That is why; I’m guessing the thing came lathered in ///M Badges. On each wing, the boot lid, the gear knob, the steering wheel, the wheels themselves and under the bonnet for good measure. And speaking of the bonnet, it sits above an aggressive front end, with a muscle bulge to set it apart from the somewhat tamer standard Z4. Just in case anyone should make the mistake that your roadster was the run of the mill 2.5 steptronic variant. But the Z4M is more than simply badges and tailpipes.

Priced at $180k on release and yours for circa $60k now, the Z4M came packing 340 bhp courtesy of a 3.2 litre straight 6 power plant lifted straight from the infamous e46 M3 CSL. That means that with a kerb weight of 1,450 kg, the Z4M reaches 100kph in a shade under 5 seconds. In fact when we put it to the test we mustered a 4.8.

The Z4 was renowned for it’s somewhat controversial but growing looks. An
gular panels, with an elegant flare. It has the typical muscle roadster proportions, a huge, sweeping bonnet, seats almost over the rear seats and a growling naturally aspirated heart. The dash in this model features the pop-up screen, which folds away into the soft-touch dash which is fronted by a faux carbon fibre facia. The SatNav operates on the same principle as the newer i-drive interface. Rotate to scroll through menus, push to select. It is loaded with the 6cd changer in the centre-rear cubby space, as well as a/v input, parking sensors, iPod interface and phone cradle. Bluetooth can be tricky to pair on the phone, requiring split second timing.

My favourite feature is in the somewhat long key. Click the unlock button three times and hold; and the roof and windows drop. Quite the party trick.

Pour into the cockpit and you’ll find it snug but well laid out. The electronic roof drops away in under 5 seconds, and the speedo and tachometer are cowled towards the driver. A thick, chunky steering wheel sits at the centre of the action; some complain it is too thick but for my stubby fingered chunky man hands it is a perfect fit. Turn the key and the exhaust note is quite subdued at idle. Blip the throttle and you get a little burble as you ease off.

Foot down and she screams to life. The first gear whilst long, is subject to a lot of criticism for feeling ‘loose’ as you hunt for second. She’s fickle; pulling away without bunny-hopping is an acquired skill in itself. The situation worsens should you hit the ‘sport’ button. Many will tell you that the button does nothing but I couldn’t disagree more. It sharpens up the throttle response by means of adjusting the amount that the fly-by-wire system opens the throttle at any given pedal position. I.E. where a throttle might be at 10% with sports mode off, it will be at 15% in the same position with it on. What does this mean in the real world? It means that faster shifts and getting your throttle on as you come out of the apex happens that split second more quickly. The M has a heavy clutch which adds to the sheer drama of the thing.

The layout of the car means that I you flick the traction control off, she will be tail-happy/ With the high rev limit, you can tip into a corner and ride a wave of tyre smoke sideways through the apex. The suspension, whilst firm is known to be a little crashy, getting unsettled should you hit a bump mid turn. It does however provide good stability. This isn’t a car that you try to navigate with precision through corners in the same way that you would a 911 or a Cayman. You take a deep breath, pick a gear, flick the wheel and unleash a throttle full of fury until you emerge, giggling nervously.
The mechanical roar climaxes as you race from 5k to the XXXXXXXXX redline and in this example, the roar is deepened by the AFE intake which pivots heads like owls from 20 meters away with a wide open gas pedal. Turn after turn with extreme use, the brakes if used over-enthusiastically do flutter a hint of fade, however the CSL’s stoppers are plenty man enough for road and light track duties.

We had the pleasure of piloting this example bone-stock and with a few bits of garnish. On the standard 18” wheels wrapped in Yokohama I certainly could feel a hint of understeer and a slightly dulled turn-in which is cured by adding a load of oversteer. Whereas after modification – lightweight 19” wheels from the M3 CSL coated in Michelin Super Sport wheels (at a staggering $3,200 a set for 245/ 235 width stance), and a Weicher’s front brace, turn in was sharper, responsive and honed what was already a thrilling experience. The electronic steering of the normal Z4 is thrown away for a hydraulic setup purely because it was the M Department’s preference, offering more modulated control and feedback.

The Z4M gained criticism for not being as sharp as the M3 which it was effectively cousin to; nor as sharp its competition aka the Porsche Boxster. But having gained an almost cult following, it is often viewed as an underrated gem. The German TVR some will say. Some say the gearbox lacks feel in the shift from one to two which I can certainly see – it always feels like an uncertain affair. There are no real reliability quirks, the recipe is simple. A well-sized motor, linked to a simple, non-complicated gearbox, bolted to the rear wheels via an LSD. There are no SMG hydraulics to fail. The usual M3 Vanos quirks remain, which simply means that you will have to keep to a maintenance schedule. The great thing is that cars like this attract an almost cult following of dedicated and friendly enthusiasts who grow to know the car inside and out who create great communities online and at events.

In standard form, the M is an exhilarating hoot of a machine. With a bit of fettling, the Z4M is definitely cemented as something special. The Coupe generally gets praise for being sharper, stiffer, more composed. The car that the roadster wasn’t. Which is exactly why I would reach for the keys to the drop to every time. The point of a car that feels this alive, is to have the wind ruffle your air, to feel like you’re amongst the elements and very much involved with the drama. Prices have steadied and even started to rise and perhaps this future classic candidate has potential in its residuals.

What better era to pick a selection for an affordable performance machine than the nineties. The nineties is renowned these days for producing a variety of increasingly potent vehicles where performance came on in leaps and bounds, some of which have faded to the dark; and others rising to a somewhat iconic status with a cult following. As an era, it was very much the bridge between technologies of yesteryear and the machines we see today, but there remain some vehicles that still contend with today’s crop of ultra-hatches and cruisey coupes.

Fade back to 1992 and you’ll find Jap muscle which in their day were akin to early versions of what the GTR is to motoring today. Namely; lower cost Japanese cars which with some engineering and a couple of turbos thrown into the mix, can give supercars costing 5 fold the price a run for their money. This example was collected for around 5,000 pounds, or, close to $10,000 AUD which was representative of the average condition

I know, I know, the fist thing that has sprung into your mind is THAT scene from the fast and the furious, roaring after an F355 but there’s valid reason to that. At a time where the crown of performance was the haloed McLaren F1, with the F1 LM claiming an official 0-100kph time of 3.9 seconds, for the most minuscule fraction of the cost, the Supra Twin turbo (manual) did the sprint in .5 seconds slower. I’m not for a second comparing the two, don’t worry I haven’t been sipping the silly juice, but 90’s Jap turbo’s do start to make a case for themselves.

When you click the fob and open the door of the supra, it’s remarkably, well.. Toyota. That isn’t a bad thing, but it means that you don’t get the satisfying clunks synonymous with german build quality. What you do get, in the GZ we have before us, is a surprising blend of rigidity, comfort and outright performance. The chairs, fully electric on the driver’s side suffer the usual bolster wear and feel more vinyl than leather, but do grab and hug you in the right places and take on a simplistic, cocoon-like form. The UK spec Supras featured faster spooling, stronger  steel turbo internals and larger brakes, all of which are common hotspot components for mods. Heated backs are another nice touch that you’d be more familiar with in the 7 series’ of the era. And although the interior and switchgear is very 90’s in feel, the wrap around dash makes you feel that you’re in a car way above its pay grade. Everything cowls towards the driver, perhaps suggestive of the intent behind the supra. Everything is in reach and truth be told, quite ergonomic to interact with. The dash fascia is known to wear on the surface with usage, particularly around the switchgear which isn’t easily repainted due to the plastic-rubber like coating that first needs to be stripped back.

The UK and higher end J-spec models come with a self lowering front splitter which over 60mph lowers, noticeably hunkering the front end down, and across the board there were options from Limited Slip Differentials, auto-folding mirrors, headed electrics, CD changers, the list goes on. Finding an un-molested example is a task in this day and age, with genuine import docs being long misplaced on the most part, but on the good side, they are a modifier’s dream with a Basic Performance Upgrade, or BPU resulting in around 400bhp for very little outlay (extending to a free-flowing, cat-less exhaust, colder spark plugs, boost controller and front mount intercooler). The 6 speed manual, although agricultural, is the pick to go for, but expect to pay for it. That’s not to take anything away from the Autobox which features a ‘manu’ mode allowing for surprisingly responsive manual control of the 4-speed auto box – and kickdown is a hell of a thing!)

On the move, aided by the huge rear wing and deployable front splitter; the supra has oodles of grip for a car of its size and weight. Push too hard and you can make the rear rubber squirm, and knocking the traction control off inevitably amplifies this effect. The first turbo brings a low rev clout that few cars match in day to day life, and the second kicks you in the kidneys to propel you towards the limited 155mph top end. The Supra is every bit a supercar in the same resepct that the GTR is today.

There’s a reason why the 2JZ is loved, with the first turbo kicking in as low as 1800 rpm producing 410nm of torque, and the second kicking in sequentially at around 4,000 rpm, the usable range is spectacularly versatile. My fondest memory of an 18 year old in a Supra, is perhaps the very thing about them that gets you into trouble. A Ferrari 360 tearing down the freeway scooping other commuters out of its path. On overtaking me, a split second of teenage testosterone mixed with a bootfull of kickdown meant that a few seconds later the overtaking Ferrari was pulled back in check, and slowly pulled away from by my mildly fettled Toyota. Childish? Probably. Enjoyable? Absolutely!

For sheer bang for buck pleasures, the Supra seems the perfect place to kick off the Performance Bargain Chronicles. With well used examples here in Australia $12,000, that puts them below the cost of a modern Golf GTI. Whilst a couple of turbos, rwd, and 90’s charm may not be for all, I feel that every petrolhead should have some sort of seat time behind a 2JZ! In fact, so infectious is this effect, that the Full-Chat project build will be based on one. But more about that another time!

Pros:

• Prices can be low
• Some models very well specced
• Solid, Non-interference engine
• Power easy to free up for little outlay
• Futuristic looks turn heads and have aged gracefully

Cons:

• Interiors can be tired
• Hard to find an example with solid history
• Age means turbo components could be coming up for replacement
• ‘Boy Racer’ styling isn’t for all