9 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A BMW Z4 Coupe

While it’s always been the M Division monsters from the BMW stable that have received all the praise, there are plenty of ‘normal’ models from our beloved Bavarian manufacturer that should also be singled out. One such car is the standard Z4 coupe.

Sure, the Z4 M Coupe is a 338bhp weapon that shares its S54 3.2-litre engine with the E46 M3, but the 3.0si - its little brother - is well worth considering. But before you take the plunge, here’s what you need to know:

1. It's twice as stiff as the roadster

The E86 has a much more common roadster cousin (E85), so why buy the tin top? Other than the fact it’s arguably better looking, the E86 also has a bodyshell that’s twice as stiff. As a result, it’s gloriously nimble, and a far superior driver’s car.

Steering feedback meanwhile isn’t amazing but it’s nicely direct, and the chassis has an oh-so satisfying rear-led attitude.

Want another reason to ditch the roadster? Some of the Z4’s most common issues relate to the failure-prone electronic folding roof, making the Coupe a much more reliable choice.

2. The rear springs are prone to cracking

The rear springs on all Z4s are known to be a weak point. Speaking to Kevin Bird - Technical Director of BMW tuning specialist Birds - we were told: “The rear spring that they have on that car is virtually identical to the E46 M3 spring.” Kevin went on to explain: “It’s a rising rate spring, and those little ‘pig tails’ tend to crack. That’s an MOT failure.”

3. It's no quicker than a hot hatch, but that doesn't matter

The Z4 coupe’s greatest asset is arguably its N52B30 3.0-litre straight-six. The N52B30 is most powerful naturally-aspirated, non-M Division inline-six BMW ever made, and in the Z4 Coupe it belts out 261bhp and 232lb ft.

That kind of power puts it somewhere in the middle of hot hatch territory - in fact its 5.7 second 0-62mph time is bang on the outgoing Honda Civic Type R’s benchmark time. But don’t let the knowledge that some guy in a jumped up hatchback could match or beat you at the traffic lights put you off, as Mr or Miss Hot Hatch Driver won’t have half as much fun rowing through the gears as you.

With all the power coming in one lump high in the rev range (peak power is at 6600rpm) it feels decently quick, and while you do have to really rev it to get the most out of it, that’s hardly a chore thanks to the mesmerising mechanical melody belting out of the exhaust pipes.

Owner Andrew Milner certainly agrees it’s an exciting car to pilot, telling us: “The driving experience makes every journey fun! There’s loads of torque low down the rev range and the stock exhaust note sounds fantastic.”

4. You don't get an LSD as standard

Do a full bore start in the Z4 Coupe with the traction control turned off, and you might find a little one tyre fire action going on. Why? Because there’s no limited-slip differential as standard. According to Kevin Bird, an LSD should be high on the modding agenda for any Z4 owner.

5. SE or Sport?

Choosing which kind of non-M Z4 Coupe to go for is easy, as there are only two types: SE and Sport. The Sport comes with M Sport seats, a thicker steering wheel, 18-inch alloy wheels, stiffer suspension and a ‘Sport’ button on the steering wheel that sharpens up the steering and throttle response. Oh, and anthracite headlining. Lovely.

On the UK market, there are far more Sports than SEs, so you might as well make yours the former. That said, if you try a Sport and find the suspension too firm, the SE is worth considering.

When Z4 coupe owner Andrew was in the market for his car, a Sport was his choice. “There are touches that make it look a bit better and it offers a purer, slightly more authentic sports car experience,” he explains.

6. The engine isn't very tuneable

If you’re the sort of person who likes taking a stock car and cranking up the power considerably, you should probably look elsewhere. Speaking to the guys at Birds, it’s clear that options are limited.

“With these naturally-aspirated engines it’s notoriously difficult to get any more power. That engine only has a single throttle body on it, and 261bhp out of a 3.0-litre engine is pretty bang on the money,” Kevin explains. And unless you’ve more money than sense, it’s not worth going down the forced induction route. “If you want an extra 50 horsepower from that car, then you’d buy the M car and put up with the negatives.”

7. Don't lower it!

So, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room under the bonnet, and the same could be said for the suspension department. “Most people want the car lowered, which is a mistake,” Kevin explains, adding: “The car is already hitting the bump rubbers even on the standard ride height. If you did need to do the suspension, go for Bilstein shock absorbers - the B6s - but that’s all I’d do. If you lower that car, you will destroy its handling and its ride.” You have been warned…

8. The engine shouldn't give you any issues

Unlike the Z4 M’s complicated S engine, the N52 in the 3.0si shouldn’t give you many headaches. “The engines are pretty bullet proof - Vanos solenoids are probably the only common issue, and they’re not expensive to sort. If you get a check engine light, it’s usually a Vanos solenoid,” Kevin tells us.

9. £12k buys you a gem

Currently there are under 50 non-M Z4 coupes for sale on Autotrader, compared to nearly 900 convertibles. It was only produced from 2006 to 2009, and it was always a more niche product. So you won’t have a huge amount of choice, but there are just about enough out there to make buying one relatively headache free.

While you can bag one for under £8000, upping the budget to a decent margin over £10,000 should get you a tidy, low-ish mileage example. You can pay anything up to £15,000, so around the £12,000 mark is a good area to be investigating.