Buying A BMW Z3

Being given the moniker ‘future classic’ can be as much a curse as a benefit. However, the BMW Z3 range is so comprehensive, especially in its engine options, that there’s bound to be a model for you, whether it’s a sedate, lower-powered open-topped poseur or a sixcylinder muscle car version.

- Nigel Fryatt

BMW’s decision to build a small, mid-range two seater sports car was in response to the success of the Mazda MX-5, a model that had been well received, especially in the US. Of course, it wasn’t a direct competitor – it’s a BMW after all – but it tapped into the demand that the Japanese manufacturer had so significantly highlighted.

America was seen as the major market, a fact that led to the significant decision to build the Z3 in North America, on a green field, former plantation, site at Spartanburg in South Carolina. This was, therefore, a serious investment by the German company and a lot was expected of the new small sports car.

The model range that has developed since the 1996 launch can at times seem a little confusing, varying as it does from a modestly powered base option to a hair-raisingly brutal M-Sport option, but the Z3 was a great success when in production and is now moving into that somewhat subjective ‘future classic’ class, which based on its looks alone is certainly worth considering. That expansive model range means there is probably a Z3 that fits both your expectations, and more importantly, your budget.