Re: Z5

Is anyone but me watching to see what the planned BMW Z5 actually emerges as? When I was shopping for my Boxster, I drove a Z3 and would have liked it had I not just driven a Boxster -- the Porsche seemed to have a better, more race-car, feel to it than the BMW, which felt like a 1960s sports car (nothing wrong with that, though). I've since seen the Z3s and Z4s trashed as not worth the money, but wonder whether this new one might actually be real competition for Porsche in this segment.

2001 Base, purchased in 2004, replaced engine at 130K+, RIP 2017

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JackintheBoxster
Is anyone but me watching to see what the planned BMW Z5 actually emerges as? [snip] I've since seen the Z3s and Z4s trashed as not worth the money, but wonder whether this new one might actually be real competition for Porsche in this segment.

I'm a long-time BMW fan (20 years of BMW ownership) and the Z4 is a nice car, BUT is does not handle nearly as well as the Boxster.

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And the Z4 has virtually no practical luggage space, because the metal roof stores itself in the trunk, rendering the car useless for any trip longer than an overnighter.

If BMW restored the pre-metal-roof luggage capacity, the Z5 would be a better car, though still not nearly the driver's car that the Boxster is.

The Ultimate Driving Machine has become the Ultimate Distribution Machine. For a couple of years now, long-time supporters of BMW have been complaining about the cars, particularly the steering. My theory is that they are going for mass appeal by softening them up, at the expense of the enthusiast. So, I wouldn't expect much out of the Z5, except for a nice Sunday cruiser. I could be wrong, but to buck the trend/perception, I think they'd want to do so with a much more stable kind of car, such as the 3 series sedan. In the past, even the M versions of the Z3 & 4, were basically weekend cruisers (a step above a boulevard cruiser in my book).

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db997S
The Ultimate Driving Machine has become the Ultimate Distribution Machine. For a couple of years now, long-time supporters of BMW have been complaining about the cars, particularly the steering. My theory is that they are going for mass appeal by softening them up, at the expense of the enthusiast .

That's pretty much accurate. And here, in North America, BMW has certainly been spending lots of time on the SUV gravy train.

The new M2 is said to be an excellent driver's car, harkening back (to some extent, at least) to earlier M3's