BMW Alpina Z4 Roadster 3.4S (167 produced)

Item Features BMW Alpina Z4:

	Used: An item that has been previously used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... Read moreabout the condition	Year:	2005
Engine Size:	3,400	Manufacturer:	Alpina
Transmission:	Manual	Type:	Sports/Convertible
Drive Side:	Right-hand drive	Colour:	Black
Safety Features:	Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), Driver Airbag, Electronic Stability Program (ESP)	Metallic Paint:	Yes
Exterior:	Alloy Wheels, Rear Spoiler	Reg. Date:	01/01/2005
Interior/Comfort Options:	Climate Control, Leather Seats, Power-assisted Steering (PAS), Power Locks, Power Seats, Power Windows, Tilt Steering Wheel	Mileage:	32,000
In-Car Audio:	CD Player, Navigation System

vehicle description:

Alpina BMW Z4 3.4S 167 ever produced in right hand drive.  I have for auction an extremely rare Alpina which has covered just 32,000 miles mostly in the Channel Island of Jersey. This is the more desireable lux model which has a very high specification including satellite navigation. This car was purchased new in the UK and exported to Jersey soon after. Performance is fantastic with 300bhp , 0-60 - 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 170mph. In my opinion it is finshed in the nicest colour combination of Black sapphire with red leather. The service history is excellent and has just been serviced at a BMW specialist. The condition of the car is excellent and original having always been pampered and garaged. there are no issues or stories with this car whatsoever. This is surely a great opportunuty for a collector as made in such limited numbers so will only ever increase in value. Also such an exciting and fun car to use for relatively little money. I cannot find a similar example in this condition with such low mileage,service history anywhere except for Germany (eur 30,000)   Production of the UK models ran for just 2 years, (2004 and 2005) during which time only 167 cars were produced in RHD. Production had to cease due to European emission regulations as the 3.4s engine was Euro 3 compliant but didn’t satisfy the more stringent Euro 4 regulations which came into place in January 2006 Three years on after it’s launch, we’re taking another look at the Alpina Z4 and seeing just what you get for your money on the second hand market.
The BMW Alpina Z4 in the UK was available in 2 fixed specifications:
(i) The Standard model £38,000
(ii) The LUX model £42,850
Both cars had fixed specifications and prices with just the exterior body colour and interior leather colour being able to be altered by the buyer.
The standard car (as our test car is) was fairly well equipped over the base Z4.
Standard specification included:
Metallic Paint Electric folding roof 19” Dynamic Alloy wheels Alpina front apron Alpina 3 piece rear boot lid spoiler Alpina up rated suspension Stainless steel exhaust system Electric seats with driver’s side memory function Heated Seats Alpina logo’d wind deflector Dynamic Traction Control Alpina trimmed interior with Alpina logos and rhombs on the seats Alpina multifunction steering wheel with co-ordinated stitching and rhombs Alpina leather gear knob BMW Business CD Head unit 6 Disc CD Changer Automatic Air-Conditioning Airbag deactivation switch ISOFix front passenger seat. Driver & Passenger cupholders Park Distance Control Headlamp Wash Cruise Control
The LUX model added:
Bluetooth phone preparation DVD Satellite Navigation Xenon Headlamps
The main body colours offered were:
Alpina Blue (at additional cost) Sterling Grey (as on our test car) Black Sapphire Titanium Silver Japan Red Royal Red Maldives Blue
The 3 main interior colours were:
Black Leather with Blue and Green stitching on the dash and steering wheel (or alternatively Red stitching) Red leather with red stitching on the dash and steering wheel Beige with Maroon piping and Maroon stitching on the dash and steering wheel.
Exterior Styling Visually the Roadster S took the already striking design of the Z4 and made it typically Alpina. Upfront there was the traditional Alpina front lip spoiler with raised logo which gives the front a flatter more aggressive look than that of the BMW donor car. At the rear a distinctive three piece spoiler enhanced the look of the boot lid and improved down force at higher speeds. A full stainless steel exhaust system protrudes from the rear bumper with 2 polished tailpipes and the rear boot carries the Alpina and ROADSTER S logos. Like on the BMW model the front wing carries the engine/model denomination of 3.4S.
Alpina changes give the Z4 more aggressive look.From first glance the Roadster S promises something a little special – although playing true to the Alpina ethos these additional design touches are prominent enough to be seen by those paying attention, yet subtle enough to go unnoticed by the casual glance. The 19” dynamic design alloys (first seen on the Z8 based roadster V8) are the biggest clue that this car is not a regular Z4. and with its 235 35 R19 on the front and 265 30 R19 on the rear, setup the car has a wider looking more purposeful stance than even the current Z4 M models.
Interior Styling Step inside the roadster and these touches are a little more obvious, a sort of reward to those having bought into the Alpina brand.
The overhead individual numbered plaque and the customary blue instrument cluster are just two of the features which define every Alpina. Further signs of the designers at Alpina working their magic can be found in the individual door entry sills or the very subtle Alpina logo pressed into the leather dash trim.
Alpina enhanced interior more classyOur test car is finished in black leather and the trademark blue and green stitching to the leather pieces on the door handles, around the centre tunnel, across the dash and on the rim of the chunky steering wheel. The backs of the contoured sports seats carry the traditional Alpina roundel and the trademark Blue and Green Rhombs. On the different interior coloured cars these stitching details are seen in other colours.
Even though the Z4 is built in North Carolina, when it arrived at the Alpina factory as a 3.0L model it was stripped of all unnecessary items like the engine, gearbox, exhaust, wheels, suspension and most of the interior.
Alpina made over 2000 alterations and improvements to the cabin of the Z4, most of them unseen and all of them give the Roadster S a much improved feel of build quality over the standard model. The specification is high as you would expect from a car costing close to £40,000 when new (£42,850 in the case of the LUX model).
Though all the usual BMW creature comforts are here:
Auto Air-conditioning Electric Heated Seats Electric Powered Roof Electric Windows Multi-function Steering wheel.
Despite being a two seater the cabin is roomier than you’d expect with plenty of legroom on both sides for even the larger frame. Storage is adequate with pockets behind the seats and a handy pocket at the rear of the tunnel for your mobile phone.
Ride, Handling & Steering Generally, Alpina’s offerings have a reputation for improved ride and handling and this is no less the case in the Roadster S.
It’s not that the ride in the standard BMW is particularly bad or soft – a little choppy perhaps and there’s a little bit too much under steer, when pushing through the twisty bits. The Alpina corrects this and firms up the ride, quite a lot more than in other Alpina’s I’ve driven. Generally, an Alpina will be less harsh than its similar M model and yet more responsive and stable than the donor car it’s based on. In the roadster this gap between the Alpina and the M is much closer than on other previous and subsequent Alpina models.
Improved ride and handling.That’s not to say that the ride is too hard, it’s not, but in a car weighing only 1320kg even the smallest of bumps are transferred through the body and at faster speeds over uneven surfaces this can make the ride a little twitchy, particularly through the steering.
On a dry road the grip is supreme although the steering can seem a little light and vague at times. Not helped I’m sure because of the long sculptured bonnet.
In the main, I didn’t find this an issue, but in the wet and in particular at higher speeds this vagueness can make you a little wary and off-camber corners can seem more treacherous than they should.
Look beyond these minor negatives and this truly is one of the most exhilarating BMW/Alpina’s I’ve ever driven and I’m making that statement after covering over 3000 miles in this Roadster S and still not finding a moment were I’m happy to reach my destination, on several occasions I can openly admit to taking the long way home simply to spend more time behind the wheel.
Prior to the Alpina I’d covered similar mileage in an E60 M5 a car that costs £25,000 more than the Alpina and yet on more than one occasion left me cold – so it seems the Roadster S is facing down even the toughest and most modern of opposition.
Engine, Gearbox and Performance The 3.4-litre (3346cc) engine that powers the Roadster S is the same unit that is installed into the E46 B3s though on the RHD B3s models these came fitted with Alpina’s trademark Switchtronic gearbox which is essentially an auto gearbox mated to a torque converter allowing the driver to hold the gears right until the redline and to change up and down with full control, from the steering wheel, unlike the more mainstream BMW Steptronic system.
No such electronic gadgetry here though, don’t get me wrong I’m a great fan of the Switchtronic system in the right car – but it would have been a travesty on a huge scale to have this car fitted with an auto box. So finding that not only is it a manual but a 6-speed close ratio ZF box makes preparing to drive this car for the first time all the more exciting.
300 Bhp / 266 lb ft from the 3.4-litre straight-six.Turn the key clockwise and from cold the engine fires up with a menacing rumble. The sort of noise you’d expect from a much larger V block design, once warmed up the sense of occasion from the exhaust is no more diminished, with its popping and overrun you can tell that beneath the pretty boy looks, lurks an engine with real character and purposeful intentions, honourable or otherwise.
The engine is essentially a rebored block from the E36 M3 3.0L with its pistons and head designed and manufactured to Alpina’s specifications. Rev the engine and it’ll push the needle all the way round to 7300 rpm and with it give out an exhaust wail that’s decidedly similar to that of a Porsche albeit with a deeper undertone of the straight-six.
It really is an engine of two distinct characters, docile and relaxed with enough power in almost any gear allowing you to trundle around town taking in the scenery with the roof down, or an out and out monster with acceleration and performance to put many cars, double its price, to shame.
0-62mph (0-100kph) is a rapid 5.3 secs (0-60mph = 5.1 sec) and 100mph comes up in just 13 secs with an unlimited top speed of 169mph (172mph with the optional hard top fitted)
Developing 300 Bhp at 6300 rpm and 266 lbft (360Nm) of torque at 4800 rpm this engine and gearbox combination allows both it’s strengths to come to the forefront.
It really does allow the driver to define how it will perform. Many performance cars are only happy when they’re being nailed in every gear and yet the Roadster will quite happily meander through the rush hour traffic or over the never-ending series of traffic calming measures, waiting for the time when the road opens up and you drop a cog and flex your right ankle.
Practicality Of course practicality is rarely going to be top of your priority list when you’re looking at a two seater convertible, let’s face it you’re never going to be able to pick up that new dining room table from IKEA or take the wife and 3 kids on a holiday to Devon, but that said what the Roadster S has to offer it gives to the fullest.
Decent boot and impressive MPGEven with the roof retracted in a record 10 seconds the boot is more than adequate for the weekly shopping or able to cope with enough luggage for a week’s holiday. You might struggle to fit in a set of golf clubs but the space is certainly more useable than the twin boots of the Porsche Boxster.
Economy is perhaps one of the most surprising aces in the armoury of the Roadster, given that it packs a 300BHP engine under the bonnet. We were pleasantly surprised to regularly see MPG figures, over a full tank, in excess of 25MPG, and results as good as 33MPG easily achievable on longer distant trips.
Conclusion I’m not really sure why – but back when the roadster S was launched at the 2003 Frankfurt motor show it passed somewhat under my radar. As far as Alpina was concerned I’d been much more caught up with their new behemoth B7 creation. Afterall here was a 4.4L V8 supercharged engine developing nearly 500 BHP and promising nigh on 200mph from an almost 2 ton 4 door saloon. Apart from the B7 – the show that year also saw the launch of the new BMW 6 series as well as evocatively styled McLaren SLR and first outing of the Bugatti Veyron. Put simply, the roadster was vying for attention against tough opposition indeed.
I remember thinking at the time that the styling was a big improvement over the standard Z4 and that it looked great in Japan Red but for some reason when they started to appear in the showroom of Sytner Nottingham I didn’t get it… I thought it was just a summer time marketing ploy another rag top to add to the list.
Oh how I regret that now…
Because over three years later on I do now… I finally get it. I’m sold and I want one.
Sure it’s based on the pre-facelift Z4 and yes it now sits in the shadow of the headline grabbing Z4 M Roadster but that doesn’t bother me in the slightest. In the real world it’s no slower that the M and it’s cheaper to run, service and insure. It’ll also see off the competition from the much lauded Porsche Cayman S and Boxster S.
I’ve spent over a month with this car and covered quite an array of miles in all road conditions and as each day passes I hope that it won’t have to go back. Sadly I know that’s not the case, and as I write this I know my days with this awesome car are limited.
Ironically, as this 06 registered car proves, it’s been little over a year since you could have still, picked up a new Roadster S and yet the dawning light didn’t reach me in time. If I want one now it’ll have to be a pre-owned example which, I suppose my bank manager would agree, isn’t all bad news.
The residuals of the Roadster S have held up well in the face of the 2006 facelift/revision, though the popularity of the Z M Roadster and the introduction of the coupe model have started to see prices lower to a more palatable figure.
Non LUX cars can be found around £23-£24k at the moment with the better appointed and more desirable LUX models demanding £25-£28k depending on age mileage and colour.
With only 167 RHD cars to start with its not like trying to find a 320d in the classified section of your local free paper. However, they are out there both at dealers and on the private market and as most have been second or third cars, condition is generally high and mileage low. Though it’s wise to remember that like all Alpinas these cars came with only 2 years manufacturers warranty from new, therefore many will now not be covered unless the previous owner saw fit to extend the cover.
The bottom line is if you’re looking for a soft top roadster this summer, with an exhaust note to die for, fuel consumption you never though possible in anything larger than a 2.0L engine and a feel good factor every time you drive it, roof up or down, you could do much worse than taking a Roadster S for a test drive. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY   VAT Please note this is a (VAT FREE) Channel Island registered vehicle so please check with your local customs or DVLA whether there is any duty to pay. Duty is normally 20% of the invoice price for the UK if the car is Channel Island registered from new. Should the car have originated in the UK it is possible that the duty is paid, however i cannot guaranty this so please research and bid accordingly. HPI The car is HPI clear and accident free and is supplied with a Jersey log book (equivalent of V5) which can be exchanged for a V5 at DVLA. An invoice from myself will also be supplied and is required by DVLA. The Jersey log book will also be accepted in other countries should you wish to register the car abroad. MOT This is not applicable in Jersey however i will guarantee in writing the car will pass an  mot inspection on arrival to the UK unless the description of the vehicle states otherwise.   VIEWING This can be arranged anytime in Jersey before the auction ends. Jersey is only a 25 minute flight from Southampton or 40 mins Gatwick. Numerous flights daily with flybe. I will collect you from the airport or harbour and show the car. PAYMENT This will be due within 7 working days after the auction and can either be paid cash on collection from Jersey, or alternatively should you require us to ship the car, payment will be needed via bank transfer before the car leaves Jersey. We do accept paypal but all fees will be paid by the buyer.    BIDDERS Anyone with a feedback of less than 10 please contact me prior to bidding otherwise your bid will be removed.  SHIPPING We are able to ship the car to Portsmouth or Poole at a cost of £120.00. Please note the car will be shipped as freight (unaccompanied) with Condor ferries. Condor travel to the UK, twice daily. We can also ship the car to St Malo (France) for the same cost. DELIVERY We are also able to deliver the car to your door in either the UK or Europe at a cost depending on location. However, this must be agreed before bidding commences. CUSTOMS Should the car be freighted to the UK, customs will require the vat payment before or on collection. This is to be paid for by the winning bidder.   Finally, good luck.
 

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