1996-2002 BMW Z3

June 28, 2005 - By John LeBlanc

If you’ve recently been interviewed for a new job, you may have surreptitiously had your Emotional Quotient, or EQ, evaluated.

Developed by social scientists in the first quarter of the 20th century, your EQ can determine how well you get along with other humans, both at home and at work.

Mr. Dressup would score a high EQ. Attila the Hun, not so much.

But about one’s Automotive Emotional Quotient?

Buying a used car can be a very emotional experience. Buying a two-seat roadster, like this 1996-2002 BMW Z3, my, my! You may as well get a cold face cloth, some iced tea and lie down for a spell.

Car enthusiasts may argue that the Z3’s coming out in the film Goldeneye outshone Pierce Brosnan’s debut as that Bond guy. Arguably, like Brosnan’s performance, the Z3 shifted people’s perception of a longstanding paradigm.

From a company that relentlessly produced seriously sober sedans, the Z3 was BMW's first sports car in 40 years. Based on a BMW 3 Series chassis, and draped in classic roadster styling bordering on phallic, the Z3 was a rare Bavarian frivolity. One some consider a direct response to the success Mazda was enjoying with its Miata roadster launched seven years earlier.

Being the first BMW built at BMW's new plant in South Carolina, the Z3 also bent the convention that BMWs need to be built in Germany.

For bigger-boned North Americans who consider the Miata a bit “cozy”, comparably, BMW let the seams out a bit. Longer overall with a 180 millimetre greater wheelbase, the Z3’s retro-styled cockpit is roomier than the Mazda’s and its highway ride more refined as well.

Initially, Z3s were only available with the BMW’s 1.9-litre, 138-horsepower, 133 pound-feet of torque inline four-cylinder engine. Either a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic was available.

Like the Miata, the BMW’s convertible top is employed without any power assistance. And the rear window is plastic, which can discolour with age. To reduce road noise BMW added an inner top liner in 2000. Remember that this is a sports car, with sports car sounds from the engine, road, and wind.

Despite having a similar pony count with early ‘90s Miatas, the four-cylinder Z3s are 181 kilograms heavier. Nonetheless, the BMW four is much smoother than the Miata’s mill, which you’ll appreciate as there’s not much power under 3,500 rpms.

Responding to these power deficit complaints, and anticipating forthcoming two-seat roadsters as Mercedes-Benz’s SLK, Porsche’s Boxster, and eventually, Audi’s TT, BMW added a 2.8-litre inline six-cylinder Z3 midway through 1997.

The 2.8 quickly lost its rank as the top dog Z3 with the introduction of the high-performance Z3 M Roadster in 1998.

Stuffing the 240 horsepower, 3.2-litre inline six-cylinder engine from the M3 Sedan into the nose of the petite two seater suddenly made the memories of the weak-kneed, first year four-bangers quickly fade. In fact, the four-cylinder was dropped in 1999 in lieu of a 2.5-litre six marketed as a Z3 2.3.

In 1999 the rare hatchback coupe version of the M Roadster came on stream. The more rigid chassis from the fixed roof design allowed the M Coupe to be more tightly suspended. If you can find one, the M Coupe is considered the hardcore enthusiast’s choice of Z3s.

BMW being a relatively small company, launching an all new product is not something that is done on a regular basis. Plus, there were the inherent start-up challenges of the U.S. manufacturing facility. Despite this, most of the BMW Z3’s reliability issues are contained within the first few years, and all minor in nature.

If you’re considering the Z3, definitely get the convertible top checked out. It may leak water between the door windows and the plastic rear window due to a poor fitting seals, and the black tape on the windshield trim buckles and peels in hot weather. You can always purchase the optional hardtop as an option.

Early Z3 four-cylinder models are hard to recommend when there are similar performing Miatas out there for a lot less cash.

However, classic roadster styling, and traditional BMW engine and handling refinement unquestionably make the 1996-2002 BMW Z3 one way to boost your own Automotive Emotional Quotient score.

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com

THE SPECS:

What is it? Front engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-door convertible

Engines Base: 1.9L/138-hp DOHC I-4; 2.5L/170-hp DOHC I-6 (2.3 through 2000); 2.5L/184-hp DOHC I-6 (2.5 2001 and 2002) Optional: 2.8L/189-hp DOHC I-6; 3.0L/215-hp DOHC I-6; 3.2L/240-hp DOHC I-6 (1999-2000 M Roadster/Coupe); 3.2L/315-hp DOHC I-6 (2001-2002 M Roadster/Coupe)

Transmission Five-speed manual or four-speed automatic

Safety Driver- and front-passenger air bags, front side-impact air bags, ABS, traction control (1997 on), rollover bars (1998 0n), side air bags (1999 on), Dynamic Brake Control (2001 on)

NHTSA frontal impact rating (out of five) Not tested

Recalls Plastic bushing for cruise control and throttle cables could break (1997). Nut that secures positive cable to battery terminal clamp on some cars was not tightened properly, allowing cable to loosen over time (1999). Ring-gear bolts in differential on some cars were incorrectly torqued and could loosen, leading to noise (1999).

Thumbs up 1. Steering, handling, acceleration (6-cylinder) 2. Classic roadster styling 3. BMW build quality

Thumbs down 1. Acceleration (4-cylinder/auto) 2. Noise, passenger and cargo room 3. There’s always the Miata…

© Copyright Canwest News Services 2005. This article originally appeared in The National Post's Driver's Edge.