May be a Sad Day................

For the M Powered Z3 derivatives
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

After 10 years of pure enjoyment, this Saturday may be the last drive in the Z3M :bawl:

The car is still great, but the time has probably come to compromise a little - a bit more comfort, easier access, but similar fun and performance, and a hint of rawness! :twisted:

I was planning to give it one more year, but the 'perfect' replacement has become available now, so it's probably the right time.

I'll let you know what happens.
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Alfie
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Joined: Thu 29 Apr, 2004 14:28
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  M roadster S54
Location: Broadchurch....

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Alfie »

Sorry to hear that Mike.
I remember our day at Prodrive when the two Imolas got together!
I think your signature pic was from that day?

Obviously you're keeping it under wraps, but we need to know what the 'perfect replacement' is.... :?: :?: :?:

Cheers.
A.
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Badman gee
Joined: Sun 14 Nov, 2010 10:45
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  M roadster S50

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Badman gee »

Good luck, but how can you replace a z3m?

I couldn't.
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

Hi Alfie

The Prodrive day was the first major outing for the Z - a valuable learning experience, and good company!

OK, you want some clues.

My other cars are an Alpina B12 ( a fast long distance cruiser), an X5 4.8iS (everyday runabout, some green lane weekends), and the missus has a 325i Baur Cabriolet. The Z3M is the fun car, plus week-long trips to the South West.

I don't like modern driver aids (hence the S50 rather than the S54), but have to put up with some to achieve sensible reliability.

As you can see from the car list, I'm not an ECO Warrior, and not too concerned by fuel consumption.

I hate diesel cars with a vengeance!

Now past retiring age, the Z has been used less of late, mainly due to us being less athletic (access), and having more sensitive lower parts (ride quality), so we are looking to improve both of these issues.

I'm still a driver so it has to be manual, quick, good handling, not too large for the Devon lanes, and convertible.

If I told you the final essential criterion you would get it in one (that's a clue!).

So what is it? I need the model and the year within 1 year. First one to guess correctly (one guess each) will win a decent bottle of wine (and I don't drink cheap stuff!)
chill4x4saph
Joined: Sun 26 Jan, 2014 09:56
Posts: 146

  M roadster S54

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by chill4x4saph »

a 2010 m135i convertible.

that's my guess!
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Gazza »

Wot he said ^^^^^^^
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
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Badman gee
Joined: Sun 14 Nov, 2010 10:45
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  M roadster S50

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Badman gee »

2015 m135i con
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Jonttt
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Joined: Sun 28 Dec, 2008 16:32
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Jonttt »

2CV rolltop :rtm:
Happiness is not around the corner........happiness is the corner
Image Video or Journal Garage: 2015 FFRR Black Edition, Porsche Boxster GTS, 1997 Porsche Carrara C4S, Ex 2001 BMW S54 Z3m Roadster
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

Good guesses - I did seriously consider these, but you're slightly missing my preference for a little more 'vintage'.

Close, so you get another go - it's a Cloudy Bay Chardonnay or a decent Margaux!

The missing criterion:

Has to be Imola Red/ black leather.
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('_')Z3
Joined: Sun 21 Mar, 2010 19:29
Posts: 555

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Lymm

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by ('_')Z3 »

M3 cab e46

P.s meant to say 2005 :D
43k miles
Last edited by ('_')Z3 on Fri 05 Jun, 2015 19:27, edited 1 time in total.
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Badman gee
Joined: Sun 14 Nov, 2010 10:45
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  M roadster S50

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Badman gee »

E46 m3 cab 2005
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Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Brian H »

Z4M 2006
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

If only they had produced a 2CV in Imola - what a car!!

Z4M is a good call, I nearly bought an 18k miler in Norwich a little while ago, but it didn't really meet the new requirements.

I said that the final clue would give it away - well done chaps.

('_')Z3 gets the booze - PM me your address, and let me know which colour. :cheers

The deals not completed yet, probably tomorrow - I'll update if/ when it is. It's going to be hard to say goodbye! I just hope I enjoy the M3 half as much.
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Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Brian H »

Are you trading the ///M in Mike?
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

Yes, it seemed the least painful way (other than in the wallet!). I've had my full money's worth and more from the car over the 10 years. I couldn't face the thought of tyre kickers and boy racers.

If I had had more time, I would have offered it here - it was a relatively rapid decision, and I just want it concluded swiftly.

I really hope it will find a new owner that will get some fun from the car - it's got a lot of life left in it.
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

Well..............
..............an interesting and informative day, but NOT a sad day!

The M3 was everything I hoped it would be - great condition for the year, full spec, drove really well, the right colour. If it had been my decision alone, we would have been driving it home yesterday.

I've previously said that we are a BMW family - from my first 2500 in the late 70s, through E28 M5s, various Alpinas, to the 4 we currently own, so I took for granted that a BMW for BMW swap would be fine with 'her indoors' as she loves the others.

Not so. She hated the M3 with a vengeance! She accepted that it drove well, that it was comfortable even with the top down, and could understand my 'driver's car' points, but to her it was ugly, had 4 seats when a sports car should have 2, had a short bonnet which she couldn't see from the passenger seat, and didn't compare with the Z3M. She wouldn't accept that it was any improvement on the criteria that we had set out to achieve - ease of access, and ride quality - although it patently was.

She liked the look of a 'new' Z4 35i on the lot, and went for a run with the salesman, returning with lavish praise for the car. To keep her happy I went for a drive - it took about 30 seconds to realise that this was about as far from a 'driver's car' as it gets, so turned straight round and returned to the forecourt.

After more discussion, I couldn't budge her opinion on the M3, so we drove home in the Z3M.

Anyway, we had a 300 mile round trip in the Z in lovely weather (the mileage ticked over the 100k on the M40), a great meal in Oxford on the way back, and, more importantly, a clear decision to keep the Z for the foreseeable future.

So the Z had it's most severe test to date, and came out on top, so you lot are going to have to put up with my occasional ramblings for some time to come.

Most of me is delighted, part of me thinks that I would have really enjoyed the M3.

So definitely no SAD day!
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Alfie
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  M roadster S54
Location: Broadchurch....

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Alfie »

Great story Mike.... And of course, the best possible outcome!

Welcome back from the brink...

Hope to see you sometime soon.

Cheers.
A.
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chill4x4saph
Joined: Sun 26 Jan, 2014 09:56
Posts: 146

  M roadster S54

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by chill4x4saph »

to be fair I agree with your wife!!
...., a few of my friends have e46 m3's (coupes and converts) which ive driven all of, both slowly and in anger, and there is no way in hell id swap them for a z3m!!!!..., not now not ever!!, and I really don't find them as enjoyable a drivers car either, sure, they are very good!, but just feel too heavy in comparison to me.
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Badman gee
Joined: Sun 14 Nov, 2010 10:45
Posts: 2299

  M roadster S50

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Badman gee »

you answered my question, the z3m is not replaceable!
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Rocketbike
Joined: Thu 17 May, 2012 20:12
Posts: 83

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Rocketbike »

I've got to say your both right - the E46 doesn't replace a z3M and the later Z4, I felt was just too bland to drive -
We all know there are lots of dynamically better cars around than Z3's, but if you like Z3's, then you just seem to forgive them because they look so good, are 'good enough' and are such good fun to use :)
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

One final slightly unpleasant note on this saga.

It's always tricky when the dealer is many miles away, and there is a need for a degree of trust - a gentleman's agreement - to allow the deal to take place. I'm sure it's quite normal for a dealer to expect a degree of commitment to hold a car for a day or so to allow the viewing to take place, in this case £500. The salesman and I discussed the need to allow both parties to pull out of the deal upon actually viewing the cars before the deposit was paid, having agreed a part exchange deal in principle.

To be fair to the dealer, James Paul, they held the car for me, and it was as described. To be fair to me, my wife and I drove 300 miles to view the car, arranged insurance and means of payment in advance, showing real intent to do a deal if it were to be acceptable. It wasn't because my wife took an instant dislike to the car, and we walked away.

Should the dealer have refunded all or part of the deposit? To be honest I'm not sure. The salesman justifies keeping the deposit by quoting conversations that just didn't happen, which is why I won't be visiting their establishment in future.

I had heard a couple of negative reports about James Paul, but the car itself was a good one. I'm left feeling quite uncomfortable by the whole thing. Caveat Emptor, I suppose. I've certainly dealt with more honourable people.

Oh well, the outcome is that I'm still thoroughly enjoying the Z3M, and the sun is shining. :sunny :sunny :sunny
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BladeRunner919
Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
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  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by BladeRunner919 »

Mike123 wrote: Should the dealer have refunded all or part of the deposit?
Unless you signed something to the contrary, then of course they should. I'd write to them, explain what you've said here and give them 7 days to return the deposit, then start a Small Claims against them. It will only cost you £35 to file a claim, and I imagine they'll pay the money back pretty quickly once you go down that route.
chill4x4saph
Joined: Sun 26 Jan, 2014 09:56
Posts: 146

  M roadster S54

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by chill4x4saph »

IMO a deposit is non refundable, id never personally leave one unless I was willing to write it off to suit my needs if for some reason I couldn't complete, however, that's a rather large deposit to be given prior to even seeing the car, also, seeing as you have actually taken the time to come and look at the car (i.e. youre not a time waster in any way) he really REALLY should do the decent thing and at least refund half!, morally, and so as not to be given a bad name!!
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Mike123
Joined: Tue 21 Mar, 2006 14:34
Posts: 323

  M roadster S50
Location: Leamington Spa

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Mike123 »

OK, all settled amicably after a phone call from the director - a fair compromise reached.

I'm totally comfortable with the outcome.
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pingu
Joined: Fri 30 Apr, 2004 16:01
Posts: 3412

  M roadster S50

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by pingu »

The only part of a deposit that they are probably(*) LEGALLY entitled to keep are those used in justifiable actual expenses, but you are very unlikely to see any of it as they can probably justify enough expenses to cover the £500. Most contracts are not legally binding as they are not fair and reasonable and don't include penalties, but they are not worth the trouble and expense of getting out of.

There is a thread about this very subject on PH, but it started getting too frantic and I deleted it from "My Stuff" when it went from 4 to 10 pages in less than 24hrs.

The most interesting thing to come from it was the possibility that you may be sued for breach of contract in a counter-sue if the car is now sold for less (this is VERY, VERY unlikely). To avoid it, the suggestion was made to send the dealer a cheque for £1 in full and final settlement :shock: . You can see the way the PH thread was going.

(*) AFAIK, a legal precedence has never been set, and the arguments are strong from both sides.

Best advice from the thread was to only give the absolute smallest deposit that you could and be prepared to lose it.

Remember the silver lining - you still have the ZMR :D

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... deposit...
Pingu
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Althulas
Joined: Fri 13 Feb, 2009 00:55
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  M roadster S50

Re: May be a Sad Day................

Post by Althulas »

Although about the US version I think this little article sums it up nicely http://carbuying.jalopnik.com/five-reas ... 1619128518. I hope you both continue to enjoy your ///M.
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