BMW Z8 issue, MB owners can laugh
 

Has anyone been following the warpage problem with the $160,000 BMW Z8?

Seems the aluminum frame into the shock tower structure can deform when hitting a severe pothole. The warpage causes the hood to deform - noticeable by a change in the closure gap.

I found this out at www.leftlanenews.com

Oh my !! :uhoh2:

I would be livid !!

Why would you want one of these anyway? :rolleyes:
Buy a Porsche! ;)

Those are still cool cars. I am kind of surprised though usually BMW gets the frame down. You never hear of structure problems on those cars.

Still for $160k a CL65AMG is a better buy.:D

Audi, Jaguar and BMW will be the first big victims of the sudden increase in aluminum construction in their cars. I was surprised to see MB hasn't jumped into using aluminum as much as those automakers have used on some of their cars - good idea, as MB has gotten too much bad rap lately on bringing new features not yet thoroughly tested to the market. A structural flaw in such an expensive vehicle would be a huge embarassment for the automaker. Much bigger than electronic issues.

That is one sexy Beemer, though I'd be pissed if mine was showing those problems while still young. Interesting piece at the link there. I'm all for saving weight, but I'm not sure I want alu-minium anywhere in my frame or suspension. Metal fatigue too big a danger with aluminum. That particular car, I'd want to cherish it for many years -- no throwaway car that.

Actually there have been a lot of problems with Z3's, especially the larger engine models. Some have actually pulled themselves apart. It's a problem with the rear end of the car. I haven't had any problems but several people in the Bimmer and Z3 forums have.

Bill

That car wouldn't last one month on the roads in SE Michigan.

The E36 3-series cars also have major problems with the rear subframes tearing out.

I wonder if this indicates a problem with German design & testing for the American market. I know the roads in Europe are considerably better than what we have here.

Most butt-ugly car ever from Germany

Interesting
 

that aluminum seems to have fallen out of favor as a material for frames and cabs of semi-trucks; lightweight but prone to fatigue, cracking, and general lack of durability.

Nabeel, the Z3 is built on the 3 series chassis but I didn't realize they were having this problem with all 3 series. Some of the dealerships are repairing them but BMW as a company seems to be in denial of the problem. A potential class action lawsuit is in the works.

The differential mounts are cracking, many welds are failing and the trunk floor is separating from the subframe.

From what I've seen, most of the cars having problems are where the owners have worked to increase horsepower. The M version of the Z3 has a reinforced subframe so I don't think it's had the same problems.

Bill

The fact that the Z8 is a $160,000 auto is the issue here. Most Z8 buyers paid that hefty price as an investment only to find out that it appears to have been a terrible investment. (even if the problems are unfounded, the story has devalued the car)

Here's a BusinessWeek article on the Z8:

Z8 Structural Problems

This reinforces some of what I've gathered from reading Roundel when I used to get it. I gather that the E-30 (my rig) has a better reputation among many, or at least some, BMW enthusiasts than subsequent 3 series. I've driven a couple of later model 3 series (not sure which ones -- I wasn't as up on it then) and I didn't like the feel as much as my car.

Anybody know much about the E-39 5 series? My mom likes my Beemer big time -- 5 speed and all -- she loves to borrow it and go visit her friends, and if I can pull it off, I want to buy her an E-39 to try to make up for all she had to put up with around me. Hell, I'd just give her the 325i but it has almost 250 K.