Why is Z4 M more expensive than M3?

[Dante]

Z4 Sales are worldwide, so yeah, sarcastic.

[ward]

Originally Posted by vladinecko

wait, are you being sarcastic? i'm confused now, are Z4 sales good or bad in the states?

Z4 sales have been quite poor in the last few years

there has been factory cash to dealers of 8-9 grand under MSRP on the 3.0 AND 1.9% financing Slightly less money off the 2.5 roadster

that's why I got my car, it was too good of a deal to pass up

I'm sure these deals are gone now with the new motors arriving, but I wouldn't be surpised to see them come back.

if you wait and watch, you can get a smoking deal on a Z4

[vladinecko]

holy shit, 8-9 grand off??? that's insane!

as bad as it sounds, that would make me very happy because i've had my eye on the new coupe for some time now. by the time i'll be ready to trade my E90 in, all first-year production bugs should gone as well as the price should be more reasonable.

[supernova]

Originally Posted by shimshimhada

The throne is the best place to think.

you crack me up shim!

[vladinecko]

ok, i'm reviving this thread because the actual pricing of Z4 M Coupe is out now and it totally disappointed me. at MSRP of $49,995 it is over $1,000 more expensive that an '06 M3, and yet, they share the same engine. i'd say the M3 is a whole more of a car than the Coupe is, i seriously can't find a valid and reasonable argument that could back these prices up.

there's almost $8,000 difference between M3 Coupe and M3 Convertible while the Z4 M Roadster is only $1,300 more expensive than the Coupe. i simply don't get it.

i'm just pissed because i was hoping for a much lower starting price for the M Coupe taking current M3's pricing and convertible comparisons into consideration.

here is what it statistically should be:

M3 Conv: $56600
M3 Coupe: $48900
============
.:M3 Coupe is 13% less expensive than M3 Conv

Z4 M Conv: $51,300
Z4 M Coupe: Z4 M Conv - 13% = $51300 - $6700 = $44600

very similar results came also with 330Ci. so, i expected the price to be anywhere between $45k and $47k. ok, $49 is not too much off, but it is compared to their other prices.

i don't know if this makes sense to anyone.

[Dante]

Originally Posted by vladinecko

ok, i'm reviving this thread because the actual pricing of Z4 M Coupe is out now and it totally disappointed me. at MSRP of $49,995 it is over $1,000 more expensive that an '06 M3, and yet, they share the same engine. i'd say the M3 is a whole more of a car than the Coupe is, i seriously can't find a valid and reasonable argument that could back these prices up.

there's almost $8,000 difference between M3 Coupe and M3 Convertible while the Z4 M Roadster is only $1,300 more expensive than the Coupe. i simply don't get it.

i'm just pissed because i was hoping for a much lower starting price for the M Coupe taking current M3's pricing and convertible comparisons into consideration.

here is what it statistically should be:

M3 Conv: $56600
M3 Coupe: $48900
============
.:M3 Coupe is 13% less expensive than M3 Conv

Z4 M Conv: $51,300
Z4 M Coupe: Z4 M Conv - 13% = $51300 - $6700 = $44600

very similar results came also with 330Ci. so, i expected the price to be anywhere between $45k and $47k. ok, $49 is not too much off, but it is compared to their other prices.

i don't know if this makes sense to anyone.

That's a very odd pricing policy by BMW NA.

I also expected Z4M Coupe to be cheaper than M3, just like it is in Germany.

This can only mean the new M3 will be alot more expensive than it is now...

[ward]

keep in mind the Z4 was designed as a roadster while the E46 was designed as a coupe (with convertible in mind). Given it's easier to add a top than to remove one, but it still costs money to make any change at all

I also would imagine that there's not going to be a big market for the hardtop Z4, look at how many they sold last time (hardly any)

Don't forget how the M coupe will perform compared to the E46M, it's lighter and will be faster and corner better

now the M coupe vs Cayman S, that's the comparo I want to see!

[shimshimhada]

Cayman S > Z4 M coupe
Boxster S > Z4 M roadster

Although, the Z4s will win in a straight line...

[ward]

I'm going to go ahead and agree with you on that one shim,

but are they 10 grand better?

my optioned Cayman S is 65k at min, 70K with PASM and nav
My M roadster would be 55K (coupe'd be 54 then I guess)

tough choice

[vladinecko]

Originally Posted by shimshimhada

Cayman S > Z4 M coupe
Boxster S > Z4 M roadster

Although, the Z4s will win in a straight line...

what's the pricing on those porsches? i haven't looked at them in a while...

[vladinecko]

nevermind, ward just answered my question...

[ward]

base MSRP on the porches is a bit lower (58K on Cayman S) but that doesn't include upgraded audio or Xenons or sport seats....................

M roadster base msrp is about 5k less than boxster S, but the porsche doesn't have the items listed above as standard so the difference is probably closer to 8K on the roadsters 10K on the coupe

[E90-4life]

Originally Posted by Dante

This can only mean the new M3 will be alot more expensive than it is now...

And w/ that assumption you'd be correct. The new M3 will be moving more upmarket to go head to head w/ the 911, Vantage, F430(yep, believe it), etc. So w/ that a vaccancy was left open which is now being occupied by the M coupe. All works out in the end I guess.

[shimshimhada]

Originally Posted by ward

I'm going to go ahead and agree with you on that one shim,

but are they 10 grand better?

my optioned Cayman S is 65k at min, 70K with PASM and nav
My M roadster would be 55K (coupe'd be 54 then I guess)

tough choice

It's preference I guess. 10K buys you a MR drivetrain.

I'd get the new M coupe over the Cayman S though. It's a more realistic goal.

[shimshimhada]

Originally Posted by E90-4life

And w/ that assumption you'd be correct. The new M3 will be moving more upmarket to go head to head w/ the 911, Vantage, F430(yep, believe it), etc. So w/ that a vaccancy was left open which is now being occupied by the M coupe. All works out in the end I guess.

no.

[ward]

Originally Posted by shimshimhada

no.

second the motion

no, the M3 is not something people cross shop with those cars.

The M3 gets cross shopped with a F430 like I cross shopped a kia before I got my 325

[E90-4life]

Originally Posted by ward

second the motion

no, the M3 is not something people cross shop with those cars.

"cross shop"? yeh, maybe not, performance? YES.

[ward]

then don't forget the Vette and Evo, STI....................... which are cheaper than the M3 and outperform it

people are so all over the M3's balls, it's a nice car but it's no 911

[vladinecko]

Originally Posted by ward

people are so all over the M3's balls, it's a nice car but it's no 911

i agree with that. there isn't really a comparison between the two. and i would definitely not compare Z4 M to any of the Porsches either. that's why i'm so upset about its pricing. it's like they want to push it to a market where it doesn't belong, yet.

[Squawks]

You can't compare the M to any of the Carreras or 911's because they're double the price. The Cayman S is about $8,000 more expensive than the M so perhaps the M's direct Porsche competitor would be the Cayman non-S.

Regarding the whole pricing fiasco, I agree with you, vlad. Kind of obscene how the Z4 M is more expensive than an '06 M3. Now that the convertible is just merely a couple grand more expensive than the coupe, I wonder how well the coupe will sell against the convertible...

[vladinecko]

well, with the starting price of $50k, i would assume that with some options, taxes and all dealer fees, the coupe will touch $60k out the door easy, which already exceeds Cayman S MSRP ($58.9k).

it will definitely be interesting to watch what happens with Z4 M sales as this and next year progress. it's just hard to see people buying the M Coupe when the Cayman S is priced so close to it. if i personally were to get one, i'd rather fork out those $5k more that would take to option the Cayman and just get that.

[Squawks]

It will be interesting to see the Cayman S vs M Coupe head to head. Both weigh the same but the Cayman lacks about 42 HP compared to the M and ~23 lb-ft of torque at 4900 RPM (Cayman S peak torque of 255 lb-ft at 4400 RPM).