BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2 - BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2

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Sat 20 Feb 2016 10:48
BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2 - BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2 - jamesdriver

I have 15K to spend on a great sports car,

Top priorities - Something Fast, Great looking, Reliable, and probably a drop top.

I'll be doing some hefty mileage (approx 20K a year, 70% motorway, 30% country roads)

After research 15K will get me a Porsche Boxster 3.2, about 10 years old with approx 40k on the clock

but

the Z4 3.0 will be about 6 years olds with about 30K mileage for the same money.

Having considered Porsche's rather nasty servicing costs is the Beemer the way to go here?

I'll be adding 40K miles over two years, so depreciation is also a consideration...

I believe the Z4 is probably more suited to motorway etc, finally is it just me or is the 987's interior looking terribly dated?

Any thoughts or suggestion welcome here!

Thanks

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Sat 20 Feb 2016 11:12
BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2 - BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2 - Avant

The Z4 will be the more sensible buy and should give you plenty of reliable service provided you get one that's been looked after and has a full service history (the second of those being easier to prove than the first).

But only you can tell if the extra driving excitement which the Boxster is likely to give you is worth the extra risk. If you were just going to use it as a fun car and do a few thousand miles a year, it could well be. But your intended use and high mileage suggest that the Z4 would suit your needs best. And the BMW straight-six is a lovely engine - I had a Z3 2.2 for five years - and there's plenty of enjoyment to be had from it.

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Sat 20 Feb 2016 11:36
BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2 - BMW Z4 3.0 Vs Porsche 987 3.2 - Falkirk Bairn

>>After research 15K will get me a Porsche Boxster 3.2, about 10 years old with approx 40k on the clock

Reminds me of my neighbour's sister who sold he immaculate SAAB 900. Her nephew owned the then local SAAB dealership (not very successfully) - the car was 7/8 years old with about 30-40K IIRC.

A chap I knew bought the car - it looked like it was just off the production line - gave it a blast along the motorway to Edinburgh only for the engine to "blow-up". I think the car had pottered around for years - shopping, church, etc etc so in effect it was a clapped out engine due to cold start/stop running and never been driven.

"New engine" from a crash car and the local newsagent got some 4/5 years out of it.

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If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?