BMW Z4: E85 Roadster and E86 Coupe Including M and Alpina 2003 to 2009

David Smitheram lives in the South West of England, and is currently the Director of a motorsport organising club. Previously he founded a business filming cars on the race track, qualified as an ARDS race instructor and worked for a Japanese manufacturer.It was whilst race organising that he first appreciated the strength and performance of BMW race cars. Over the past 15 years David has taken part in over 200 trackdays, and has raced a Caterham, a Porsche and a Lotus; he is currently racing a BMW E30.David has been fortunate enough to drive various BMW Z4s on the road and track in the UK, Europe and USA. His own lightly modified E85 Z4M is used in all weathers and David carries out all maintenance himself. As Z4 Register Representative David attends BMW Car Club UK social meetings and trackdays, and writes a regular monthly column for the club magazine. His articles and photographs have been used by various different car clubs, magazines and publications.

Written by David Smithery, who is doing a great job running the Z4 Register at the moment. With his knowledge gained because of his motorsport activities, he seemed a perfect candidate to produce a book on the buying of a Z4. The book itself is well written and very informative, and covers all Z4 models Roadster and Coupes produced between 2003 and 2009, including the 'M' and Alpina models. It starts off giving a brief history of the Z4 with a few facts and figures. The the following chapters start off by asking if the Z4 is the right car for you to own, giving you some of the pros and cons of owning a Z4 car. So who would buy this book? Anyone who is in the process of buying or even thinking about buying a Z4; it will give you great information, and will give you all of the points to look out for when you see a car that you think may be a good purchase. If you are in the market for a Z4 there is los of advice and tips to help with your purchase. Would recommend. - Straight Six Magazine. One of the newest cars to receive Veloce's guide's, the Z4 isn't old enough to have suffered significant corrosion, so the typical guide to common rust spots isn't applicable here. Nonetheless, there's still plenty in this book, not only in things to look out for, but also in the myriad options and variants that BMW graced the Z4 with. A must for the prospective Z4 buyer, particularly those not sure of exactly which Z4 they want, taking you from passing admirer to model expert. be warned: you'll definitely end up wanting a Z4M. - Classic Car Weekly. I believe the content is accurate and a good reflection of owning and driving the marque. Its a very informative guide to anyone thinking of buying a Z4. I liked the mixture of photographs presented, the tips for buying and owning, the little quirks that were discussed (like the poor design of roof motor and how to fix it), and also the statistics at the end of the book. I believe this is a must for anyone seriously thinking of owning a Z4. - www.z4-forum.com. One of the latest additions to the always-useful Essential Buyers Guide series of books is a BMW Z4 edition, written by David Smitherham. This 64-page, A5, perfect-bound, colour book is said to be the world's only published Z4 buyers guide, and covers every E85 and E86 Z4 model there had been, including the rare Z4M and Alpina versions. It's a great read and should prove valuable to would-be and existing Z4 owners alike. – BMW Car.

• Introduction - the purpose of this book 1 Is the Z4 the right car for you? - Roadster or Coupe? 2 Cost Considerations- affordable or a money pit? 3 Living with a Z4 - Will you get along together?..... 4 Relative Values - Which model for you?5 Before you view - be well informed6 Inspection equipment - these items will really help7 Fifteen minute evaluation - walk away or stay?8 Key points - where to look for problems9 Serious evaluation - 60 minutes for years of enjoyment10 Auctions - Another way to buy your dream11 Paperwork - correct documentation is essential!12 What's it worth? - good value?13 Do you really want to restore? - it could cost more than you think14 Paint problems - What's behind the shine?15 Problems due to lack of use - Z4s need exercise too!16 The Community - Z4 owners are friendly and enthusiastic17. Vital statistics - essential data at your fingertipsIndex