Second-hand sense: Looking at the speed and sophistication with which today's cars become convertibles reminds you of how simple things were when BMW launched its Z3 back in the late 1990s.
For a start, the automatic retraction of the roof was an option on the car and there was a great deal of fumbling to be done before you could enjoy the open air. But at the time there were few roadsters on the market that had any sort of sophistication at all.
BMW and MG had taken a lead from Mazda, whose re-invention of fun motoring with the MX-5 had taken the market by surprise and to this day the MX-5 remains one of the best small drives around. The Z3 never seemed as comfortable as the MX-5 either, the former being strictly a two-seater with very limited room behind for anything, luggage included, because of the need to fold down a canvas roof.
The car arrived here mainly with 1.8 and 1.9 engines, but there were other options, including a 2.2, a 2.8 and a 3.0 litre. There was even a 3.2 engine capable of truly wild performance that made driving it feel like re-entering the earth's atmosphere in a space shuttle. Most people familiar with the range agree that the four-cylinder engines at the lower end of the performance scale were no more than adequate and the real driving pleasure was to be had with 2.0 litre or more under the bonnet.
Getting into the Z3 can be a bit of a challenge for tall people. The fact that the steering wheel seemed to be borrowed from a 5-Series did not help either. You certainly feel in contact with the road and the fact that the rear suspension layout was pretty old technology means ride can be less than comfortable. Handling is good and the steering is precise. The drive, in the BMW tradition, is through the rear wheels but you would need to be pushing the bigger engines hard to feel the tail move.
You can rattle along comfortably enough on the open road but without the optional wind deflector things can be noisy and literally hair-raising. However, the Z3 is about fun not comfort as is the case with most roadsters. The lack of performance from the smaller engines is something you get used to as well. In short, the car is about being seen in a BMW convertible, second-hand or not. Another option on the car was a hard-top and it makes sense to try to find one with this option to cater for Irish conditions, but I don't think you will find it all that much quieter than the soft-top version. The Z3 does not have a EuroNCAP crash test rating because it has not been subject to the tests (again, not all cars have) and there is no specific recall record for the car, which indicates general reliability.
A 2002 version with a 1.9 engine, alloys, metallic paint, twin airbags, electric windows and mirrors, climate control, leather upholstery, a CD player and adjustable steering wheel and 29,500 miles on the clock is available for private sale for €26,750. The one that caught my eye, however, was a 1999 1.9 model with only 41,000 on the clock with all of the above equipment, plus sports suspension and traction control, and a full BMW service history for €16,950, again a private sale.
- DONAL BYRNE
FOR: A car that has aged very well and provides fun driving.
AGAINST: Harsh ride, automatic roof only an option, average performance from smaller engines and lack of storage space.