Today felt like a good day to step away from driving and properly talk about my car—my BMW Z4 sDrive 20i. This one is a 2013 model, which means it’s officially 11 years old now. And with that age comes a certain reality: things start to wear out, and questions about “what’s next” start creeping in.

I’ve owned the car for six years. I bought it when it was five years old, and funnily enough, one of the main reasons I bought it in the first place was to start creating content. Back then, I was too shy to be out in public holding a camera. Fast forward to now, and here I am—outside, camera in hand, talking about the car that helped push me here in the first place.

The Basics

The Z4 is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, producing 184 horsepower, with rear-wheel drive. It does 0–60 mph in roughly 6.9 seconds, which still feels respectable even today. It’s not a supercar, but it’s quick enough to be fun, especially when you want it to be.

It’s also a convertible, and dropping the roof completely transforms the car. With the roof down, it feels like a totally different experience—especially in summer.

Age Is Starting to Show

As much as I love this car, age is starting to make itself known. The first real scare came during my MOT when it failed due to a broken spring on the front left corner. I’ve never been nervous about MOTs before, but this time was different.

I’m fairly new to the area I live in now, so I didn’t have a trusted mechanic. That part was honestly more stressful than the repair itself. I went to a few garages, got some ridiculous quotes, and eventually found a place that fixed it for around £200 including labour—which felt like a win.

Aside from that, it’s mostly been normal wear-and-tear: tyres (especially the rears), servicing, and small age-related quirks. Nothing catastrophic—yet.

M Sport Details

This Z4 has the M Sport package, which makes a noticeable difference visually. The bumpers are more aggressive, the grille design is different, and the rear features a diffuser-style finish that completely changes the look compared to the standard model.

Inside, you get the M steering wheel and subtle M branding throughout. It’s not overdone, but it adds just enough to make the car feel sportier and more special than the base version.

The Interior: Simple, but Dated

The interior is a two-seater setup—just you and whoever’s brave enough to sit in the passenger seat. It’s tight, cosy, and very driver-focused.

That said, the lack of technology is starting to stand out. There’s no iDrive screen in my car—just an empty space where it should be. No Apple CarPlay, no Android Auto. Bluetooth exists, but only for phone calls, not music, so I rely on a plug-in Bluetooth receiver for longer journeys.

The climate control is dual-zone and works well once you understand BMW’s slightly odd system, where air temperature and fan temperature can be adjusted independently. It’s clever, but confusing at first.

Overall, the interior has aged better than some older BMWs, but stepping into newer cars—especially after seeing my sister’s 2021 Mercedes CLA—really highlights how far things have moved on.

Roof Down Reality

With the roof down, the car still gets plenty of attention. People often ask questions at traffic lights, give thumbs up, or just seem surprised that it’s an 11-year-old car.

One misconception worth clearing up: it doesn’t attract women. It attracts men. Mostly men who like cars. But that’s fine—I’m almost married anyway.

Boot space is still usable with the roof down, though you definitely have to plan ahead. The roof folds away neatly, but older age has introduced some issues like condensation and minor wear in places you wouldn’t expect.

The Big Question: What’s Next?

This is where I’m stuck.

Do I keep the Z4 and accept the occasional repair bill? Do I refresh my love for it with a Stage 1 tune and squeeze out another 80 horsepower? Or do I move on?

Cars I’ve considered:

• BMW M240i

• BMW M140i (not really my vibe)

• Mercedes C63 AMG (dream, but unrealistic right now)

My dream car has always been the Nissan GT-R R35, but maintenance costs make that a hard no. The Nissan 370Z was also high on my list years ago, but running costs pushed me toward the Z4 instead.

Right now, the Z4 is relatively cheap to run, reasonably taxed, and still fun. The question is whether that’s enough to keep it long-term.

For Now

Nothing is decided yet. The Z4 hasn’t let me down in any major way, and there’s still something special about it—especially with the roof down on a warm day.

Maybe the next step is figuring out whether improving it will reignite that spark… or whether it’s finally time to move on.

Either way, this car has been a big part of my journey.