DRIVEN: BMW Z3M COUPE
The BMW Z3M Coupe is undoubtedly an interesting modern classic with values rocketing over the last few years. Matt gets behind the wheel to find out if the drive is as interesting as the looks. Written by: Matt Parker
The BMW Z3 was an interesting car. In most guises, it’s a fairly forgotten, distant relative in the BMW family, but from its release in 1995 until production ended in 2002, it was always a cool-looking retro roadster, and it even had a brief moment in the limelight as a Bond car in Goldeneye. The trouble was, being the first BMW to be solely manufactured outside Germany, its US build quality wasn’t quite what you’d expect from Munich, and what it offered in style, it didn’t quite match in performance. Sure, the sixcylinder models that joined the lineup in 1996 weren’t exactly slow for their time, but with a fairly flexy chassis, it was more stylish cruiser than ultimate driving machine. That is, until the M division got involved.
Power and parts were donated from the E36 M3, but in Germany, you can’t just add power to such a chassis, shout “yee-haw!” and hope for the best, and even after a pretty decent chassis overhaul, even the M Roadster suffered in the same way. So to prove how serious they were about chassis rigidity, BMW engineers developed a whole new body style in their spare time to resolve the issue and help the Z3 cope with a proper engine. The resulting Z3M Coupe is what you might call a Marmite car. Some call it the clown shoe because of its unique side profile, some more affectionately call it the bread van. Whatever you call it, it’s rare, it’s cool, values have taken off, and thanks to our friends at Car Iconics, we’re going to find out how it drives.
When I arrived at Car Iconics HQ, the M Coupe was sat outside to greet me. Most examples were finished in Estoril Blue, a colour which was unique to M cars back then, and they do look great in that shade, but Titan Silver lets the car speak for itself and contrasts perfectly with the black and red two-tone leather interior. It’s such a small car by today’s standards and the proportions make it look like a purposeful mini hotrod, with a long bulging bonnet and the bulk of the body squat over the rear wheels. Inside, just like out, it’s compact and simple. It’s showing its age, but the deliberately retro styling means it sort of gets away with it. Most importantly, the driving position is spot on and the seats are fantastic for a car of the late ‘90s.
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