[Brookside]

Z4 Coupe (Sales) Bomb ? > BMW September Sales Numbers




Z4 M Roadster Outsells M Coupe By 6-1 Margin.

(E-92) 335 Coupe Outsells 328 Version


These are early days...but if I'm reading these numbers right, the Z4 Coupe sales appear to be absolutely dismal in spite of a huge pr campaign.
You can say, “hey, this is just now reaching the dealer’s”...but that still doesn’t begin to explain the discrepancy between roadster and coupe sales.

For example the 3-er coupe, that has been on the market much less time posts sales aggregate totaling in the 3,000+ range (year-to-date) and is out selling the Z4 Coupe by a factor of 10 X 1.



Check Out The Numbers > BMW US Sales for September 006 & YTD Comparison Chart
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...4444605&EDATE=

[Will L.]

They seem to be making much more roadsters than coupes, and I think that has been the plan all along.


My dealer has gotten a grand total of one coupe and that one was sold before it arrived. They've got 8 or 9 roadsters sitting on their lot right now (I'm lumping M's and non-M's all together). I haven't even seen a coupe in person yet, but there's a good chance I'll be getting one (unless they hurry up with the 2 series).


I may be a special case, because I've owned the roadster (non-M) already, but I prefer the coupe. Oh well, maybe I'll be able to get a good price on one next November (more likely I'll have to special order it because they're making so few).

[Brookside]

Originally Posted by Garyhoov

They seem to be making much more roadsters than coupes, and I think that has been the plan all along.

If that's the case then it makes sense...otherwise...if you're in the market for a coupe, you can deal.

[Brookside]

BMW did that with the Z3 Coupe...leveled off production while roadster sales skyrocketed.
BMW said at the time they were merely reacting to market forces but I think it was a self-fullfilling prophecy.
I'd hate to see them use the same strategy with the Z4 coupe.
The Z3 coupe, especially the M version, is now a rarity and commands high resale value.
I very nearly got one of these a few years ago before the prices started jumping upwards - a used 3.0 with 5-speed, BBS style wheels, low-miles,
black with red leather interior. Absolutely screamed and the price was almost right.
Negotiations broke down over a $500. difference and neither the seller or me moved to compromise.
Too bad. It was a fantastic car- tortured design and incredibly raw.

[Will L.]

Originally Posted by Brookside

BMW did that with the Z3 Coupe...leveled off production while roadster sales skyrocketed.
BMW said at the time they were merely reacting to market forces but I think it was a self-fullfilling prophecy.
I'd hate to see them use the same strategy with the Z4 coupe.

That's exactly what I've been thinking. Are they not making them because they're not selling them or are they not selling them because they're not making them?

They're not going to sell any cars that they don't make.

And the Z3 coupe was a very cool car. A little quirky, but they will still catch your eye on the rare occasions you actually see one on the road.

I like the overall shape of the Z4 coupe better, but the details - fenders etc. of the Z3 coupe still look better than the Z4 to me.

To me, a sports coupe is the purest performance car you can get. The general better rigidity and lighter weight than a roadster are key to any car with sporting aspirations yet it seems that the "sports car" segment sells primarily roadsters with a few coupes thrown in. Most models (Miata, S2000, Solstice) don't even offer a coupe variant, and Porsche and BMW just started selling their coupe versions this year.

[Brookside]

I've seen one at my dealer...not an "M" version. In black. I wouldn't let myself look at it for long...I don't want to fall for this car before I see the 2-coupe.
Stiff price too...starts at 40k+...which is astronomical for me and would require 4-5k down to make the monthly payments manageable.

[Will L.]

Originally Posted by Brookside

Stiff price too...starts at 40k+...

Yeah, but it does come nicely equiped in base trim. If I equip a 3.0i roadster with leather seats (I don't know why BMW puts "leatherette" in their cars. I'd rather a nice cloth.) and THX sound system, I'm up to 39,000.

The basic coupe comes standard with those features plus the more powerful si engine.

It's a nice car for the money . . . but you're right it is a lot of money. Of course if money was no object, I'd love to have the M-Coupe, but I do like the fact that the 3.0si is a little lighter and doesn't get the "gas guzzler" tax (there's something that really bugs me about the gas-guzzler thing . . . not so much the extra tax, but just the idea that it's a guzzler) at a more reasonable price.

[Brookside]

Gary you make 40k sound inexpensive!
But you're right..BMW seems to have gotten the message that a lot of buyers are sick of being nickel and dimed to death on options...
I noticed that xenons are now standard ecquipment on all Z4's...it was a $500. option when I got mine.

[Will L.]

Originally Posted by Brookside

Gary you make 40k sound inexpensive!
But you're right..BMW seems to have gotten the message that a lot of buyers are sick of being nickel and dimed to death on options...
I noticed that xenons are now standard ecquipment on all Z4's...it was a $500. option when I got mine.

Try pricing out a Cayman sometime.

And not only Xenons, but they've added a LOT over the past few years.

Consider that if you got a basic Z4 a few years ago, you would have gotten a 185 HP engine matched to a 5 speed manual. Now you'll get the 215 HP engine minimum and a six-speed. I also think there are other features (such as cruise control) that now come on the most basic version that were options before.

[Brookside]

Originally Posted by Garyhoov

Consider that if you got a basic Z4 a few years ago, you would have gotten a 185 HP engine matched to a 5 speed manual. Now you'll get the 215 HP engine minimum and a six-speed.

That's exactly what I have...in a 2004 model. BMW put the new magnesium/aluminum engine in the 2005 model along with standard 6-speed.

[Will L.]

Originally Posted by Brookside

That's exactly what I have...in a 2004 model. BMW put the new magnesium/aluminum engine in the 2005 model along with standard 6-speed.

I had one of the same. I traded it for the 3 series with that mag engine and 6-speed. . . and with the exception of the first few months when I enjoyed some of the novelty and comfort features of the 3, I've been regretting I ever did that, Fortunately I predicted I might feel that way and only took a two year lease, so now I'm counting down the days until Nov. 07 when I can get something new (I think I might have car attention deficit disorder:redface: ).

Hopefully there will be a 2 series out by then. If not, I may get a Chevy Cobalt (I have a son who will be fifteen next year, so a Cobalt might be a good first driver for him and something I can use for winter driving etc. if I get something sportier) and then bide my time until our Bavarian friends have something more interesting for me.

[Brookside]

My plans are to hold out for the "2" coupe...see what it's about.
I'm off-lease in August 007. If it isn't out by that time, and I doubt it will be, I'll try to extend the lease. I don't know if they do that, never tried it.
But, I love my Z4. I can easily see me jumping into another roadster and being perfectly satisfied.
Except there's nothing like having something that's all new.
I can see a tough scenario if the 1-er 3 door is available in a year's time while the 2-er coupe is still on the way...that would be a hard decision.

[Will L.]

Originally Posted by Brookside

I'm off-lease in August 007. If it isn't out by that time, and I doubt it will be, I'll try to extend the lease. I don't know if they do that, never tried it.

Shouldn't be a problem. I'm not an expert, but since the lease rates go down the longer the term, you should be able to extend yours for several months, and if you keep paying the same amount, they'll be more than covered.

I seem to remember my dealer telling me it could be extended, and, particularly if you're getting another BMW, I'm sure they'll work with you.

[Brookside]

Thanks for the info Gary...that makes sense. I'm putting less than 10k on it annually...just rolled past 20k in 26 months of having it.
I tend to be the same way you are about new cars...I want one every coupla years.

The "2" seems like a significant move for BMW...in essence
to recapture their roots in small fast cars. I'm very curious if they'll deliver the goods.
The driving experience is bound to be awesome- but which design direction will they go in?

The Z4's design, roadster and coupe, describes in visual terms the feeling of driving a sports car.
I'd like to see that aesthetic, that approach of descriptive visuality carried over to the "2" coupe.

[Brookside]

21-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson says getting a BMW Z4 as her first car wasn't a wise idea.
"I wrecked it. It was in a million pieces and the only reason I walked away was because of the airbags. They saved me."

Scarlett said: "It was a mistake to choose it as my first car. It was too fast and too wild.
Someone should have said, 'Don't do it!'
APNewswire 9/10/006