Its nice to be back in the family!

[spinsall4]

After straying from the BMW brand for 7 years I am finally back behind the wheel of an M. Just picked up an 07 SB MZ4. 100% stock at the moment. Damn, you forget just how nice these cars are to drive.

Cheers,

B

[ZStig]

welcome back

[FerRrari]

Sorry, in order to be admitted back you need to present us with pictures of the new ride.

Congrats!! And welcome!

[MZHammer]

Welcome back. Pic please!

[ANUSTART]

I went from being a loyal Honda guy, considered a S2000, to a born again BMW guy. This car is an addiction.

[wassup61]

hogzilla, you dont happen to know Alex Kim do you?

[ANUSTART]

Why yes. Are you Pete, right?

[johanness]

Welcome back Kotter!

I did likewise and wonder WHAT the hell I was thinking?!?!?

Enjoy!

[alvinli217]

congrats!!!

[Finnegan]

Congratulations! Pics?

There are quite a few of us in Norcal, and we've talked about doing a meet-up this spring. Here's the Norcal sightings thread.

Where in Norcal are you? I'm in the Sacramento area....

[spinsall4]

Yep, I was messing around with Porsches but its just not the same. Will post a picture shortly. Now, who to cheer for in ALMS? My local Nor Cal boys from Flying Lizard or BMW.

[skim]

Originally Posted by spinsall4

Yep, I was messing around with Porsches but its just not the same. Will post a picture shortly. Now, who to cheer for in ALMS? My local Nor Cal boys from Flying Lizard or BMW.

can you elaborate more please? i'm thinking of crossing over to p-cars next..

[spinsall4]

First, I am pretty big guy at a shade over 6'7" and 235 lbs. Porsche and BMW are really the best fit for my body type which is why I have always ended up in their cars. I have owned a number of each:

BMWs
2002 tii (track car)
325is (mild mods)
E30 M3 (mild mods)
328is (full Dinan)
740 IL (stock)
MZ4 Coupe (current car)

Porsches
1979 930 (gray market 4spd 3.3 ltr turbo)
1995 Ruf 993 (full Ruf car)
2001 Boxster S (mild mods)
1999 996 Cabriolet (modded to hell)

Obviously, you have to adjust your driving style as the vehicle dynamics are night and day in a lot of ways. The only Porsche that is at all similar to me is the Boxster S in both Boxster and Cayman form.

Porsches, with a few exceptions, are truly amazing machines. You will not be sad if you end up bringing one home. You can beat the hell out of them, drive them daily, track them, etc. and they typically wont die. In that way, they are twins with the BMWs. Aside from the RMS and IMS issues they had in the 996s they are pretty darn solid. You sit upright, there is some storage, they accelerate in a smooth, predicatable way (other than my 930 which was like driving a 330hp lawnmower backwards) and they communicate really well. Not to mention the brakes and build quality are top notch. I also like the fact that I could work on every single one of them myself. The Boxster S was a nightmare to get the motor out but once you did it was all pretty straight forward. That said, dear God are they expensive. They eat rear tires like no other car I have ever owned. It makes sense but is annoying given the amount I use my cars. Also, parts just keep going up. The new base Carrera is close to 100K new. Its just nutty. Check the resale market on a used 997. Those things dumped in value. And with the new Carrera hitting the market soon, it is only going to get worse. A 997 is a great deal and would be a great starting point for a first time Porsche owner. And I suggest, if you plan to track it and dont know Porsches, go to a PCA sponsored track day. It will save you a lot of mistakes and will ultimately make you much faster much quicker. In my opinion, BMW and Porsche are by far the most organized when it comes to hosting consistent track days, club events, marque support at races, etc. Corvette also has a strong following but I dont see them ripping around Laguna, Infineon or Thunderhill nearly as often as the other two brands.

What ultimately brought me back to BMW was the way the cars move overall in all circumstances. I am sure everyone has a car that they jump in and just say "damn this is perfect for me." The BMW just is more of that for me than the Porsches.

I drove Audis, Vettes and Porsches before I made this purchase and am thrilled that I did.

Ultimately, its just a personal choice. Go drive a few and see which one suits you best. It should be a fun process making the decision regardless.

Cheers,

B

[doozyj]

Pics or BAN from the BMW family.

[wassup61]

Originally Posted by hogzilla

Why yes. Are you Pete, right?

No, I am Jeff, the owner of the z4 coupe. I live in Lake Forest.

[ANUSTART]

Ah, my bad. Alex had a buddy that came by with him. I think his name was Pete.

[ShakyDog]

Ooooh a 1979 930! 4 speed, I think maybe that would be too much fun :-)

Steve

[spinsall4]

Originally Posted by ShakyDog

Ooooh a 1979 930! 4 speed, I think maybe that would be too much fun :-)

Steve

It was one of my first turbos and a lot of fun. I had no idea how to drive it for the first year i had it which was scary as hell. So much lag from the old school KKK turbos. No boost, no boost, WHAM! At 130 the windshield wipers would come off the windows and the nose would get super light. I ended up taking a PCA driving course specific to turbos which helped. It was a beautiful car but not for the faint of heart.