I’m so jealous of UK enthusiasts. There are so many great, shockingly cheap cars for sale across the pond. If there weren’t, Alex Kersten would be out of a job because he’s been posting cheap sports car videos for years now and hasn’t really repeated any, despite the budget never going up. In this video, Kersten and his crew purchase a BMW Z4 as a budget, reliable, commuter car. But is it any good for such things?
Kersten’s friend Rory was in need of a new daily driver. He had a few requirements for this new car: it need to be under £2,000, preferably a diesel, comfortable, it needed a tow bar, and it needed to be big enough to fit a dog. So what did he end up buying? A gas-powered, two-door, BMW Z4 coupe with a straight-six engine and no back seat. So essentially the exact opposite of what he originally wanted.
Great Looking Roadster
I can’t say that I blame him, though. The E85 BMW Z4 is an incredibly seductive car. It’s one of the best looking Bimmers of its era and possibly the best looking Bimmer designed under Chris Bangle. It’s low, proportionally excellent, muscular but lean, has a long hood, a fantastic dash-to-axle ratio, and a seating position that puts the driver nearly on top of the rear axle. It looks like a blast even when it’s standing still, which isn’t the case with all sports cars.
Naturally-Aspirated Engine
On top of its excellent looks, it has a naturally aspirated straight-six engine that’s mounted almost entirely behind the front axle, a manual transmission, and is rear-wheel drive. It also has BMW’s old-school hydraulic steering and one of the most unique interiors from that era of BMW. It’s the last proper roadster BMW ever really made and it’s also one of the most fun cars from a very fun era of BMW. So it’s hard to mock Rory for his decision to buy a very fun car.
Admittedly, his car wasn’t perfect, despite being in seemingly very good condition. It did have an issue with idling and stuttering but it was bought for very cheap and lacked any sort of dangerous rust. That last bit is odd since the UK tends to have humid, salty, sea air, along with road salt in the winter, which can destroy cause most cars to rust and fade away. So was Rory’s BMW Z4 a good used by?
