My wife's decision is forcing me to sell my car

[mstevens]

damn you didn't drive your last one...

I did. It's just that I have a 6-mile commute to work 4 days per week. I also rode the Vespa/Monster/Multistrada every chance I got. When I had more than one passenger, I had to drive something else. The old car did make a few trips to Montreal and some other places.

no proper manual wtf?

That's why I was dithering about this car until my wife grabbed my trigger finger and pulled. Apparently BMW thinks that with the horsepower, twin turbos, etc. they'd be replacing too many gear boxes or something so they don't offer a manual clutch on this version. The 7-speed double-clutch transmission is fairly amazing, though.

I'd settle for a guy buying me a bunch of flowers and you get a car[thumbsup]

Well, I got her a loaded X3, but it hasn't been built yet.

Keep them both.

Well, my 16 year-old has his eyes on the old Z4. Not gonna happen! If I'd had that car at that age, I'd be dead now.

My dad has a serious problem with car accumulation. At one point, he had 13 cars: a Bentley Continental S1, 4 T-model MG's, several S-class Mercedeses including a 300SEL 6.3, a Buick, a minivan, 2 motorhomes, and a moving truck. The Bentley broke down on our way to prom because it needed a fuel pump (fairly cheap GM part) and he couldn't afford to keep all those cars repaired. The county eventually came and towed some of the Benzes after neighbors complained. All the cars were perfect when he got them. Sooner or later they just rusted to bits. (Yes, a yard still looks like it's Ma & Pa Kettle's house when the derelict cars in it are Bentleys and Mercedeses). My personal rule is "no more cars than drivers" and I do my damnedest to stick to it. We already have more PTW's than riders, but that wasn't covered in my original rule.

There's also the question of where to keep it. No, it's time for the old car to go.

Or did you mean keep both the car and my wife? I'm stuck with the wife. Nobody else would have me!

[ducpainter]

Well, my 16 year-old has his eyes on the old Z4. Not gonna happen! If I'd had that car at that age, I'd be dead now.

There's also the question of where to keep it. No, it's time for the old car to go.

Or did you mean keep both the car and my wife? I'm stuck with the wife. Nobody else would have me!

My dad thought the same thing. I had some scary fun cars and I lived.

I wasn't gonna go there.

[DesmoDiva]

Poor boy!!   














I see she has proper taste in the fastest color though.   

[sugarcrook]

Congrats!  That thing is sweet.  I got to sit in one during the local auto show. 

[Polpetta]

Congrats, enjoy 

[Le Pirate]

I need your wife to give my wife a call and explain how things are supposed to work to her. Thanks.

[the_Journeyman]

I see she has proper taste in the fastest color though.   

I agree!  Love the color!  Well, the car too!

JM

[swampduc]

Congrats!
They do offer the n54 engine with a true manual, btw. It's in the new 335is. I know because there's one in my garage right now 
it's getting harder and harder to find a manual these days. I'm guessing they didn't sell many in the z4, so it didn't make sense to offer it.

[mstevens]

Congrats!
They do offer the n54 engine with a true manual, btw. It's in the new 335is. I know because there's one in my garage right now 
it's getting harder and harder to find a manual these days. I'm guessing they didn't sell many in the z4, so it didn't make sense to offer it.

Another way of looking at this is that a manual is even more appropriate in a roadster than in a sedan.

BMW have traditionally offered a manual in everything. My wife's new X3 couldn't even be special-ordered with one, though her old X3 had manual.

It's the end of an era.

[sno_duc]

My 135 M-sport has a 6 speed mt. It's the n55 engine, single turbo 300hp 300ft-lbs.
Beautiful car.  I love the lastest Z's.
What tires are you running in the winter? Those appear to be BMW wheels.
I'm running blizzaks WS70's mounted on Rial wheels. (tirerack)

[TAftonomos]

I see a nice car where a D16RR could be parked 

Always thought the Z4 was pretty nice, now with the 3.5 turbo motor in it it's sweet (although a bit overpriced IMHO).

Lucky you!

[sbrguy]

that is funny you had a car for 6 years and only put on 42k miles on it, most people do that in 3 tops.    

funny story with all the rusted cars out in the yard, glad i wans't your neighbor, shame that they were all in top shape at first but eventually all broke down.

and you are right the manual with a foot clutch is going the way of a dinasour, not being offered by many companies except for a few hold outs.

you know its strange when you even hear that ferrari no longer offers a proper manual in their newest care the 458 and that corvette says they will always offer a proper manual.

i agree the new dual clutch transmission are in every respect "better" than a proper manual, the only arguement you have for a proper manual is that you want a car that is less efficient than the dual clutch transmissions.

[mstevens]

What tires are you running in the winter? Those appear to be BMW wheels.

Appearances are deceiving - they're 17" $120 moda R1 bought from tirerack 7 years ago. I went -2" because snow tires need lots more sidewall than summer tires. I bought some adhesive roundels from the parts counter at the dealer, pulled off the ugly moda decals, and put the roundels on the center caps. They're about 1.5 mm too small in diameter, but I'm the only one who's ever noticed.

The snow tires are about twice as expensive as the wheels, Nokian Hakkapeliitta R's. They're considerably better, IMO, on snow and ice than any Blizzak and have great dry-road performance at the cost of fairly dismal durability.

[mstevens]

i agree the new dual clutch transmission are in every respect "better" than a proper manual, the only arguement you have for a proper manual is that you want a car that is less efficient than the dual clutch transmissions.

I'm still trying to figure out if I agree that the DCT is better. It's novel, and it's fun, but I keep stomping the floor with my left foot. My wife hates it.

No worries about excessive efficiency - this car gets about 40% less mileage than the old 3.0 Z4 did (21 mpg vs 37 mpg). Of course, I just filled it for the first time today, so that's a very short track record on the new car vs. a well-established one on the old. OTOH, I certainly haven't been flogging this one with all the snow we keep having.

Now, how about the parking brake lever? It's about the size and shape of a bottle cap lifter and completely electrical. No handbrake turns for me any more! You have to disassemble the console to deactivate the parking brake without power. It's the thing to the rear of the shifter next to the iDrive knob:



Here's a better view of the interior, but barely any of the bottle-opener brake lever:

[sno_duc]

Appearances are deceiving - they're 17" $120 moda R1 bought from tirerack 7 years ago. I went -2" because snow tires need lots more sidewall than summer tires. I bought some adhesive roundels from the parts counter at the dealer, pulled off the ugly moda decals, and put the roundels on the center caps. They're about 1.5 mm too small in diameter, but I'm the only one who's ever noticed.

The snow tires are about twice as expensive as the wheels, Nokian Hakkapeliitta R's. They're considerably better, IMO, on snow and ice than any Blizzak and have great dry-road performance at the cost of fairly dismal durability.

I also went with 17" wheels, would have gone 16" but brake rotor size only allows 17's.
I was going to ask if you went with the sport package, the "M" on the steering wheel answers my question.
Which sound system??