coldel

If you let in zee Germans im in too 😂

Good work Stu! Rip everything out that you dont need. Coilovers. And you are good to go!

I also got some black kidneys in - look so much better than the chrome ones and for once an absolute doddle to fit

Completely. Run flats had me going all over the road and no confidence, these I am literally point and shoot. Mind you they don't look that nice...

PS4’s fitted. What a difference. Just shows up the run flats so much in terms of how terrible they are.

First big purchase...tyres! Blackcircles have 15% off Michelins right now so.... @Ekona will be proud, four MPS4 ' s ordered to replace the runflats I have on the car at the moment. Rebooting the car on Weds morning. Also went to my first Z4 meet...well, my mate a couple of miles down the road also bought a Z4 at the weekend so we had ourselves a little mini meet 🤣

Yeah I have seen you can have a back box delete or a resonator delete. The noise at the moment is fine for me, I would like a bit more but not excessive - the R33 and Celica were both noisy buggers! Just eyeing up doing all four corners on the tyres, they are run flats at the moment, which is annoying. The back need doing anyway so thats fine, but front have loads left. EDIT: Just seen a deal on MPS4 on blackcirlces ...

Thanks Neo. Black circles are doing fully fitted £260 at a garage just ten mins away

Yes I heard about this, will Google it and see what to do

…yes the engine is fantastic. It does rev up so well and pulls so hard. Watching various YT vids they say it’s one of BMWs best. I do really like the gearbox though, it’s a very short throw, proper notchy no movement in it at all. Feels very racecar

Finally picked it up! Very happy faces here in the coldel household. A lot more chuckable than I thought it would be, checked online and its 1300kg so not that bad at all. Apparently at the time the lightest 6 cylinder engine in production. Have to say I have missed the ease of progress on motorways, the VX was so much fun but the torque range on this is immense with most it already at the wheels by 1500rpm. Standard exhaust note is pretty good I have to say, apparently a resonator delete is a popular mod to up the sound a bit, but to be honest I am liking it as it is. The engine though is utterly sublime, what a piece of engineering. So first job is some tyres. I checked and the fronts are Bridgestone RE050 with a fair bit left which is good news. I am thinking Goodyear F1 Asymetric 5 for replacing the rears, and will probably got the same on the front come the time. Brake pads have loads left so will see how they perform, when I switched the pads on my VX220 to something better the difference was hugely significant so am looking at them as well. Wheels do sit inside the arches, I might add a few mm of spacers on them. Then well all that done run the car over to get wheels aligned. Anyway...start of a new chapter of car ownership!

I had Volks Racing GTV two piece 19s on mine. https://www.350z-uk.com/gallery/album/327-c5upe/ Not cheap but with the deep dish and two tones I just loved them.

I might have to also get a private plate, otherwise people will think I am a judo expert called katie...

Thanks guys. Yes the M equivalent of this would have been circa £25k which is moving it very much into the territory of many other brilliant cars. And yes Dan, parts prices are really reasonable. Even the RCZ R I was looking at, due to the alcon floating discs at the front, new ones are circa £900 a pair! This ticked a lot of boxes in terms of ride, handling (its a sport not an SE that doesnt have the M Sport suspension), looks, performance etc. I will change the alu interior, two new tyres on the back (most likely Goodyear F1 5s), probably wont bother with the scratches for now. Reversing lights will be sorted by a BMW tech mate who will look at it for me.

Put a deposit down today, collecting it next weekend. After going round the houses, looking at numerous cars from an RCZ R (great bit of kit, most powerful production 1.6 litre engine ever made) to an SLK55, I got some inspiration from a couple of guys on this group to try something very left field. Someone did mention on another post a Z4M. Reading the reviews, it is very hardcore and actually not very suited to British roads, values have shot up its a lot of money. The next car down in the range is the Z4 3.0si. A straight six, three litre and available in very rare coupe form. I have to say the looks of it really got me, its a stunning car to look at in the metal, its engine is fantastic and down in BMW folklore. According to Howmanyleft there are circa 250 coupes left in the UK, yes its a bit open to some interpretation but ultimately, its a rare car. I looked at one not far from me, manual, black, good mileage, service history. Couple of niggles to fix (few scratches, rear parking sensors didn't work, needs two new tyres) so negotiated on price but ended up slapping down a deposit. Anyway, a couple of snaps I took of it, this time next week it will be sat outside my house.

Having watched it go overhead so many times, just taking on board that there are people on that light in the sky, its finally been decided to crash it into the Pacific in about 10 years time. What an amazing human endeavour! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60246032

I noted you did say specifically alternative, not an equivalent, important to note that distinction and difference! MP4's are expensive because they are pretty damn well great. As an alternative as you slide down the price scale you hit some still really good brand names with good tyres. They wont perform as well on most of the usual measures but note you are not looking at a 50% drop or anything in measures like stopping distance or lateral g's its going to be a much smaller margin than that. The MP4's yes last well, how long you keeping the car for? If its a keeper then this measure of value is important, if you intend to move it on in 6 months it really isn't. So work out what you use the car for, how much, your own driving style, where you intend to use the car etc. and make the best call on tyre based on that. Ultimately, there are not swathes of cars without Michelin/Goodyear or whatever scattered across the country in ditches, in fact I have seen plenty in ditches with Michelins on, its respecting the car and its limits, tyres and everything else. Whatever you go for, make sure you safely and legally work up to their limits and know what they can and can't do and drive within that. But I would get over the cost difference, tyres last ages in reality, it costs £100 to fill up the car, why baulk at £100 more on a pair of tyres?

Great innings papa smurf! Was one of the first people to say hi to me at my first meet back in 2010 or something, at the Grasshopper.

The car drifted on one corner, in spectacular sideways style, unintentionally!

Oh I took it on track, still didnt get anywhere near 100% it was too damn terrifying!

The Exige is a weapon. I had two VX220s, one NA and one Turbo both had their own strengths. As Dan said I am so glad I have driven one of these cars as they really are a massive step change as a driving experience vs anything else I have driven. I am a pretty slow driver, I probably only ever rung about 50% out the car but even that first 50% was epic. That said, when you do a 5 day trip to Scotland in one, and one minute you are wrestling with damp B roads the next day you are stuck on a motorway in 30 degrees of heat with no cooling in the cabin, its a pretty hardcore life 😂

To be honest having a heater and power steering is a massive step up!

The VX220 getting in and out is a talent all in itself! Basically point backside at the seat and let gravity sort the rest out 🤣 Yes the 2.7s are much lower priced and seem in better condition - I havent done the reading but are they less susceptible to the Porsche engine issues?

Driving a can of beans is a step up in visibility vs what I have just sold! I had a Scirocco as a company car ten years back and quite liked it. Cayman is coming through strong though...the S over the base model of course.

Im having a sneaky look at Scirocco Rs as well