The British brought us the classic sports car in the '50s and '60s, the Japanese modernized it with the
Mazda Miata and now
BMW is taking it a step upscale with the all new Z3 roadster.
It appears to be a step lots of people have been ready for. The scene-stealing walk-on star of the latest James Bond movie and cover car for last year's Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalogue, the Z3 started generating orders before the first production cars began to leave the assembly line.
The assembly line is a story in itself, because it's in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. That is right. Made in America. Thanks to dollar-deutschmark exchange rates and the high cost of building anything in Germany, BMW elected to create an all-new factory in the U.S. for its new car. The new plant, which also produces the 318ti hatchback coupe, is the sole source of the Z3. Which is one of the reasons There is a long waiting list. Although There is some flexibility in Greenville's Z3/318ti production mix, Z3 production will be about 30,000 cars annually, once the factory is up to full speed. That will take awhile, because BMW is being very deliberate about the production ramp-up, to make sure quality is up to BMW standards. And those standards are high indeed.
The other reason for the long waiting line is simpler. This is one nifty little sports car.
With its long hood, short rear deck and muscular Coke bottle shape, the Z3 has the proportions of the graceful shapes that seduced the baby boom generation, conjuring up memories of cars like the original Ferrari Testarossa, the MGA, Austin-Healey,
Jaguar XK-E, pre-Stingray Corvette and the A.C. Bristol, better known as the Shelby Cobra.
BMW has a place in this hall of fame, with its 1959 507 roadster. But the 507 was a limited production project--only a handful were made. By comparison, the Z3 is much more of a mass market car.
Built around a shortened chassis developed from BMW's 3-Series coupes, the Z3 is a little longer, wider and heavier than the Miata, with a slightly longer wheelbase and wider track.
Like all BMWs--and all the members of the classic club--it's a rear-drive car with independent suspension, MacPherson struts at the front, multilink at the rear. The rear suspension was adapated from the previous generation of the M3, BMW'S hot rod 3-Series coupe.
The 1.9-liter 4-cyl. engine is another 3-Series adaptation, but it's unique to the Z3, though BMW plans to install it in the 318 line at a later date. Like all members of the BMW engine family, it has dual overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder and endless hours of development behind it.
Peak power--138 hp at 6000 rpm--is relatively modest, but the engine has very good torque characteristics, with plenty of thrust at the lower end of the rpm range, and the gearing of the standard 5-speed manual transmission makes the most of it.
A 4-speed automatic is available as an option ($975). It too is geared for good acceleration, but like any automatic it sops up power and in our view takes something away from the driving experience. With its short shift throws and precise engagement, the 5-speed enhances the Z3's race car feel.
After driving several versions with different options, we settled on a basic roadster with a 5-speed and optional ($1100) traction control. The standard equipment package, which includes 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock, should make most drivers happy.
