I haven't seen a Z4 Coupe in the metal, but it's gonna have to impress the pants off me (and more!) to sway me from a Porsche Cayman S - I love how they look, possibly my favourite production car.

Anything but a two seater... we are planning kids in the next few years.

So for me to get this, I'll need a family car.

The caymen is way to compromised to be a real option in my opinion. They had to it make worse than the 911 and therefore made the caymen not as good as it could be. For instance they didnt include a limited slip differential, nor a powerful engine. The caymen was made to fill a market gap while the M coupe is soley a drivers car thats uncompromised and would probably be faster around a track..

While the Cayman's potential is unfulfilled, I don't think it has been so comprised to the point where it can't compete with the Z4 M Coupe. In fact, I think it's more than qualified.

Yes, the Cayman was initially made to fill a niche in the market, but isn't it curious that the Z4 was never initially made to have a coupe counterpart, yet when Porsche comes out with a coupe Boxster, all of a sudden there's a coupe Z4?

there used to be a Z3 Coupe as well so its not something BMW just invented because of the Cayman.

True, but I remember an interview with Hooydonk where he says that a coupe Z4 was not initially on the cards.

Then neither the Cayman or Z4 M coupe is an option.

True.

The same case was for Z3. It was not planned by marketing, but the M division developed it on their own hand - as a "submarine car" = a car developed without Board permission.
Z3 Coupe was a flop for BMW, so Board put new generation Z coupe definitely on ice: developing a roadster only.

When making some sketches for a Z4 facelift Anders Warming sketched a coupe - just for fun. The car looked so much sexier than Z3 Coupe. Z4 coupe initial idea was so sexy everybody liked it. Van Hooydonk was impressed, Bangle even more, and so was Goeschel. But initially the Board of Management did not give a green light, so M developed the car "ilegally".
After testing the prototype, and seeing Cayman coming & a new TT, Board of Management gave a green light for a Z4 coupe: especially due to extremely raw & fun driving characteristics. Sexy design also helped.

Bangle described Z4 Coupe as an "ultimate emotional car". The car being so sexy & full of driving emotions it just screamed to be built. Marketing department did a homework: research showed there was a market, so ... the rest is history.

Like I said... only as a second car!

Thanks for that info Eni. Where did you read that?

I give BMW credit for making the new Z Coupe much more than an also-ran to its convertible doner. The look, especially on the M, appears as though it was concieved to be a hardtop from day one.

I also give BMW credit for using the Z Coupe as a platform for a low-volume "who gives an F" kind of car that only a maniac would use as a daily driver.

As for the Cayman - I love the look. It's everytyhing that's good about modern Porsche with a dash of Italian thrown in. What I don't really like is the notion that the car could be a much better performer, but has been cranked-down to keep things kosher with the 911. Just doesn't smell right when the asking price is already sky high.

Not like the Z Coupe is any kind of value either, but there's something more honest about the whole execution. Kind of a "hey, we know who you are. Get a load of this.." kind of routine. That and it looks damn nifty with the hardtop, as opposed to the Z3 Coupe, which looked every bit like a hardtop retrofit.

Speaking of LSDs, does the Z4 and/or Z4 coupe have an LSD?