My Z4

[Fish Eagle]

This is my third BMW after several years without one.
It's a 2010 Z4 s-drive 3.0, which I obtained recently.
Only 8,000 kms on the clock. :shocked: And that's not a typo.

My previous Beemers were a 1983 733i and a 1992 740i

 

[Straight six]

raise:raise:raise:

Damn 8000kms....dts delivery mileage

looks stunning

 

[WyKiD]

Congrats beautiful car...:clapper:

 

[Woodies]

8000kms :coolShake:
Brand new second hand! Great find, it looks perfect.

 

[KrS24]

Wow. Now that's a find! Congrats!


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[F21GP]

Congrats, great find.


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[nt33333]

Wow. Now that's a find! Congrats!


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+1 wish u many safe kms

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[TBP88]

FFS - great number plate!

Nice looking car, and that mileage!

 

[MikeR]

:clapper::clapper:

 

[FILV]

Very nice! :clapper:

 

[Fish Eagle]

It's been almost two months since my original post, and I've done a few things since then...

I took the Z4 to the racetrack to learn how to drive it properly so that I can dodge taxis effectively

I was pleasantly surprised with it's handling. Very easy to drive at the limit, and beyond the limit, and easy to recover when it gets loose.

I didn't push it too hard, and managed respectable lap times, albeit they were 11 secs slower than my Toyota 86 (which is my track car), but that's about right and what I expected because my 86 is very quick.

I really enjoyed caning it on the racetrack with the top down. It was a wonderful new experience for me (and I've spent a lot of time on racetracks, but never in an open car). You can hear everything, smell everything, and feel everything so much more. Great fun. One day, I'm going to stretch out and klap my track mates' mirrors flat just for fun.

Here's a video of a lap of Red Star, chasing my mate in his Honda S2000.

And some photos thanks to Beam Productions (Gerrit Erasmus)

 

[Fish Eagle]

Next, while scratching around about Z4's on the interweb-thingy, I read that my generation of E89 Z4 has 296 style wheels which are prone to cracking.
WHAAT???

So, I had a look at my wheels and was horrified to find the back wheels badly cracked. One had 6 cracks and the other one 4 cracks. That explains why I was slowly losing pressure at the back. I find it incredible that a "reputable" manufacturer like BMW can have such horrific things go wrong.

And, in good faith, I took the car onto a racetrack like that...

---

The very next day, the 19" 296 wheels and terrible run flat tyres were in the bin.

Replaced with 18" x 8.5 wheels all round, with 235/40R18 Michelin PS4's.

The car feels so much better. Almost all of the horrid scuttle-shake in the back suspension is gone!!

Very happy. I need to take it on track again to feel out the new wheels and tyres at the limit.

However, if I knew then what I know now, I would have gone one click wider on the tyres, to 245/40R18

 

[Weskus330d]

WOW!!!!
Nice wheels for stunning car!:clapper::clapper:

 

[Gizmo]

BMW style 296 aren't the only ones prone to cracking unfortunately. Most style 225 and 313 owners have the same issues.

Be glad you didn't have a catastrophic failure like other BMW owners.

There is even a facebook page dedicated to cracked BMW wheels. https://www.facebook.com/BMW-Cracking-Alloy-Wheels-166300676755743/

 

[Weskus330d]

BMW style 296 aren't the only ones prone to cracking unfortunately. Most style 225 and 313 owners have the same issues.

Be glad you didn't have a catastrophic failure like other BMW owners.

There is even a facebook page dedicated to cracked BMW wheels. https://www.facebook.com/BMW-Cracking-Alloy-Wheels-166300676755743/

That is some serious sh1t!!!!:thumbdo::thumbdo:

 

[Gizmo]

BMW's build quality went downhill from the E90 onwards by using cheaper materials to build their cars. It has been evident in all models since.

 

[TBP88]

Hey gizmo - 224m style cracks also a thing?

Just a general question, is cracking an issue of material or shape or build technique? (probably all 3?)

But ja, that is scary shit!

 

[Gizmo]

Haven't heard of style 224 cracking but the wheels that do crack is a mixture of inferior materials coupled with low profile runflat tyres. Most common among 19" BMW rims.

As expected, US BMW owners took BMWNA to court over these rubbish cracking wheels.
http://www.z4296wheelsettlement.com/frequently-asked-questions.aspx

 

[Yuben]

Nice car Bud.

Love the number plate. FFS:roflol:

 

[Gizmo]

Here is some material on our own forum on the subject: http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=28721