1996 BMW Z3 Roadster: The OG Z3 Was ‘a Shrewd Execution’

From the January 1996 issue of Car and Driver.

James Bond, long noted for his keen sense of fashion accessories, has a new pistol and a new car for his latest cinematic adventure. Seasoned observers will notice a new man standing in Bond’s tuxedo, too. For more on the piece and the hunk, you’ll need other magazines. We’re here with the inside story on the roadster.

Bond’s past rides have been drawn from a highly exclusive motor pool­—various Aston Martins, a rare open-top Toyota 2000GT, and something agile from Lotus, to name a few. But for GoldenEye, he seems to have uncharac­teristically moved down into the middle market. Sure, BMW is a Fifth Avenue name, but the company intends this new Z3 Roadster to be a BMW for the many rather than a BMW for the few.

What’s the difference?

Check the price—$29,320 for a well­-equipped Z3, with air conditioning, ABS, dual airbags, central locking, power-adjustable driver’s seat, anti-theft system, and stereo in the standard package.

“Oh, no,” you’re groaning. “Bond has turned into a budget shopper for the frugal Nineties?” Nope. The Z3 is a fun flier. Everything about it is exactly what you’d expect of BMW—except the price.

Exactly what you’d expect because the major mechanicals are pulled directly from the 3-series parts bin. The standard engine (for the U.S.) is a 138-horsepower, 16-valve 1.9-liter four—a slightly bored and stroked 1.8—to be shared with the 3-series. Transmission choices are five-speed manual or four­-speed automatic also shared with the 3-series, as is the strut front suspension. Rear suspension is the semi-trailing-arm design carried over directly from the pre­vious 3-series. In the cockpit, the instru­ment cluster and numerous vents, handles, knobs, and switches have all been seen before, if not in the U.S. then in 3-series variants sold elsewhere on the planet. All of these familiar com­ponents are assembled with the U.S.-made interior trim and all­-steel body at BMW’s new plant just outside Spartanburg, South Carolina—the only source of Roadsters for export to “100 markets around the world,” according to BMW.

Except for the fuse­lage look of this car’s front half, it’s really quite a conventional front-engined rear­-driver. “Grown-up Miata” is a nutshell summary, although that understates the slick and sophisti­cated BMW feel that sets the Z3 apart from any other two-seater on the U.S. market. Dimension­ally, the Z3 is hardly grown up at all. Its 158.5-inch overall length makes it only 3.1 inches longer than the Miata. Width and height are up 0.7 and 2.5 inches respectively. At 2600 pounds, it weighs about 200 pounds more.

Only one dimension differs substan­tially from the Miata—wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer. And that, combined with clever packaging, makes the Z3 an easy fit for six-footers without tossing away the zippy sports-car feel. The cockpit is appropriately intimate but not cramped. Long doors ease in-and-out for those lanky of limb. The seat is up off the floor more than you’d expect, which adds to comfort. Everyday users will probably complain mildly about a lack of space behind the seats for stowing a briefcase. The unlined top has a flexy plastic-film rear window. Manually raising and low­ering the roof is Miata-easy, but a power soft top (and a hard top) will be avail­able next year. The lowered top can be quickly hidden with a soft-yet-molded cover retained by just four snaps.

The open interior is not as draft-free as that of, say, a Corvette convertible; raising the side windows increases the ruckus at the back of the neck. A wind blocker similar to the one offered on the 3-series convertible is an option.

Trunk space is surprisingly generous, 6.3 cubic feet, thanks to some thoughtful layout choices made during the design stage. The old 3-series trailing-arm sus­pension was chosen for its compactness, which left space directly above for a 13.5-gallon molded-plastic fuel tank and space behind for an “emergency size” spare tire stored flat beneath the floor.

Our driving thus far has been limited to a few hundred miles in an export-to­-Germany version, though it was optioned quite close to the standard U.S. model, including the 138-hp engine and Michelin Pilot HX 225/50ZR-16 tires on 7.0-inch­-wide alloy wheels.

Freed of the sedan’s weight burden, this four easily takes up the roadster spirit, though the Z3 is eager rather than fast. BMW claims 0-to-62-mph accel­eration of 9.5 seconds (our testing usually shaves a second off BMW esti­mates) and a 127-mph top speed. Nonetheless, the four happily chases its 6200-rpm redline. Buttery-smooth, short-travel controls give the driver a great feeling of harmony with the machinery. The clutch and shifter are truly first rate, the power steering is light and very quick, the dead pedal and just-­right seat work together to give you a stable platform for precise driving. The Michelins are seriously grippy yet gradual in their approach to the limit. This is one of those BMWs that under­steers predictably under power, then flicks its tail out when you lift, a product of bushing deflection in this older rear-sus­pension design. By every objective stan­dard, this self steering is hardly a good idea, but it’s harmless entertainment in a low-powered car and hardcore BMW drivers like it a lot.

The Z3 is a shrewd execution. At first glance, it packs BMW-style driving enjoy­ment in a genuine sports-car package at a price that’s within stretching distance of many budgets. That would normally be enough to assure our approval. But the planners thought further ahead with the Z3, giving it an uncommon number of possi­bilities for future variations. We think the Z3 goes far beyond the 3-series in its readiness for the M-Sport treatment. Already the option sheet includes 225/45ZR-17 tires on 7.5-inch-wide wheels, and a further sport-suspension option lowers ride height by 0.6 inch.

BMW engineers allow that the six from the 328i will fit the Z3’s compartment. Our tape measure says that the 4.0-liter V-8 will fit too, and small-block Ford and Chevy V-8s should be easy. Monster Z3s, anyone? Moreover, the shoulder-belt attachments behind the seats rise up from the unit body in a way that invites attaching a roll bar. We notice, too, that all of the exterior sheetmetal bolts on, which allows quick styling variations.

The limited usefulness of a two-seater, compared with a sedan, naturally narrows its sales prospects. Two-seaters are both self-indulgence and self-expression, and BMW seems exceptionally sensitive to the idea that every customer may have his own idea of how his sports car should be cooked. Some differences are based on national preferences. American cars, for example, will all have cupholders while export models won’t, and the standard cloth seats preferred elsewhere in the world will be replaced by leatherette here, with leather a $1150 option.

For an idea of the variety available from the Z3 parts bin, look at James Bond’s car, as expressed by the special­-edition James Bond Z3 that quickly sold its 100-car allotment in the Neiman-­Marcus Christmas catalog. It has the high­-potency stereo, not otherwise available in the U.S. because the subwoofer occupies entirely the lock-up storage compartment behind the seats. “Theft is too big of a problem in the U.S.,” one BMW executive told us. Then there’s the “Chrome Package,” including bright windshield trim, door handles, instrument bezels, and various other knobs and buttons, also not scheduled for this market. And the rear-deck luggage carrier and wood-burl inte­rior trim, which will be available later if not sooner.

Are you beginning to get the idea this is a two-seater whose possibilities merely begin with a James Bond adventure?