2025 BMW Z4 M40i Debuts With Manual Gearbox For $69,950

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by SCA

Yeah, it has been up for a week or so.


Edit: By the way, $73k is a hard pill to swallow when my former G87 M2 spec was $70k for an actual M car. Oh well, doesn’t matter. It was just an observation that I made.

Was thinking the same thing: A chunk more expensive than my equivalent GC is brand new.

[JST]

Dig it. Mine would be 70,145 in Thundernight. It's a lot of car for the money, especially considering that my 4.0 GTS build would now be 109. 39K is a big delta.

[zach]

Really like it. As always, BMWs look expensive until you go Porsche shopping. Not saying the Boxster isn't the superior vehicle, but it's an enormous $ gap.

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by zach

Really like it. As always, BMWs look expensive until you go Porsche shopping. Not saying the Boxster isn't the superior vehicle, but it's an enormous $ gap.

Porsche premium is real.

There was an interesting story in the NYT about how smart BMW is playing it with EVs. I think this applies here, too.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/b...e=articleShare

[SCA]

Originally Posted by JST

Dig it. Mine would be 70,145 in Thundernight. It's a lot of car for the money, especially considering that my 4.0 GTS build would now be 109. 39K is a big delta.

I greatly prefer the BGTS. Plus the crap service and no service loaner at BMW is a significant turn off so the hefty price delta for the BGTS is easier to overlook.

Originally Posted by wdc330i

Porsche premium is real.

There was an interesting story in the NYT about how smart BMW is playing it with EVs. I think this applies here, too.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/b...e=articleShare

I am unable to see the article. Not giving The Times an email.

No one is buying BMW EVs here. The local dealer is forced in having to heavily discount them and even then no one really wants them.

OT, my local Porsche dealer just won Premier Dealer of 2024. 1 of 25. They are actually number three in the country this go around. They were number seven in 2021. The last time my local BMW dealer won Center of Excellence was 20 plus years ago.

[Josh (PA)]

Originally Posted by wdc330i

Configurator is up.

Thanks. I built a few last week. I want to see the frozen green in person, but Cari fully supports replacing the 1er with it in a year or so.

Based on the 911 price increases, question of manual availability, lack of colors and allocations... I think that dream is dead, so it's on to the z4. The last real manual available sports car for sale.

[dan]

Originally Posted by SCA

It “sounds like” versus the actual action in ordering a new one are two totally different things though. I don’t think anyone here is going to order one without driving one first. Just my take, but I will be more than willing to eat crow if proven differently.

Originally Posted by Josh (PA)

Thanks. I built a few last week. I want to see the frozen green in person, but Cari fully supports replacing the 1er with it in a year or so.

Based on the 911 price increases, question of manual availability, lack of colors and allocations... I think that dream is dead, so it's on to the z4. The last real manual available sports car for sale.

[Josh (PA)]

Originally Posted by dan

I thought it was a little offensive, but whatever

[JST]

I think in your case, replacing the 1 with one of these is a much bigger marginal improvement than replacing your current 911 with a new one.

[Josh (PA)]

Originally Posted by JST

I think in your case, replacing the 1 with one of these is a much bigger marginal improvement than replacing your current 911 with a new one.

That definitely is the logical thing to do, but my brain is all over the place.

My struggle is I've never had an emotional bond to a car as strong as I do with my 1er. Not sure what it is, but I just love that car and am going to have a real hard time getting rid of it for ANYTHING else. Maybe if it starts showing signs of breaking down or gives me a reason to trade it in it will be an easier decision, but right now it is about as perfect as a car from 2011 with 138k miles can be. I've considered just sticking it in the garage at the lake house and use it as a fun run about up there, but if its too old to be my daily here, I can't imagine keeping it running when it gets used 3x/month in the middle of nowhere (from a BMW mechanic perspective) will be pleasant.

I've been a sporty 4 seat convertible guy since I got a 1994 Audi Cabrio as my 2nd car.

mine was this green with black seats. From there I had the 2x e36 m3cs and then the 1er since June of 2014. I used to love putting the kids in the back and taking them for fun drives. Now the dog rides in the back top down with my wife and I all the time. I'm going to miss it.

With the 1 as my daily, the 911 has a more defined 'special' use case. We take it out on nice weekends, to events and when we want the experience. If we had the z4 I feel like that car will have a lot more direct overlap with the Porsche, so not sure it makes sense having both. We are planning to drive the 911 to Birmingham (through whiskey country, Smokey Mtns, and plenty of other stops along the way) in October to the 2 day Skip Barber car control class you recommended. That will be a good test of its true Grand Tourer capabilities (ie: do we ever want to drive it that far again). If it doesn't do that well, then i doubt we keep it and the z4.