[Rob_G77]

Question for all. Did you buy your Z4 because you are a BMW enthusiast and or you thought the Z4 is the best convertible (for you) out there for the price? Did you want a roadster or would you have considered any other type of 4 seat convertible?

For me, I became a mild BMW enthusiast a few years ago when I got my first 2020 Z4 M40i. I wasn't particularly looking for a roadster, let alone a convertible. In fact I never liked convertibles until I drove the Z4. Fast forward to 2022 and after selling the Z4 I regretted that and bought another. For a while I was thinking of a 2022 M4 convertible, but more than brute power I really wanted a 2 seat roadster. I think the Z4 is almost perfect for me and what I want. I didn't want a convertible with (tiny) seats behind the front seats. I still might have made an exception for an M4, but to be honest I really preferred the M3 sedan styling over the coupe M4.

The only other convertible that I certainly would have considered would have been a C8 Corvette convertible. I've never owned a corvette, but I'd at least like to test drive one. Demand, order backlog and pricing really puts the kibosh on trying to get one though.

I also never thought about waiting for the LCI.

Rob

[Paul G29]

The Z4 is the best roadster for the money in my opinion. I could have gone for the Boxster 4.0, but it´s just not worth the + 50% price tag. After owning the Z4 for two years I think it´s a better all rounder compared to the Boxster. It´s a great cruiser and a pretty good track-day car as well.

[RavenGX]

io originally wanted to buy a 3 series, but the seats were too uncomfortable and i had backpain after only 30 minutes of sitting in it.

A bit dissapointed I decided to wait for the z4, because it was going to release soon after the 3 series, and the 5 series just released with an outdated idrive system.

But then when the Z4 finally came out i didnt like the looks of it at all compared to the concept drawings. So i decided to look at other brands.

Went to testdrive volvo v90, audi a5, mercedess c class, which were all nice, ecept for the volvo, but all of them missed the sportivity I had in the 3 series for the same price.

Eventually i decided to try jaguar, and then the sales guy said that for the money of the XE an F-Type was also an option if i wanted sportivity. So I specced one out, and sent a mail to the bmw dealer where I was a client for nearly 15years to let him know it was time to part ways.

But he convinced me to come and test drive the 20i z4, when i saw the car in real life, immediately it felt so much nicer and more comfortable than the F-Type, only thing the 20i was lacking a bit was power, so i ended up doing another test drive with the M40i a little later and then i was convinced this was the way to go for me.

It had more power, and cost a lot less in taxes than the jaguar and came full option for the price of a nearly stock F-Type .

The Convertible roof at first was more of a negative point, because i thought it would be a pain to maintain, but having it now, makes me think of what I missed out on all those years

The original plan was to switch to something else after 3-4 years, but I think I'll just keep driving it, since currently there is nothing on the market that intrests me

[Combatcrew2]

I had a Fiat 124 Spider and swapped it during the lease for the Abarth 124 Spider. Just a little while later the Z4 came out and I was hooked, much better car, bigger and more space. The Spider failed big time after just a year and only 2000 miles. So that was enough reason to get shot of it. The Z4 is such a pleasure to drive, looking forward to getting it back out on the roads very shortly.

[BMWGirlFL]

Shopped for a white coupe in 2019. Unexcited by everything I drove except the 911. Forever awed but fearful Porsche isn't a practical brand choice for me. Loved my E30 so back to BMW. 8 was big. 4 not for me. Old 2 had minimal tech. Z4 M40i offered tremendous performance value. Got black to minimize the top. Now thinking it's funner & sexier than the new M240i.

[TAZ007]

I've owned verts since 1998. Enjoyed the Eclipse GST Spyder, Miata, BMW 323CIC, and the M235. I'm a rag top man through and through.

I first saw the Z4 last year during a service visit on my M235 and was awe struck by the full design and it was something I wanted. I did test drive the Porsche 718 Spyder, but the allocation wait was longer than a ATF Form 4 transfer. I couldn't consider the C8 because it would mean waiting 2 more years and looking at the Audi S6 vert seemed not enough bang for the buck. I just didn't want to downgrade to a 4 banger. Whether 2 or 4 seats, not a big deal as long as its a rag top. I will say I was thinking on a M4 vert until I saw the Z4 and that new 4 series snout helped make my decision easy.

[MarkB01]

My first car was a roadster (Austin-Healy Sprite) and I've owned roadsters and 2 seaters all my life including an Opel GT, Triumph TR7, Nissan 300Z, BMW Z3 (17 years) and Audi TT. I also had a couple of muscle cars in the form of Z28 Camaros with T-tops and in 2018 tried an Audi A3 ragtop.

The muscle cars and A3 didn't do it, and while the TT (my last roadster) was close, it looked a little too VW bug for my taste. So last year right before the massive car price jump, I started looking again. I finally decided I liked the C8 Corvette (always disliked previous ones, too much muscle car) over cars like the Z4, the Jaguar F-Type, and the Porsches. One reason for the C8 was the only two cars I had with turbos were the Audis and the turbo lag drove me crazy (much better on TT but was still noticeable) and the C8 is naturally aspirated.

So, I went searching for a C8 and couldn't find one even close to MSRP. For that kind of money, I wanted exactly my configuration. So after a month of searching the whole country, I gave up.

But the urge for a new car was still there, and after a very successful love relationship with my Z3, I decided to give the Z4 another look. The day I decided this, I saw an ad for a Z4 at my local dealer. I called them up, and they had just gotten in that morning. So I drove down for a look, it had everything I wanted except adaptive cruise control. It also had something I didn't want, a $3,000 paint job (frozen grey). I'm typically too cheap to pay extra for paint, especially if it's $3,000! None the less, I drove it, fell in love with it and bought it the same day.

Oh, and I have never noticed turbo lag with my new Z4. As for the paint job, I love the color. Glad I was 'forced' to pay for it.

[HokieBeemer]

Originally Posted by Rob_G77

Question for all. Did you buy your Z4 because you are a BMW enthusiast and or you thought the Z4 is the best convertible (for you) out there for the price? Did you want a roadster or would you have considered any other type of 4 seat convertible?

For me, I became a mild BMW enthusiast a few years ago when I got my first 2020 Z4 M40i. I wasn't particularly looking for a roadster, let alone a convertible. In fact I never liked convertibles until I drove the Z4. Fast forward to 2022 and after selling the Z4 I regretted that and bought another. For a while I was thinking of a 2022 M4 convertible, but more than brute power I really wanted a 2 seat roadster. I think the Z4 is almost perfect for me and what I want. I didn't want a convertible with (tiny) seats behind the front seats. I still might have made an exception for an M4, but to be honest I really preferred the M3 sedan styling over the coupe M4.

The only other convertible that I certainly would have considered would have been a C8 Corvette convertible. I've never owned a corvette, but I'd at least like to test drive one. Demand, order backlog and pricing really puts the kibosh on trying to get one though.

I also never thought about waiting for the LCI.

Rob

I was ambivalent about BMW, had nothing against BMW just had never owned one and I was perfectly ok with that.

I wanted a two seat convertible roadster. That’s a short list. I considered the Mazda Miata, but ultimately I wanted something with more power…something on a higher tier. I considered the new vette but the dealer was such an A-hole he talked himself out of a sale. Any MB two seater convertible is way to expensive and can’t possibly be worth the extra money.

I test drove the Z4 and loved it. BMW really does know how to engineer and manufacture driving machines. It’s a great drive. Love it.

Not sure I would buy another BMW since there are so many options once you add two seats and two doors. But so far, I have to say that the Z4 is the funnest car I’ve ever driven. I only have 343 miles on mine but I’ve enjoyed every one of them.

[Living Dead]

I never considered a BMW because it was a BMW I got my first Z4 because as a teen I always wanted a Spitfire or Fiat Spyder but could only afford 1 car and the reliability was too sketchy so I got a used 75 Buick Century, I can't imagine an English or Italian car being more unreliable than that Buick but everyone said I would regret it so a few years later when I graduated college I purchased an 87 Mustang GT and loved it but it got flood damaged (I accidentally drove it into a puddle that turned out to be 3ft deep) so I got an 89 to replace it which I drove until 2003 when reliability of a 225,000 mile car finally got to me so I got an Altima SE 3.5 which I drove until 2009, I considered a Miata but after the Mustang and Altima it would not do because of its lack of horse power.

One day I was driving past a BMW used lot and saw CPO E85 3.0i made a u-turn, test drove it and purchased it on the spot.

I drove it until 2015 at which time, as my DD, it was getting pretty worn at 113,000 miles (and the top motor went bad a second time) so I looked at used convertibles and really liked the Mustang but after a BMW it just wouldn't do, I considered a Corvette but I couldn't see it as a DD her on Long Island in winter. The Mercedes SLK was a strong contender and so was a Boxter and before I had a chance to test drive them I found a CPO 2012 E89 and went to the dealer to check it out but it had been sold. On the lot was just delivered a Silver with black top and red interior 35is, it was love at first site, after much haggling with the salesman I got the lease payments to a manageable level but sadly the buyout was not workable.

At that time the G29 was not in production yet and I needed a ride so I leased a 2017 M240i convertible which was fantastic except it was a 4 seater and looks wise did nothing for me, so when the lease was up in the summer of 2020 I went to look at a 20 CPO G29 that had been languishing on a dealer web site for months and the price was just reduced so I checked it out and fell in love. It's been wonderful ever since. I plan on keeping it for a while but I never know when I'll get the itch for a change.

[Cliffj335]

I missed my mid-life crisis convertible so now I have ordered (still no firm allocation) my 3/4 life crisis convertible. I wanted a 2 seater and pretty quickly narrowed it down to the Boxster and Z4. I drove a friends 2020 BS manual and it was a blast! Wish the Z4 had a manual option, but ultimately had to look at my lifestyle and how I would most use the car. I am a golfer (hacker) and ultimately, that ruled the Boxster out as the Z4 will hold a set of clubs in the trunk and weekend luggage (+ pax). Z4 has more tech for the $ and I will never reach the limits of either car, so ultimate track car was not the defining criteria for me. The Z4M40i will be plenty fast, meet ALL my needs and "should" be less expensive to maintain because of easier access to engine components.

[Horseman]

BMW brand, Looks, Convertible top, quick ... just all around the Z3 spoke to me when I was in Germany. Wanted a Z4 in the early 2000's... finally got one.

[Wife'sCar]

My wife's first cars were a pair of nearly 20 year old XK-120 Jags when she was in grad school. First one died 6 months after she bought it, second one lasted awhile. She drove it down to Mexico and had it painted persimmon orange.

She was driving a beat up Cadillac when I met her, we eventually bumped that up to a Saab Turbo we bought when I was on sabbatical in Sweden. She drove Saabs for seventeen years after that, then one day she saw a Z3 on the street and started reminiscing about her convertibles. So we bought a 99 Z3 2.3. She felt special every single time she drove it, and she drove it 22 years. But 22 years is a long time in auto technology, and I worried about reliability with an upper-middle-aged female driver. So we started looking for a Z4, but there weren't any to be had. Finally found a 6-month old used one at a Chevy dealer that the original owner had traded for a C-8, and bought it on the spot. Now she feels special every time she drives the new one. Only down side is the car is so rare men follow her on the street to get a better look.

I thought about having her drive alternatives (MX-5, Audi TT were about the only choices we could afford), but her experience with the Z3 was so good that she really wanted another Z.

Put $3K of repairs into the old Z and that's now our daughter-in-law's car. She feels special every time she drives it.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by BMWGirlFL

Shopped for a white coupe in 2019. Unexcited by everything I drove except the 911. Forever awed but fearful Porsche isn't a practical brand choice for me. Loved my E30 so back to BMW. 8 was big. 4 not for me. Old 2 had minimal tech. Z4 M40i offered tremendous performance value. Got black to minimize the top. Now thinking it's funner & sexier than the new M240i.

One my best friends just picked up a Portimao Blue M240i and comparing them side by side my Misano Blue Z4 M40i is much sexier to look at and definitely more fun to drive.

I've had 3 convertibles before this one and they were all 4 seaters. It was definitely time for a roadster and I am so happy I made this decision!

With this car you really get a great bang for the buck!

[BMWGirlFL]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

One my best friends just picked up a Portimao Blue M240i and comparing them side by side my Misano Blue Z4 M40i is much sexier to look at and definitely more fun to drive.

I've had 3 convertibles before this one and they were all 4 seaters. It was definitely time for a roadster and I am so happy I made this decision!

With this car you really get a great bang for the buck!

What's your friend's viewpoint on the comparison? I was concerned not having a back seat would be problematic when I got my first roadster 25+ years ago. Now prefer not having.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by BMWGirlFL

What's your friend's viewpoint on the comparison? I was concerned not having a back seat would be problematic when I got my first roadster 25+ years ago. Now prefer not having.

He used to be a convertible owner and remarked to me the Z4 was too low to the ground and not comfortable for him to enter and exit.

Otherwise he has begrudgingly admitted that my Z4 is as pretty as as his new M240i which means in plain English that the Z4 is really sexy.

By the way, I don't miss having rear seats.

[DPelletier]

I am not a "BMW guy" Owned a couple but I've also had Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar, etc. Frankly, earlier Z4's just didn't do anything for me.

I was specifically looking for a 2 seat roadster, nothing else. I bought the Z4 because it offered the most and the price was reasonable; I think the car looks good, is very comfortable, offers excellent performance combined with great touring abilities. We had a Mercedes SLK350 and a Jaguar F type before the Z4; the SLK didn't have the performance I was looking for and the F type was great but a bit too much for my wife (we both drive it); too loud, too fast and too big - the high beltline and hood made it hard for her to feel comfortable. We looked at the SLC 43AMG (not enough performance) and the SL63AMG (too big and expensive) as well as the Boxster S. The Boxster was the only serious alternative for us to the Z4 but the 4 cyl only (this was before the 4.0) and the extreme price difference made the Z4 the clear winner. The small advantage the Porsche had in driving dynamics didn't make up for the lackluster powerplant IMO.

2 cents,
Dave

[BMWGirlFL]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

He used to be a convertible owner and remarked to me the Z4 was too low to the ground and not comfortable for him to enter and exit.

Otherwise he has begrudgingly admitted that my Z4 is as pretty as as his new M240i which means in plain English that the Z4 is really sexy.

By the way, I don't miss having rear seats.

Difficult ingress & egress. Reasonable dealkiller. I don't think you ever will.

[ZMcruiser]

My wife is more of a convertible person, I prefer coupes. She pointed out that I already had a coupe, the M235i,which i modified quite a bit. She wanted only two seats. My compromise was that it had to be an M. So we bought our first Z4M Roadster in 2007. It now has 139,000 miles on it. We both liked the new Z4, test drove the 30 version and ordered the M40i. We ordered it in April 2019 and took delivery in July. I have enjoyed our convertibles, it puts you out there in the wind. Similar to the motorcycling experience, but more practical. On a side note I did have a 2004 BMW RT. When my son and I went looking at BMW bikes for him I saw a 2020 BMW RnineT/5. I trade my RT for it and my son got a BMW 850 GSA.
Attached is a picture of our Roadsters.

[TAZ007]

Nice

[DPelletier]

Originally Posted by ZMcruiser

I have enjoyed our convertibles, it puts you out there in the wind. Similar to the motorcycling experience, but more practical. On a side note I did have a 2004 BMW RT. When my son and I went looking at BMW bikes for him I saw a 2020 BMW RnineT/5. I trade my RT for it and my son got a BMW 850 GSA.

Our roadsters are/were replacements for our touring bike (I've had 42 motorcycles and have been riding and racing since 1973, still have two) after the bike became physically uncomfortable for both of us on longer trips. The Z4 isn't a motorcycle but you still get the wind in your hair, so to speak, while being far more comfortable.

Cheers,
Dave

[Kwajtrader]

My punchline:
1) More fun to drive than my last two 650i convertibles
2) Better looking and ~$40k less than ordering an 850i convertible
3) More comfortable to drive and more bells and whistles than a comparably equipped Boxster.

I test drove them all and am still happy with my decision, but to each their own.

[RLF]

I owned a few roadsters years ago (MG, Fiat 124 Spyder), but due to family considerations as well as moving every few years often from right hand to left hand drive locations, combined with a need for practical vehicles, getting back into a roadster was not an option until I retired a few years ago. I considered buying a classic British or Italian drop top, but eventually decided what I really wanted was something not just fun but also reliable, so I bought a Miata. The Miata was great. I really enjoyed it, but again, practicality issues like needing better seats and the ability to fit in a set of golf clubs drove me to look for a replacement. I considered C7 Corvettes (the disgusting dealer mark up on C8s ruled them out), but after driving the Z4 M40i, the search was over. It's a terrific roadster, great looking, great sounding, lots of up-scale features, plenty of power, comfortable for driver and passenger, trunk fits some luggage or golf clubs, and a blast to drive. I plan on enjoying this car for many more years.