5 Enticing BMW Z4s That'll Force You To Lock-Up Your Wallet

With the concept for the next Z4 roadster leaking to the press earlier today, we thought we’d have a look into the classifieds to see whether anything could tempt us away from the new kid’s sharp lines, deep-dished steering wheel and massive air scoops.

As it happens, yes: the classifieds are littered with deeply tempting Z4s. For one thing, like all Bangle-era designs, the Z4 might have been hideous when it was new, but now it looks fantastic. As for choice, from bargain-basement four-bangers to surprisingly affordable 3.0-litre straight-six versions and even modestly-priced Z4Ms, there’s something for everyone. Now’s not the time to worry about the rock-hard ride or the limited luggage space – now’s the time to grab one while you can.

2004 Z4 2.2i SE Roadster

Let’s kick things off at the bargain end of things, shall we? You’re looking at a hell of a lot of car for the money, even if it isn’t in ideal condition. This is the 170bhp 2.2-litre four-cylinder Z4, capable of making the 0-62mph sprint in a respectable 7.7 seconds and barrelling on to a top speed of 140mph.

Our 94,000-mile guest star is a manual, has a rather lovely red leather interior and has just had a load of expensive mechanical work carried out, including replacing the cam belt. Why is it only £2200, then, you ask? Well, the roof motor doesn’t work (you can still raise and lower it manually), a couple of panels are scratched more than you’d like and the central locking remote battery has run out. Be wary of bigger gremlins hidden away, but this does look like a bit of a steal.

2003 Z4 3.0i Sport Roadster

Cheap the 2.2i may be, but for just over £1500 more you could have an early 3.0-litre car with almost 30,000 miles less on its display. You get timeless good looks, split rims, six cylinders and 231bhp to play with. That’s good enough to shave 1.5 seconds off the 2.2i’s 0-62mph time and to top out at 152mph. This all sounds rather good.

Don’t expect it to be pristine, judging by the seller’s phrasing, but this 66,000-miler is a superb everyday sports car for a pretty amazingly low price of £3750. Again there’s a roof mechanism problem, but the icing on the cake is that the 3.0i is no more expensive to tax in the UK than the 2.2i. The only downer we can cast on this otherwise stellar bit of value is that it’s an auto, but there are manuals out there as well…

2007 Z4 3.0si Sport Coupe

The 3.0si was a standalone coupe model, and we loved it. It had the pinnacle state of tune for the N52 3.0-litre straight-six, fizzing 261bhp to the rear wheels. Built with a hard roof to increase the chassis’ rigidity and improve the handling, it was much more like a proper sports car than the fast but more laid-back rag-tops, and the swooping silhouette also made it a proper looker. You don’t see too many around, these days, either.

This stunning blue one only has a short listing but has apparently been well maintained with an MOT until next March. It will hit the limiter at 155mph and launch to 62mph in 5.7 seconds. There’s only a part service history and there are 99,000 miles to think about, but this was one of the most desirable Z4s ever made. It’s still no pricier to tax than the 2.2, either. The seller is asking £6900, which may or may not seem like good value depending on your viewpoint, but the scarcity of the 3.0si is on its side.

2009 Z4 2.5 23i SE

Or, for another £500, you could swap the speed and scarcity of the 3.0si for the newer E89 Z4, which came with a famously controversial folding hard-top roof that added loads of weight high up on the car and ultimately must have contributed to a generally cool reception from buyers. On the plus side, it’s more secure than the E85-era Z4 Roadster, and it gives you much better long-distance cruising comfort, but it can’t quite thrill on the twisty bits like the older, lighter car.

For your £7400 you get an eight-year-old 2.5-litre straight-six with 204bhp, a 149mph top speed and a still-brisk launch measuring 6.6 seconds for the benchmark sprint. Engine developments added a few miles per gallon and shaved £25 off the British road tax bill, even if the roof’s weight shaved a little too much off the dynamic sparkle. All the same, this is a very new-looking car in a great colour that looks a hell of a lot more valuable than it is. We quite like it.

2006 Z4M 3.2 Roadster

But if you really want the full-fat, high-sugar Z4 experience it has to be the Z4M. It packed the 3.2-litre, 338bhp screaming six-pot straight from the E46 M3, and as opening gambits go, that’s pretty damn flawless. Peak power came at 7900rpm with peak torque at 4900rpm, so you don’t need us to tell you how much this thing liked revs. Thrash it to its limit and you’ll hit 62mph in 5.0 seconds.

There’s a huge price range if you want one, from the leggy £12,000 end to the sub-15,000-mile zone at almost £30,000. You’re far more sensible to stick to a budget of about £16,000, under which we found this £15,850 beauty. It looks in prime condition inside and out, has lived a slow life having accrued just 46,850 miles, and although there are multi-year gaps between the earlier services we wouldn’t be put off.

The one odd thing about this one is its ‘5+’ owner history. Such a high owner count on such a low-mileage car can sometimes point to one that suffers a lot of problems, but we freely admit it looks in temptingly fantastic condition. And that engine…