Rule breaker

2004 BMW Z4 3.0i SE

- ROBERT HEFFERON

WHEN YOU BUY a new car, especially if that 'new' car is an old car, you need all the advice you can get. And when I bought my BMW Z4, I found the Z4 Forum (Z4-forum.com) really helpful: so much knowledge, insight and buying advice. Full-service history is the big one: regular oil changes are a must, obviously, but has the DISA valve been changed?

The what? In essence, it's an electronically controlled flap in the intake manifold that opens and closes depending on what the ECU tells it, for more torque at low revs (staying closed, so the intake runner is long) and more power at high revs when it opens.

Ideally buy a car that's not on run-flat tyres, check it has the wind deflector... I compromised on these, but I did so knowingly. Well, you have to know the rules to break the rules, in graphic design (that's my role at Octane) at least. And I think that goes for buying cars, too.