The BMW Z4 SDrive 35iS - Better Than The Old Z4 M?

No car frustrated me more than my old Z4 M - it was punishingly stiff, and had a terrible gearbox. For the second generation Z4, BMW never made an ///M - the closest we got was the 35iS - so how good was it?

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[Sih]

Don’t worry about the wind noise, we can’t hear it over that shirt.😉

[SWatchik]

Do love the Z4 in general. I think the interior and exterior have aged fantastically well.

[Jake-iebi]

Imo, one of the best looking BM’s of all time

[TheSleathable]

E89 is a car that works fast or slow, roof up or down and that is a incredibly rare and overlooked thing.

[peterscheffer]

Lovely review.
Got my Z4 35iS from 2011. Now 5 years and 175k kilometers on the odo.
It's NOT a sportcar. It's a big powerful GT.
I'll do fast corners, but with a bit of smoke :)

My wife loves it for its comfort....
Happy wife.... :)

[DR_socal]

the bmw z4 e89 looks much better than any porsche. The long front end is signature roadster.

[Kref]

I own the 35i. I wanted to go for the 35iS, but it was not available with a manual transmission and that is what I wanted to have in a sporty car. Since it is not only the most sporty car I have ever owned (after a BWM E38 728i, an Opel Astra F Estate and an Audi 80 B3 1.6l), but actually the most sporty car I have ever driven (Never sat in a Porsche or something comparable), I have no real comparison, so I stick with liking it tremendously, even if there are sportier cars. I cannot miss what I do not know

[angiethomas]

I just bought a 2014 and I completely agree with your review. It’s perfect for daily use. Very luxurious and comfortable. It doesn’t feel too sporty except for the sound and of course can’t compare the handling to a Porsche at all, but it’s right for me.

[valicourt]

The e89 ages well. In my opinion it was a classic from the moment it came out. I’ll never sell mine. Instead I’ll bury it in a barn somewhere so in 50 years from now someone can have a wonderful barn find. The classic Z4

[chiawildy]

The 35is is great combination of appearance and performance. That long nose look is timeless.

[ilduro]

Jay, you are spot on with the Z4. Mine is a 35i which I have owned and used as a joy car for over ten years now. Personally, I found the suspension less comfy but the setup scarily soft at first. At higher speeds it would spill you all over the road more than your nerves can handle in traffic. I therefore had the regular chassis setup replaced with a KW V3 kit and tuned by an accomplished race driver. It made a world of difference, reinstating my trust in the car on winding country roads. The other issues I found were overall weight as a result of the many built-in creature comforts, and a lousy sound system ;-) I can do with the latter, especially when the top is down. In summary, it is not a car every driver may appreciate. It may polarise the interested driving world up to a point - as many roadsters would. But you when you like it, it feels like a wife with some odd habits - habits not quite awkward enough to get a divorce. And yes, she's a looker, too.

[WhalesOfWallStreet]

Love this review. I have been toying between this and the M40i. I’m nearly 40 (can’t believe how fast this has happened). I am getting bored of soulless and modern things I don’t know why. I sold my m135i reluctantly. But now I want a convetable fun car as I only drive now probably once every couple weeks (and not even needing to do that to be honest since living on coast). This car looks brilliant, I’m now deciding between yellow or white. Thanks for the review

[stevenmiller]

I just bought one in this colour. Arrives in a couple of days. I'm 56 I want a bit of this and a bit of that. Maybe when I was younger I'd bought an e85m. I once had a Porsche 944 turbo but now this will suit me fine. It's horses for courses.

[Tracertme]

I bought one of these for my wife for driving around the coast and to the beach etc in the summer... it's a beautiful looking car gets loads of looks and pleasant remarks, and your right its a 7 tenths kind of car and therefore does the 85% of what you want all the time. But on that reflection if you rag most cars out to near their 10 tenths they normally start to fall apart somewhere... it's just a matter of how much.. . It reminds me a lot about the BMW 507 you can see the styling aspects so I got a little badge made for it which says heritage 507 and stuck it discreetly in the back window, its red with black top so named it Elvis and I think you know where that tribute is if you watch the 507 restoration story by BMW. :-)

[NoResultsReturned]

I’m new to your channel. It’s 3:30am on Friday night, bit tipsy. Own a Z4M Roadster and have done for about 7 years. Last 2 and bit years it’s been SORN and my other half has been encouraging me to give it a serious detailing and pass it on to a new owner. 06 plate 49k miles, every extra except cupholders. It was my dream car for years.. I saved forever and love it.. but they seem to be appreciating in value (??) and I’m a tad undecided. I youtubed Z4M and it autoplayed here after a couple.

Don’t mean to be rude but I’ve driven the 35iS (and like it for what it is), but not familiar with your channel and thought it was going to be a BS wash over, ie blah blah turbos, hard top, blah blah, but was pleasantly surprised. You clearly know your cars sir and I was nodding pretty much all of video. Your critique behind the wheel was excellent. You clearly aimed the video at those who have actually driven the cars you were comparing it to, and it shows.

Sorry for the rant. That was a really good watch. Subscribed! Odd you have an Evora. Not comparable, but I’ve got that same 3.5l 2GR-FE lump in a mk3 Toyota Mr2 Roadster as a Black Mirror track toy (pushing 325bhp 1048kg all in). Different box (5 speed e153), but nicely savage! :)
EDIT: Seen you have an Evora 400. R1900 supercharger? V Nice!

[WanderingFriar]

I am from a Z4M and bought a 10k mile 2015 35iS and not looked back. I LOVE IT!

A different car as you say but Oh soo good! Fast AF too and a real headturner. Even if you weren't looking, it made sure you heard it with that glorious sounding engind and pops and crackles when it changes down (I increased this in MHD flash) thoroughly enjoy this beast. Will be keeping this one!

[EpiKSquaDv]

I own a 2015 Z4 35i and you pretty much hit the nail on the head about everything. The Z4 is mainly a luxury GT car that happens to be somewhat tight around corners.

I test drove a new Boxster S before I got it, and realized the Z4 makes a better daily driver. If you're just looking for a weekend or track car then the Boxster is definitely the way to go. Winters and long and snowy here so my hardtop is up most of the time and that was another factor, because I personally hate the look of the Boxster with the roof up.

[ddbocast]

There's no doubt about it the 35iS is a forgotten gem. Had one of these for the last 18 months. 7 years old but drives like new. On the basis of "bang for your buck" there seems to be little to beat it. Very well equipped. Roof is lowered at every opportunity. The drive train is simply fantastic. The engine just pulls, pulls, pulls and once the revs reach 3500 the sound is simply sublime. Yes, the handling is not quite up to Boxster standards but the engine and gearbox are better in my opinion. It's a car you invent reasons to drive. If you want a great value convertible and are independently minded then you won't regret buying one of these!

[chrissydenham]

Your knowledge is vast, commentary sweet.
JayEmm rockin the roads with all the cars he meets.
Cheers

[dafaqking]

If you equip the 35i or 35is with proper coilovers and get a professional to adjust the vehicle, you will see very tight cornering abilities! All of the E89s OEM suspensions are just comfy and feel unpleasant in fast corners. More camber on the front axle is needed to get rid of the massive OEM understeer. Furthermore, the suspensions really needs to be stiffer. KW coilovers will work miracles.