The BMW Z3 shows that it takes relatively little to enjoy driving

Any true BMW fan will probably associate the brand primarily with the letter M, but there are also several interesting models bearing the letter Z – three, to be precise. The first, which was produced back in the 1980s, was an original roadster (i.e. a two-seater convertible) called the Z1. And it was quite a unique undertaking – the car, designed by Harm Lagaaye, was assembled in Munich for just two years, with a total of exactly 8,000 units produced. The limited-edition roadster stood out for its plastic body panels and vertically sliding doors, which could be retracted into the sills at the touch of a button. Thanks to technology from the BMW 325i (E30), the Z1 was, quite rightly, fitted with an inline six-cylinder engine, a five-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive. Thanks to its excellent underlying technology, the Z1 remains not only attractive for its distinctive style but also a pleasure to drive to this day.

Its successor, the BMW Z3, went into production in September 1995, but this time not in Europe, but in South Carolina in the USA. The project, led by Burkhard Goschel, was launched as early as 1991, and the proportions of the rounded bodywork were finalised in mid-1992 under the guidance of Japanese-born designer Joji Nagashima. In Munich at the time, they were in no particular hurry with the successor to the Z1, as the project had been ready 39 months before production began but had been shelved for a couple of years. Fortunately, things then got moving, and so today we can look back on this lovely, compact BMW, which was offered in the second half of the 1990s as a roadster (E36/7) or, as in our case, a coupé (E36/8).

To complete the trio of ‘Z’ models with its final representative, we cannot fail to mention the marvellous Z8 roadster. Compared to the smaller Z1 and Z3 models, however, the Z8 was a somewhat more mature car – the roadster, which was originally developed by the design team between 1993 and 1995 under the leadership of Chris Bangle, was intended to be merely a design study, but in the end, the car – with an exterior reminiscent of the original 507 from the 1950s – was given the go-ahead, and a total of 5,703 cars were produced between 1998 and 2003. Today, this beautiful car, with its exterior curves designed by Henrik Fisker, is a sought-after classic whose value has long since settled above the 200,000-euro mark per car. This makes it all the more impossible to forget the good old days when, together with photographer Ondra Kroutil, we borrowed a red example from BMW Classic in Munich and spent a whole wonderful day with it in the foothills of the Alps. We even got to do some skidding, and overall we were absolutely blown away by this ’90s retro classic with a nearly five-litre V8 under the bonnet.

No one can take our memories away, so we can now return to the little BMW that, in the 1990s, became an alternative to Japanese or European sports cars. The Z3 differed from the aforementioned Z1 in that it was based on a shortened version of the BMW E36/5 platform, from the well-known compact model. The roadster came first, initially fitted with four-cylinder engines, the weakest of which – a 1.8-litre unit – delivered a mere 116 koní. Things became much more interesting with the arrival of the six-cylinder engines.

A group of BMW engineers developed the coupé in their spare time – although it naturally shared the platform with the roadster, its fixed roof made it significantly stiffer than the open-top version. It was unveiled in 1997 in Frankfurt, but as both versions were assembled in the US, the Z3 became the brand’s first model to be manufactured entirely outside Germany.

Thanks to its elongated, rounded body, the Z3 Coupé soon earned the nickname ‘clown shoe’, a moniker that has stuck with the little car to this day. In terms of engines, the coupé was more interesting than the roadster – only six-cylinder engines were available, which is actually something of a must for a classic BMW. I know you can get a Mustang with a four- or six-cylinder engine, for example, but you’ll always feel a bit awkward when someone asks why you don’t have a V8. In the case of the BMW Z3 Coupé, the choice was between the 2.8-litre M52 inline six-cylinder or the three-litre M54. For the sake of completeness, let’s add that the most attractive versions, traditionally designated with the letter ‘M’, used the S50, S52 and S54 series six-cylinder engines and, in the most powerful version, delivered a total output of up to 325 koní. However, this sexy ‘M’ model with its two pairs of circular tailpipes is in a slightly different price bracket to the one we’re looking at today…

As for the car featured here, which recently pulled up at the Veteráni na Truc dealership – from where, with their kind permission, we took it out for a pleasant summer drive – you’re looking at a 1999 model fitted with a superb M52B28TU six-cylinder engine featuring advanced technology. This naturally aspirated engine with indirect petrol injection utilises VANOS valve timing, DOHC timing and a Siemens MS 41.0 control unit. The performance figures are respectable – with a displacement of 2,793 cm³, it delivers a total output of 193 koní at 5,300 rpm and 280 Nm of torque at 3,950 rpm.

A first look reveals a car that’s genuinely well-preserved, with just a few minor cosmetic flaws, but otherwise in stunning condition. This comes as no surprise; this little gem, in its original Cosmosschwarz metallic paintwork, was sold as new in the Czech Republic and has had only two owners listed in the vehicle registration document – the father and subsequently his son. In the superbly preserved leather interior, we also find the original service book, which is further proof that this is an ideal candidate for a youngtimer collection – a category to which the BMW Z3, of course, belongs.

During the first few kilometres, I realise just how much those simple black plastic interiors from the 1990s have actually grown on us. At first glance – or for those who, unfortunately, aren’t blessed with a love of interesting cars – it all actually looks rather austere. Uncluttered, but perhaps even a bit plain – no displays, no frills, just easy-to-read dials set against grey trim and a few black buttons and rotary controls beneath the old cassette radio. Digitalisation is limited to a few orange numbers and symbols at the bottom of the instrument panel – the ideal situation. But those of us who also drive new cars purr with delight like a kitten in the sunshine, because this is all we need for a happy life.

The six-cylinder engine is exactly as smooth as you’d expect – it pulls smoothly from low to high revs; the peak at around 6,500 rpm is noticeable but not dramatic. You can really feel the power, as well as the lightness: the BMW Z3 in this configuration weighs around 1.3 tonnes, which means it can hit 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 231 km/h. Look, to be honest, it’s no rocket, but the pull is rich and immediate, so it’s perfectly adequate for me. Thanks to the 17-inch wheels with 235 mm-wide tyres, the coupé – with its almost ideal weight distribution – handles beautifully through corners, with clear weight transfer and the pleasing sensation that the whole car is pivoting around the occupants, who sit close to the rear axle.

The basic Z3 Coupé is no precision-engineered machine like a Lotus, but rather a fairly comfortable little car that excels in agility and nimbleness for a joyful drive on country roads. Overall, the slightly vaguer but precise steering is in keeping with its everyday character. The semi-independent rear suspension is said to be a bit treacherous when pushed to its limits, but as I tend to drive at everyday speeds, it’s hard for me to judge. The five-speed gearbox has, as is typical, quite long gear travel and a slightly jerky shift through neutral, but that’s fine by me.

Overall, the Z3 attracts quite a lot of attention wherever we stop to take photos. When an average-sized European stands next to the coupé, its compact dimensions – with a wheelbase of 2,446 mm and a length of just 4,025 mm – really stand out. The ‘clown’s shoe’ is just the right width (1,740 mm), but quite low (1,306 mm). And this is reflected in the two-seater interior – if the nostalgia for the days when BMW made beautiful, simple cars with naturally aspirated straight-six engines (which, sadly, is no longer the case) has tempted you, then don’t forget to test drive a Z3 first. One fan, standing at around 190 cm, quickly realised he wouldn’t fit in the car… Up to about 180 cm, it’s absolutely fine; I didn’t feel cramped at all, though the view was perhaps slightly restricted due to the low-mounted rear-view mirror.

In any case, if you’re currently on the lookout for a Z3 and don’t have the budget for an ‘M’, you should definitely pop over to Křenovice and have a look at this beautiful coupé. To put things into perspective, there were far more roadsters than coupés – with 279,273 roadsters produced compared to just 17,815 coupés. The coupé is therefore, logically, much rarer and, in my view, more appealing and slightly more sophisticated than the four-cylinder roadster, which might be an alternative to, say, the Mazda MX-5.

The fact that the Z3 is appealing to the current generation of collectors is also evidenced by rising prices – you can no longer pick up a nice roadster, even with a four-cylinder engine, for less than 200,000 CZK, whilst top-quality examples, six-cylinder models and special editions can be significantly more expensive still. They can easily command a price tag of half a million crowns! And what about the much rarer coupé? The selection is, of course, considerably more limited than for the roadster, and you’ll pay at least 400,000 CZK for models with high mileage; prices exceeding 600,000 CZK are common. To add to that – the Z3 M Coupé mentioned above will set you back at least a million; a nice one is likely to be several hundred thousand more. The beautiful example featured here, with a clear history and low mileage, is on offer at Trucs for a very fair 650,000 CZK, and as Ondra and I have thoroughly inspected and test-driven the car, we have no doubt it won’t be on the market for long. So who’s going to treat themselves to an old BMW that still embodies the true joy of driving?

Text: František Vahala

Photo: Ondřej Kroutil