BMW Z3 3.0L Manual (sports review)

Updated: 2006/01/16

OVERVIEW:
This is a review of the "sport specifications" of the Z3 and a little more. Casual drivers need not apply. :-)

BOTTOM LINE:
The BMW Z3 has the best offering in 2002 and it shows, as it's more fun to drive than most other convertibles. If you are looking for a luxury feel with moderate performance and you don't mind the cramped cabin and minimal storage space, this may be the car for you. Technical problems seem to be minor and the cost of ownership is quite reasonable. This American made German designed roadster is still a big winner. I've owned one for 3 years and the following information is my take on the experience.

SPECIFICATIONS:
HP 225 (more like 231) (3.0L DOHC 24 valve)
Torque 214 lbs-ft (impressive)
0-60 5.7 seconds (impressive)
50-70 3.35 seconds

Wheelbase 96.3 inches
Length 159.4 inches
Width 68.5 inches
Height 50.9 inches
Weight 2,910/2,998 pounds manual/automatic
Weight Distribution 51.1/48.9 percent
Wheels f/r 7.5X17, 8.5X17 inches (8.5x19 11x19 max)
Tires f/r 225/45, 245/40
Trunk Capacity 5.0 Cubic feet (small barely fits golf clubs) (hold apx 3 5 gal water cooler bottles)
Coefficient of drag 0.42 (terrible)
Power to Weight 12.6 (less is better)
Fuel usage 25 mpg (my average)

INTRODUCTION:
For the better part of the late 90s I owned a shiny little red Mazda Miata, with, dare I say it, an automatic transmission. However, it was a delightful little car feeling reminiscent of it's distant cousins -- the MG or Alpha Romeo. However, I eventually wanted to graduate from the modern day MG to something more brawny like a modern day TR6 – and the Z3 always appeared to be perfect transition. I even waited for the Z4 to come out and test drove it before I purchased the Z3.

First off, the Z3 in my opinion is one of the best looking cars on the road for the money short of the Solstice or say a pricey 997 Porsche 911. When you are done drooling at it's 17" wheels and coke bottle figure and get behind the wheel, you just feel you have something substantial in your hands. The car is playful, firm, substantial, and moves quick but in a civilized manner.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS:
Driving the Z3 is a lot of fun, handles quite well and yet feels a little bit "heavy", it's not a touchy driving car at all, fairly relaxed and composed. The engine roars when you dip your right foot, and this all just adds this sense of drama as the hood raises and force pushes you back into your seat. Looking out the windshield you see this smooth rippled roof and it just feels like a proper roadster. The clutch pedal has a long travel so shifting takes some getting used to; it's not very sporty as enthusiasts would prefer it with tight shift travel and close pedals. Also the shifter has a longer throw which isn't sport oriented either. I think this car does everything more relaxed, it's more "touring car" who doesn't like to be pushed too hard. When pushing the car, the engine loves the treatment but the suspension isn't so happy about it as the car gives up terminal understeer to early and gets "twitchy" at high speeds (80 mph). When you are done looking at the cool "retro interior" with the analog clock (I love that clock) and chrome bits, the rear visibility is not the best (small plastic window) except for when the top is down but it's certainly not as bad as a Pickup or SUV. Breaking is quick and impressive, and the traction control "DSC" lets a little slipping then easily catches the back end if it tries to get loose in rain or hard cornering. All in all, this car is the envy of my block even as it ages past redesigned Mustang's and Camaro's.

ENGINE:
The BMW inline 6 engine is a work of art, with it's ability to change characteristics depending on if the car is driving hard or just cruising. The down side to this is that it feels at times not as responsive as 225 horses should feel when quickly accelerating after cruising for a long time. However, it can get 25mpg where many other cars of such brute ability get more like 19 mpg. Whats also interesting is that it has 200 horses hitting the road which makes it the same hp as the S2000 at the wheels (the S2000 2000-2003, is 240hp with 200bhp at the wheels, but it's 300lbs lighter). In short, the engine has a ton of torque, plenty of bhp to make most people very happy -- its the BEST performance feature of this car. The one drawback is that you can hardly hear the wonderful engine (like with many other luxury sports cars) thanks to it's muffled exhaust. It's almost like car manufacturer's want the car to feel "effortless" when accelerating hard. However, when getting on it hard enough, it bellows out that classic "BMW" sound that will put a smile on even the "wimpiest" of drivers. In my opinion, the Dinan intake and exhaust and computer upgrades would be a necessary upgrade to compete with and beat the cars selling for 35K these days (Cost: apx. 1K w/labor).

SUSPENSION / HANDLING:
The suspension is a bit of weak point on this car due to something called "chassis flex". The layout was upgraded in the front to MacPherson and still retains trailing-arm in the rear. Furthermore, semi-trailing arms can "break loose" according to some reviews but I find the opposite true because it is very forgiving when oversteering and also the stability control (aka DSC) "kicks in" and limits the amount of oversteer. Even when DSC is disengaged, the backend oversteer is gradual and only on the bumpest surfaces causes problems.

Now on to chassis flex issues which have affected some convertibles more than others and in the Z3, unfortunately more so. Being a convertible, the frame is lacking in "torsional rigidity" because of it's missing top and it's being heavier thanks to the convertible hardware and added support materials. This is a problem because when working the "twisties" (driving though s-turns) on uneven roads (lets face it most roads have some issues) it can make the car feel unpredictable and twitchy. Also you can be pulled around on roads with tractor trailer created ruts -- which would be not noticed in other cars (however also with a lot of camber, cars exibit similar traits). Also, when you turn hard, it creates a lot of understeer (car still wants to go straight instead of going into the turn) which forces you to take turns with less precision and slower. The good news is that purchasing a "Dinan" strut brace fixes this issue greatly (and you can easily install it yourself) (apx 400 USD). I would say that this item is absolutely necessary for ANY Z3 owner. Also, if you are serious about performance, I would spend the 1,000 large (including labor) for larger "sway bars" which are already fantastic, but will make the car feel even stiffer (another alternative is to buy a strongstrut.com brace). Sway bars act as a torsion spring to keep the car from pitching while cornering. The last (and most affective) thing to do would be to upgrade the springs and struts and add camber plates which should make the car handle like it really should (apx 2k upgrade). So for about 3K you can upgrade the Z3 to a much higher level of performance with: under 5.5 secs to 60, and handling that rivals most cars on the road. I guess it's also worth noting that the steering wheel is very large and squishy, and the car feels heavy when steering, that may be undesirable for some people who like a light touch like on the S2000 and miata. This review is being overly critical, remember, this car has huge 17" ZR rated wheels and .85 grip rating, and a nearly 50/50 weight distribution, which makes for an excellent handling car. Furthermore, front engine cars can have more feed back and in some cases do better lap times than the fabled mid-engine types such as the Porsche Boxster.

WEATHER DRIVING:
The wheels that come with this model Z3 are unacceptable for winter use for they are not all season. In the rain the Z3 does quite well with these tires, well balanced and sure-footed as the large-channeled tires deal with water well. In the winter it's imparative that the tires be upgraded which is expensive because it's not easy to get a tire set for this car. The recommendation would be to get a
"wheel package" with high-rated winter tires (blizzack's are what I use). With these tires feels very sure-footed, over-steery from the RWD, and easily controlable. Snow over 6" would be trouble (ground clearance) and steep hills as well. However, this car has made it up hills that some FWD cars couldn't. Lastly, in bad weather, rear visability can be worsened as the plastic window can work against you as it steams up or becomes frozen with snow.

POSSIBLE PITFALLS?
In very cold weather the trunk has trouble closing and power windows close slowly (on mine). People like to complain about the constant but minor break dust buildup and painted wheels scratching. Of course some convertibles are prone to leaking but BMW's build quality is superb and I've rarely seen leaky Z3's. In fact some convertibles are unable to even go though car washes but the Z3 seals quite well and isn't a problem. Another problem mentioned is the rear differential mount separation "issue" where the differential mounts could be separating from the frame. I heard to check for this under the trunk carpet and underneath the car (looking for cracks) but I have yet to see this problem in person. Dinan makes "fixes" for this. Also, some say to check for leaking gas tanks from damage incurred from "bottoming out". Front suspension lower ball joints and inner bushes wear. Service light indicator can easily be re-set on this model year (2000 ), so a paid invoice is the only guarantee of a recent service. Check took kit is all there. Also, tire rotation is not possible as some models have larger wheels in the back then the front with directional tread.

RELIABILITY:
Realiability is good, one of the best of the German made cars. If you are value oriented, the Z3 as a used car could be a good choice over a New S2000. However a new S2000 is the best performance car for the money (at the cost of some refinement)

Reliability Index: (lower is better)

Honda S2000 (40-50 est.)
MB SLK (71.81) * comparing newer models
BMW Z3 (102.93)
Industry Average (112)
Audi TT (251.2)
Boxster (277.46)

CONCLUSION:
In short, this car is perfect for someone who wants a very stoutly feeling and playful car which is an absolute dream to drive with the top down and has a civilized nature about it. The features are very hard to beat as well (I could easily break it down, it's actually quite amazing). However, if you want >= S2000/boxster like performance, you would need to sink another 3-4K USD(including labor) into the suspension, software, and intake/exhaust upgrades. (Note, this is the retail price for upgrades from BMW's Dinan department which gives you a 2year 50K warranty.) Currently, I have only purchased the strut tower brace and my car could easily keep up with anything in it's price range. I'm thinking RX8, 350Z, Mustang, S2000, Crossfire etc. and it would easily crush most upgraded hondas, the Solstice, Miata, etc. etc. basically anything priced under it. I would say this is a well rounded sports car which looks great, drives well, and won't put you in excessive back pain sitting in it's sport seats.