Z4
The book the community has been waiting for

The Definitive BMW Z4 E89

Three volumes. Every engine. Every fault. Every upgrade.
The most comprehensive owner's guide ever written for the E89.

Vol I — History & Ownership
Vol II — Maintaining & Upgrading
Vol III — Troubleshooting & Repair
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About the book

Every question answered. Once. Definitively.

The BMW Z4 E89 is one of the finest driver's cars of its generation — a complex, sophisticated machine that rewards the owner who understands it. Yet despite a passionate global community, no comprehensive technical resource has ever existed for it.

Written by an E89 owner with over a decade of hands-on experience, deep forum knowledge, and access to BMW TIS technical documentation, this three-volume series fills that gap permanently.

3
Volumes
1000+
Pages
N52
N54 · N20 · N55
2026
Publication
What's covered
Buying guide with pre-purchase inspection checklist
N54 twin-turbo, N20 four-cylinder, N52/N55 — complete engine chapters from BMW TIS
Retractable hardtop — operation, faults, hydraulics, water ingress
Complete fault code reference and diagnostic procedures
Upgrades — engine, chassis, audio, body
Suspension, DSC, EPS — technical depth and common faults
Touring, track days, tyres — from daily driver to enthusiast use
Body, paint, corrosion — UK and northern European conditions
The series

Three volumes.
One complete picture.

Each volume stands alone as a reference. Together they form the most thorough treatment of the E89 in print.

I
History, Buying, Owning & Enjoying
From the first Z1 to the E89 — the story of BMW's roadster lineage. Practical buying guide with inspection checklist. Daily ownership, cleaning, detailing, touring, track days.
BMW Z lineage — E36/7, Z8, E85/E86, E89
E89 variant guide — every model explained
Pre-purchase inspection — what to look for
Ownership costs, service schedules
Touring and track use
Tyre selection — including RWD-specific analysis
II
Maintaining & Upgrading
Deep technical reference for every system. Engine architecture, maintenance procedures, parts sourcing. Upgrade pathways from modest to comprehensive.
N52, N54, N20, N55 engine chapters
Chassis, suspension, DSC, EPS
Retractable hardtop — complete technical
Electronics, CIC, DSP audio
Maintenance schedules and procedures
Engine, chassis and body upgrades
III
Troubleshooting & Repairing
The workshop reference. Complete fault code tables, diagnostic sequences, repair procedures. From the most common fault to the most obscure. The volume that earns its keep.
N54 fault codes — complete reference
Handling faults — chassis and steering
Electrical diagnostics — IBS, TPMS, loom
Body and corrosion repair
NVH and refinement issues
Step-by-step repair procedures
The author
"The E89 deserves better than forum threads and scattered YouTube videos. It deserves a book that treats it — and its owners — with the seriousness the car merits."

Peter Bondar has been an active member of the Z4 community for over a decade, contributing technical content to z4-forum.com and other E89 owner communities worldwide. His 2012 sDrive35is — an Atacama Yellow example with 53 modifications — has been the test bed and the inspiration for much of what follows in these pages.

His background in aerospace engineering leadership, advanced driver assessment, and early computing brings a precision and rigour to the subject that distinguishes this series from enthusiast writing.

National Observer & Assessor, Borders Group of Advanced Motorists
Scottish Borders Resiliency Coordinator
Former SVP, Acorn Computers
Technical contributor, z4-forum.com
Peter
Bondar
Author · E89 Owner · Forum contributor
The car
2012 sDrive35is
Atacama Yellow · N54 340hp · Factory LSD
53 modifications and counting
E85
E86
Coming next

The E85 & E86
Z4 is next.

Following the completion of the E89 series, work begins on the definitive guide to the original Z4 — covering the roadster, coupé, Z4 M Roadster and Z4 M Coupé in equal depth.

Z4 Roadster E85
Z4 Coupé E86
Z4 M Roadster
Z4 M Coupé
M54 · M52 · S54

Register your E85/E86 interest below — you'll be first to know when it's in development.

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Kept separate from the E89 list — you choose what you hear about.