[German1967]

Great to see that it works .... still a poor choice. But German cars are for driving: you shall not eat, drink or live in it!

[SgtGigglebox]

I was pretty concerned that it wouldnt provide enough armrest space with a drink in there, but it was more than adequate. Didnt feel restricted at all.

Now with a passenger in there, it would be a different story since theyd get no armrest space

[dwagner95]

Originally Posted by SgtGigglebox

Works fine with the driver side closed and a drink in the holder. Somewhat of an unnatural motion to reach it if you have long arms, but def works.

Yep, tested this in an M40i in a London BMW showroom yesterday with a waterbottle - fit fine with the driver's side of the cupholder cover shut.

[pchood]

Originally Posted by p912guy

I have an M235i with MT which I absolutely love. That said, I have been very interested in the new Z4, especially considering the next (updated) 2 Series is rumored to only be available as a coupe with no convertible option. I had my car at my dealership today and they had both a Z4 S Drive 30i and an M850i Convertible in the showroom, so I spent quite a bit of time sitting in both cars to get a feel for them.

I think the Z4 looks great and is very comfortable to sit in. I was concerned, as a roadster, that ingress and egress would be difficult (an issue I have with the Porsche Boxster,) but I happily didn't find that to be an issue. It was very similar to getting into and out of my M235i. However I did find a couple items which seemed to be "deal breakers" for me. Sadly, the cupholder situation was one of the deal breakers. Besides carrying my coffee tumbler to work every day, I do several long distance drives of 3-7 hours and generally have my coffee or a water bottle handy for those drives. The location and access to the cupholders in the center covered cubby, really was annoying and something I know would be a source of angst every time I drove the car. Even though one can close the drivers side flap and keep the passenger side open for access, reaching back to get a coffee or water, would be a huge distraction. Further, I know it would never work with my wife in the passengers seat. It's really too bad because I think the designers could have come up with a much better option. I guess I could purchase some type of aftermarket cup holder, but I'd hate to clutter up an otherwise very nice interior with something like that. My other gripe was the size and shape of the trunk. While it's only 2 cubic feet smaller than my M235i, it is very shallow and wouldn't hold my hockey bag or some of the other items I frequently have with me.

One final note, the M850i convertible is absolutely gorgeous inside and out. Sadly at nearly $130K it won't fit my budget now or in the future. It's also pretty big, especially compared to the Z4 and the 2 Series. Interestingly, it also has a very shallow trunk, however, I think it would accommodate 2 golf bags well, another standard by which most trunks are judged.

Oh well. I guess my interest in the Z4 is waning after this brief encounter. Now I anxiously await the reveal of the new M440i or M4 vert. If in fact the 2 Series drops the convertible option with the next version of the 2, I guess the 4 Series may be my best bet. As always, YMMV.

Did you drive the M40i? I too have a 2016 M235 that I love, but after 20 seconds in the M40i I was convinced I must have one! I do hope I get used to worthless cup holders. It seems spilling hot coffee is highly likely in my near future.

[SgtGigglebox]

Originally Posted by pchood

Did you drive the M40i? I too have a 2016 M235 that I love, but after 20 seconds in the M40i I was convinced I must have one! I do hope I get used to worthless cup holders. It seems spilling hot coffee is highly likely in my near future.

A full normal day of driving with a super big gulp has me pleasantly content with the cupholders.

[Joe240]

Originally Posted by pchood

Did you drive the M40i? I too have a 2016 M235 that I love, but after 20 seconds in the M40i I was convinced I must have one! I do hope I get used to worthless cup holders. It seems spilling hot coffee is highly likely in my near future.

Just put it in the back cup holder and make it a rule that transporting the cup is the only option. Don't drink or eat in the car unless parked.