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PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:15 am
by Rob P
Eh? :scratch:

Edit: '£' sign missing?

Re: BMW Z4, or Merc SLK 200?

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:16 am
by Morley
Age of proposed driver.

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:18 am
by Rob P
Ah.. good point.

I'd guess that is as good an indicator as any.

I am not a BMW fan, but I must admit from those two (I'd actually never buy either) it would tend to be the BM.

Rob P

Re: BMW Z4, or Merc SLK 200?

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:30 am
by chrisN
Thanks for the advice so far. I will pass it on.

Ditto any more that comes in later.

Chris N.

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:43 am
by Vince C
Strangely I find myself agreeing with Rob P and disagreeing with Keef. If he has come from the MX5 I'd have thought he'd want a 'sports car' rather than a 'cruiser', unless he fancies a change of car type. The BM is an odd-looking fish, but it goes and handles far better than the Merc - it's a sports car!

So what does he want? Sports car or cruiser? BM for the former, Merc for the latter.

Re: BMW Z4, or Merc SLK 200?

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:13 am
by chrisN
I don't know how he ranks looks vs performance vs handling vs anything else, so all I can do is pass on the comments and let him decide.

Thanks, anyway.

Chris N.

Re: BMW Z4, or Merc SLK 200?

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:20 am
by Morley
He could go for the AMG Merc.

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:34 am
by Rob P
Or an M Series Z4 (I think such a thing exists?)

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:44 am
by TheKentishFledgling
When a chum bought an SLK for his S.O. (a blonde..) a few years back, we had great fun posing as hairdressers / test driving three SLKs before they bought. The 3.5 was silly fast for what she wanted. The SLK200 (IIRC it's a 1.8?) seemed almost underpowered - we all left wanting that tiny bit more from it. The 280 seemed to strike a happy balance and suited her leggy-blonde image :D

I persuaded the BMW chappy to give me a shot in a Z4 when I was test driving a 1 series coupe before I bought my Alfa - it was fast. Can't remember which engine but IIRC it produced about 300hp - this wasn't an M sport model so they will be silly fast.

Personally I don't get the look of the SLK (the later marks being hugely better looking than the earlier models..) but I do like the Z4.

For me, for a sports cars, the Beemer wins hands down.

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:20 pm
by ray
I had a BMW Z4 for 4 years as my company car, returned it 20 months ago.

Loads of niggling rattles from the roof and the dashboard
Roof goes up & down easily and is quite fast in transit (around 20secs I think)
Car handles well and performs OK (mine was the 2.2 L straight 6)
Uses run flat tyres that work OK but are expensive to replace. No spare wheel.
Had problems with the steering rack which uses an electric drive coupled to a sensor on the steering column - it went wrong and developed an interesting intermittent fault that locked the steering at speed! Covered by warranty after lots of revisits and words with BMW.
Clutch & flywheel needed replacing after only 60K miles - very expensive just outside warranty.
Boot is a usable size and the car is quite roomy for a sports car
I liked the lines of it
Spent a fair bit of time at the dealers for irritating minor problems
Wouldn't have another - of the choices I'd try the SLK.

Current car is an M.. 2.0L with the metal power roof. Not in the same bracket as the Z4 but good cheap fun and 100% reliable with no defects since new 20 months ago. I like it for what it is and enjoy driving it. It's mine 'cos I could afford to buy it cash at the time.
Everyone to their own ;-)

Edited to correct brain fail typo ;-)

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:37 pm
by Lowtimer
ray wrote:I had a BMW Z4 for 4 years as my company car, returned it 20 months ago.
(mine was the 2.2 L V6)


[pedant] Er, 2.2 litre straight-six, not V6. There's never been a BMW V6. [/pedant]

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:41 pm
by ray
oops - not pedantic at all lowtimer - just correct

senile decay setting in :-)

Re: BMW Z4, or Merc SLK 200?

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:55 pm
by chrisN
I have passed the opinions on to my brother, and he is most grateful. Looks like a decision in 2011 for him, not immediately.

He also says he has to take into account the views of senior management!

Chris N.

PostPosted:Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:36 pm
by sandy771
Rob P wrote:But isn't there a dichotomy here?


Yep, I think someone already said that the dich is in the beemer...