Classic pearls of the future - BMW Z3 Coupé
04/07/2014
The BMW Z3 was the Bavarians' answer to the Mazda MX-5 and its cronies. Cost-effectively manufactured in the USA, the tightly cut roadster was primarily intended to please the Americans, which it did brilliantly. The first examples were built in 1995, with the largest output being achieved in 1997, barely a year before the launch of the BMW Z3 Coupé, a Shooting Break that did not appeal to everyone.
In fact, the Coupé's dress was reminiscent of a gigantic sneaker, but that only bothered the observers outside. Inside, the driver and passengers felt at ease, as the tightly tailored car fitted like a glove.
And it was a lot of fun to drive, not least thanks to the six cylinders, which were always located one behind the other on the front axle and, depending on the model/year of construction, produced between 192 and 231 hp when the model was called 2.8 or 3.0. If there was an "M" in the model designation, the result was a pleasing 321/325 hp, which was comfortably enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under six seconds.
Despite the good driving dynamics, the not entirely cheap closed Z3 variant remained rare. Only around 18,000 Z3 Coupés were produced up to 2002, just over a third of which were equipped with the M engine, the rest with the "normal" straight six-cylinder engine. Compared to the almost 280,000 open-top variants built, the coupés therefore remained quite exclusive. However, classic car journalists are certain that this unusual vehicle is destined for a place in classic car heaven ...
