Mal Schulstad's Z4

The Passion for Convertibles

My passion for BMWs started at the age of five, when I first fell in love with the BMW M1. Ever since, I’ve dreamt of owning a range of BMWs — the E31 850Ci, the E36 and E46 M3s, and of course, the legendary E39 M5.
But it wasn’t until my 50th birthday that I finally ticked a BMW off the bucket list.

My love for open-top motoring started early too — first with my mother’s E46 330Ci convertible, and later with a Saab 9-3 convertible that my daughter eventually inherited. Once you experience a car where the roof disappears at the touch of a button, it’s hard to go back.

Initially, I looked at the 2 Series convertibles — especially the 235i and 240i — thinking the combination of a drop-top and a practical back seat made the most sense.

But in the back of my mind, I kept remembering a movie scene with a sleek two-seater roadster and a metal folding roof — the BMW E89 Z4.
After three months of hunting 2 Series convertibles, I finally decided to say "to hell with practicality" and went to see a Z4 that had been catching my eye. I bought it the same day.

It wasn’t perfect. The leather seats and steering wheel were tired, the rubber seals had hardened, the wheels had seen a few too many gutter kisses, and the paintwork was far from showroom. Being the 2.0-litre version, it lacked the punch its aggressive looks suggested.

But for me, it's always been about the journey, not just the destination. The idea of fixing and restoring a car — despite never having done it before — was part of the appeal.

And the journey began sooner than I expected.

Despite having a recent service and safety certificate from a BMW dealership (who shall remain unnamed), within three weeks my new Z4 developed a not-so-insignificant oil leak. Four weeks later, a rear tyre split on the highway, earning me a 100km tow home. Replacing the tyres revealed another surprise — one of the rear rims had a crack and needed replacing too. Oh, and the speakers had started crackling by Day Two of ownership.

But that’s exactly what I wanted: a project car. And that’s what I got.

Since then, I've spent time restoring the paintwork, rejuvenating the leather, conditioning the rubber seals, and replacing the speakers. The Z4 also received a little bit of a tune to liven up the 2.0-litre turbo — now delivering performance that matches its sharp looks.

Despite its flaws — which are understandable given it’s now 11 years old — the Z4 has been an absolute pleasure to drive.
A skidpan session taught me that the car’s limits are far higher than I’d expected — and pushed my grin wider than ever.

There’s still a long list of things I want to do: installing an amplifier, restoring scratched trim, repairing paint chips, and upgrading a few engine components for reliability (and maybe a little more performance).
This Z4 is going to be with me for a while.

Good thing I love driving it.

Especially with the roof down.

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