the puddling water... but here comes this lil BMW passing everyone and leaving us all eating his water spray.

On some days, LESS is actually MORE!

Odd to see a BMW pass an R8 in the wet , which is pretty fast in the Winter tests I have seen.