BMW launched the Z3 late in 1995 with a couple of unique marketing campaigns - the car was featured, albeit briefly, in the James Bond film, "GoldenEye". They also pushed these cars around to local radio stations and had disc jockeys on the stations, usually the people who were on in the morning, test drive the cars and then the disc jockeys, or "radio personalities" would talk about the cars on the air. I happened to have been one of those disc jockeys who got to test drive a brand new 1996 BMW Z3 during that program. Little did the representatives know what they were getting themselves into when the signed up with me to do a sh-peel about their hot new roadster.
Oh, who am I kidding. I wish I had a cool, fun story to tell you about my time behind the wheel of that long ago and far away little Z3 but I don't. With a BMW rep in the car with me as a nanny, there really wasn't too much I could do except be respectful and take it easy. Not there there was really much I could do with it seeing it had a 1.9 liter in line 4 with maybe 110 horsepower. Our photo subject has the more powerful 2.5 liter in line six. Same automatic, though.
As is always the case with under powered cars that handle spectacularly, you quickly forget that the car is "slow". A car that is over powered or even adequately powered that can't handle, take my 1977 Corvette for instance, is a car that grows tiresome. Quickly. After all, power is nothing without control. I loved that little car despite the two passengerness of it and it being a convertible. Loved the styling too. The car is based on BMW's fabulous E36 chassis, the basis for the 3 series BMW's of that vintage, so you'd be hard pressed to find a better performing car.
Add a dollop or two of beans and you really have something. I have to imagine this car, with its larger six cylinder engine, would be great fun. If you're in the market for a gently used old Bimmer roadster, give Stohlman a call. Just be forewarned; BMW's are very expensive to maintain and repair. Especially one this old and out of warranty. Godspeed and happy motoring.
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