Yahoo Autos Future Classic: BMW Z3 Roadster
When BMW began its quest to create a modern two-seat roadster in the early 1990s, it had one target in mind: the Mazda Miata. The charming and now-classic Miata was a revelation, recapturing some of the two-seater, drop-top magic that took the postwar automotive world by storm. For years, the Miata had a lock on entertaining, moderately priced transportation.
For BMW, it was a challenging reach.
What arrived in 1995, emerging as the first BMW produced at the company's first American car plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, bore little resemblance to the cute and quirky Japanese roadster. The Z3 was more solid and more upscale. It was also very pretty and immediately attracted gobs of attention worldwide — with a little help from James Bond. It was different from a Miata, but it was still a hit.
The predecessor to the Z3 was the 1989 Z1, although the two are fundamentally different apart from being two-seat convertibles. While the Z1 was a borderline exotic with fanciful drop-down doors, the Z3 was a more cost-conscious creation. As such, it's effectively a parts bin car in a pretty package. Its chassis code is E36/7, indicating its close mechanical relationship with the contemporary BMW 3 Series, the E36. Yet, its rear axle came from the preceding 3 Series, the E30, for reasons related to both cost and packaging (it would later create problems for the high-powered M Roadster). Many of the interior parts were shared with older BMWs as well, such as the pull-out headlight switch and door handles.
Initially, the Z3 was only offered with a 1.9-liter inline-four. Despite the Bond connection, many dismissed it as a "hairdresser's car." That would soon be corrected when BMW dropped in the 2.8-liter inline-six from the 328i, bringing with it a wider, more shapely rear track, a bigger air intake and dual exhaust ports. The 1.9 would eventually be replaced by a 2.5-liter inline-six base engine, while the 2.8 was binned in favor of the then-new 3.0-liter. Of course, those who seek max power lust after the M Roadster, which boasted engines from two generations of M3 (first the 240-hp one from the E36 M3, and then a downgraded, 315-hp one from the E46).
The Z3 was never the razor-sharp handler some may have hoped for, especially given comparisons to the Miata (and eventually the Porsche Boxster). If you want a more engaging driver's car, both remain a better bet. But the Z3 is still pretty, and with the right powertrain (meaning, don't get the 1.9 or a four-speed automatic), it remains plenty of fun to drive to this day.
The Z3 would eventually give way to the far more modern Z4, which nevertheless failed to recapture the Z3's popularity.
Why is the BMW Z3 a Future Classic?
It's all about the looks. As Autoblog contributor Steven Ewing wrote in his Z3 retro review, “for a lot of people, the Z3 was love at first sight. There was strong initial demand, with some 15,000 orders placed by the time it actually went on sale.” The Bond connection was part of that too, while also being a reason it's remained in the automotive zeitgeist for those of a certain age (never mind that its role in "GoldenEye" was rather underwhelming).
A pretty design can only take you so far. The DNA shared with other, iconic BMWs of its era also plays a big role in its continued desirability. The Z3 may not have offered the razor-sharp responses of a Boxster, but it was certainly more dynamically gifted than a Mercedes SLK or Audi TT. Used car prices reflect this hierarchy.
Consider the layout as well: classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive, and apart from the 1.9-liter, big power from sweet-revving engines typically found in bigger coupes and sedans.
And it’s a roadster, which defines a conveyance that offers, as one reviewer for Car & Classic wrote, “the sense of speed, the noise of the engine, the feeling of being at one with your surroundings rather than simply observing them through a sheet of glass.” A super-low beltline also meant that your peripheral vision was filled with pavement whizzing by.
