M Buyers Guide
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BMW Z4 M E85

BMW Z4 M E85

2006 to 2008RoadsterM car

Guide Score 75Very good$2,822 a year to ownAbout 26th of 69
Best year
2008
Example asking
$14k to $32k
Prices near you
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Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The Z4 M is the M version of the E85/E86 Z4, built in Spartanburg and sold here for 2006, 2007 and 2008 as a roadster with a power soft top and as a hatchback coupe.

The score, part by part

75Guide Score for 2008Very goodabout $2,822 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
About 26th of 69, likely 13th to 45th
Likely score range
63 to 84
Confidence
Low
Acclaim
13 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
4.1%
Best purposes
Driver's car, 3rd of 49; Track, 7th of 69

The seven parts and acclaim, 2008 model year

Heritage counts 14 of 100
1124% of it not measured
Engine counts 14 of 100
84
Drive feel counts 19 of 100
77
Analog connection counts 9 of 100
95
Weight counts 9 of 100
93
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 21 of 100
36
Acclaim counts 14 of 100
13

Each part is scored from 0 to 100 on a fixed outside scale. Acclaim comes from published expert lists, launch reviews and awards; the more acclaimed a car, the less its ownership cost counts in this all-time score (its dollars below are unchanged). A part marked not measured carries no weight for this car, and the others share its weight.

Long-term value, shown and not scored

9 prices from sources that allow this use (classiccars.com, enthusiastauto.com), read October 27, 2026: the middle one is $49,990, about 95% of the price new (58% once the price new is put in today's dollars). Asking prices sit above what cars sell for.

Long-term value starts to count in the score once 75% of the 69 generations have permitted prices. Today 43 do.

The cost to own

About $2,822 a year to own ($1,961 to $4,219), about $14,112 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Rod bearing wear (S54): about $2,463 over five years, expected (source)
  2. VANOS wear (S54): about $700 over five years, common (source)
  3. Age wear: bushings (class level): about $455 over five years, common

Expect about $2,000 to $4,200 a year; the bills that decide it are rod bearing wear, VANOS wear and age wear: bushings. Ownership risk: moderate.

Other bodies, scored on their own

  • BMW E86 Z4 M Coupe, best year 2008 · About 29th among the 69, likely 14th to 45thGuide Score 74, about $2,822 a year to own

Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.

S54330 hpRWD6-speed manual15 city, 22 hwy mpg

Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.

Routine service a year, estimate
$500 to $1,000

Best year to buy

2008The best year to buy, reading 75 of 100, about $2,822 a year to own.

No logged change between model years sets it apart; every year reads within 2 points of it, so buy on condition and records.

No year to think twice about: none reads 3 or more points below the 2008, and no logged fault separates them.

  1. 200675$2,822 a year
  2. 200774$2,822 a year
  3. 200875best year

From our log of the changes between model years, each with its source. Only changes the score reads count as reasons; recalls BMW fixes for free, options and tuning notes do not. The cost a year is for a car bought at five years old, or its own age if older, kept five years. How the score works.

The longer answer

Both use the E46 M3's S54 six, rated 330 hp in US form, with a six-speed manual as the only gearbox, the M3's hydraulic steering in place of the regular Z4's electric system, and the M3 CSL's cross-drilled compound brakes. About 1,815 coupes and 3,041 roadsters were built for North America, and there were no special editions.

Its costly items are the S54's: rod bearings and VANOS, plus the power top's hydraulics on roadsters.

What to look for. Rod bearing receipts (or at least oil analysis) on higher-mileage cars, VANOS work in the records, valve clearance adjustments at each BMW inspection, a power top that opens and closes smoothly with no hydraulic fluid on its hinges on roadsters, a cooling system refresh, broken coil springs or worn suspension bushings, and a clean accident and modification history.

Holds value

  • The M Coupe body
  • Low documented mileage
  • Interlagos Blue
  • Sepang Bronze
  • Imola Red and Monaco Blue paint
  • Extended Nappa leather (above all in Light Sepang Bronze)
  • Rod bearings and VANOS done with receipts
  • Original, unmodified cars

Hurts resale

  • High mileage with no bearing records
  • A failing power top
  • Accident or track history
  • Heavy modification
  • Missing records

What to do next

Check a carFound one for sale? Paste the listing's link or its VIN, or enter its details, for a report on that one car.Compare it with a rivalSee where the Z4 M E85 wins and loses, part by part.Take the checklistWhat to ask, look for and test before you pay.
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Follow the Z4 M

The M Index, once a month: any change to the Z4 M's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.