Whether you love or hate James Bond, it’s hard to argue that the fictional spy hasn’t driven some fantastic cars over the years. From the DBS in “Casino Royale” to the Toyota 2000GT in “You Only Live Twice,” the silver screen’s leading agent has been supplied some serious metal. Most of it isn’t exactly affordable today, but the BMW Z3 is one of the rare exceptions.
This Bavarian roadster for the ’90s is known for its curvaceous Joji Nagashima-penned sheetmetal, its commonalities with the 3 Series of the period, and oh yeah, being driven by Bond. Perhaps BMW sold too many of them, because what we’re actually looking at is a wonderful two-seat sports car you can now pick up for seriously reasonable used car money.
What Are We Looking At?
Back in the mid-1990s, the roadster market was experiencing one hell of a resurgence. Spurred on by the success of the Mazda Miata, automakers far and wide returned to the niche, and BMW was looking for something with broader appeal than its funky-doored Z1. The solution was to essentially take the E36 Compact with its E30 3 Series-derived semi-trailing arm rear suspension and give it a two-seater convertible body and a new moniker, the Z3. To add some some star power, BMW partnered with Eon Productions to place the Z3 in the seventeenth James Bond film, “Goldeneye.” Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, briefly drove a blue four-cylinder Z3 before trading it for a plane, and guess what? The cross-promotion worked. BMW’s roadster for the ’90s hit the ground running, arriving in showrooms with instant desirability.
Even with the modest power output of the initial 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine, the press was enamoured with BMW’s vision of a more mainstream roadster, with Car And Driver coming away from a first drive absolutely delighted. As the magazine wrote:
Buttery-smooth, short-travel controls give the driver a great feeling of harmony with the machinery. The clutch and shifter are truly first rate, the power steering is light and very quick, the dead pedal and just-Âright seat work together to give you a stable platform for precise driving. The Michelins are seriously grippy yet gradual in their approach to the limit. This is one of those BMWs that underÂsteers predictably under power, then flicks its tail out when you lift, a product of bushing deflection in this older rear-susÂpension design. By every objective stanÂdard, this self steering is hardly a good idea, but it’s harmless entertainment in a low-powered car and hardcore BMW drivers like it a lot.
Naturally, more power followed the initial 138-horsepower four-cylinder Z3. A 2.8-liter inline-six joined the party for 1997, pumping out 189 horsepower. A detuned 2.5-liter model called the Z3 2.3 appeared for 1998 with 170 horsepower, while 1999 saw the shift to a 184-horsepower 2.5-liter M54B25 straight-six in 2.5i models and a 228-horsepower three-liter M54B30 straight-six in three-liter models. You could even get a Z3 M with a 240-horsepower S52B32 straight-six, and later, a 315-horsepower S54B32 straight-six. While the Z3 never offered quite the agility of a Porsche Boxster, it proved a popular roadster, and now you can pick one up for peanuts.
How Much Are We Talking?
While some rare Z3 examples are expensive, the core models are cheaper than you’d think. Take this Topaz Blue 2001 model year 2.5i example, for instance. With a reasonable 85,100 miles on the clock, a five-speed manual gearbox, and top-brand tires, it looks well-maintained. Sure, it has a few minor cosmetic imperfections including a couple of bumper scuffs and a torn driver’s seat, but it fetched a mere $5,900 on Cars & Bids last year. That’s sensible money.
Looking for more gusto? How about something like this 2001 Z3 3.0i that hammered on Bring A Trailer earlier this year for $8,369. Not only had it been in the same family since new, it’s specced with the sport package, the premium package, a manual gearbox, and a fetching green-over-tan colorway. Sure, it might have a minor hit on its Carfax, but with 86,000 miles on the clock, it feels like a worthy weekend driver.
If you want the chance at an even better deal, a quick look through the traditional used car classifieds reveals no shortage of reasonably priced Z3s. Here’s a green 2002 3.0i model listed for $6,500. Alright, so it might have a whopping 235,000 miles on the clock, but it still looks fresh, and should make a fun summer toy.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong On A BMW Z3?
The good news is that the Z3 is fairly simple from a mechanical standpoint. You’re most likely to encounter general old car issues, but there are also old BMW issues to be aware of. The cooling systems across all engines get fragile with age, so if they haven’t been refreshed recently, plan on dropping some coin. All six-cylinder engines use some form of BMW’s Vanos variable valve timing that will need a fiddly if relatively inexpensive rebuild eventually, but otherwise, these machines are quite robust. As a bonus for those in the salt belt, they don’t rust nearly as badly as Miatas, and replacing the quarter panels is an at-home bolt-on affair as they aren’t actually welded to the tub.
Should You Buy A Cheap BMW Z3?
If you want something fun that doesn’t blow the budget, you should absolutely consider a reasonably priced BMW Z3. They’re fun, they’re fairly easy to keep going, they’re noticeably more refined than a Miata which makes a difference in a backroad cruiser, and they have that classic over-the-axle roadster form factor.
Top graphic images: Bring A Trailer; MGM/UA
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Z3s are fun, I had the good fortune of driving a bunch of them (even the clown shoe M Coupe) back in the day. I’d pass on a 4-cylinder, but any one of the sixes would be fine by me.
But as a desirable Bond car, the Z3 is lacking. I want the Falcon pickup from Goldfinger with the 5,000 pound payload.
I bought my 2000 BMW Z3 (inline six, manual) in early 2017 with just 27,000 miles on the clock. It’s my daily driver and, 90000 miles later, it still puts a smile on my face literally every single time I get behind the wheel. Every shift is perfection, it’s nimble & tight when I’m carving the canyons around LA and it’s absolutely effortless on the freeways. If it were built today, I’m sure they would cram twice the horsepower into it, but as it is and even 25 years old, it feels like an absolutely perfect balance of power, speed and handling in a package that still turns heads and draws comments on a regular basis.
That said, it’s a 25 year old car, so yes, there are things that I’ve had to address. I’ve had to replace suspension bushings, control arms and motor mounts because the rubber has aged out, I’m probably pretty close to needing a new clutch based solely on mileage, and I’m on my third radiator because of a design flaw in the main outlet fitting that makes it prone to fractures. The Z3 also has a history of subframe/dif welds potentially fracturing from the torque generated by the M series, but so far as I know it’s a non-issue below the M trim.
Unfortunately, I’ve recently had to face the fact that it’s no longer the car for me. I’m having spinal fusion surgery later this year to correct an injury that I received from a bouldering fall that I had a while ago, and even though every drive now ends with me climbing up out of the car in outrageous pain, I still find it incredibly difficult to even imagine letting my Z3 go, it’s that good.
Mom got a 3.0 6spd for her 45th birthday present and that was the car I learned to drive stick on. For a beginner, the torque from that 3.0 was really forgiving in such a light car. Such great memories! I’ll remember it every time I nail a heel and toe downshift.
I would love to see a modern comparison between this and a Miata. Heck, I can provide the Miata, anyone have a Z3 they want to lend me for a week?
I’d love to see that comparison as well, Brandon.
I bought my wife a 98 Z3, its a 1.9, with a 5 speed, about a year ago. I never imagined how much fun it would be…Driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow. That 4 cylinder likes to rev, so keep those rpms up and go.
What I really like about it is that parts are still available, and maintenance is very simple.
When I met my wife, she said she always wanted a Z3 vert after she saw that movie. This was before I even met her. As luck would have it, this past fall, we saw a listing for a ’02 Z3 (not an M) with under 15k miles on it in Chapel Hill, NC. The same blue as the one pictured here, but with a black interior.
I called immediately. It was brand new as a 50th birthday present to the lady I spoke to (now in her 70s), and she only really drove it to get serviced or on her birthday the last 10 years or so. Her husband is older and is having health issues, and he couldn’t really get down into the car as a passenger, so they decided to sell it. (They have twin Cayennes, black for him, silver for her….fully loaded…..must be nice to have ‘f*** it’ money) The Z was not a daily driver, so they listed it. It literally looks like its in showroom condition. They had it in its own climate controlled garage (!!!!).
They let me get an independent PPI, and it passed with flying colors. We got it for a little under $14k, which, given the condition and low mileage..I felt was about as low as they were going to go. They also had a folder with the entire service history. About the only thing I need to do is change the power steering fluid on schedule, and sadly, the radio just stopped working last month, and after replacing the fuse, I suspect I’m going to have to either finda refurbished OEM unit, or go aftermarket (which my wife does not want…she wants it as OEN as possible.
Anyway, the ONLY thing I wish it had was a manual, but I get why the older gentleman got an automatic for his wife. Not quite as fun to drive, but….still fun.
I’d rather have Dalton’s Mark VII LSC than these noodly things; as much as I love how they look.
Now if Brosnan had driven a M Coupe…
gotta hat tip any Dalton fans. His Living Daylights Aston is my favorite Bond car, even surpassing the 2000GT (and I’m a toyota fanboy).
The Z3, that does seem like a car Bond Might Want.
I love the clown shoes so much….but they are all too much money anymore….
Check for subframe weld tears. If you have an S52 or 54, don’t be an idiot: wire the oil pump nut with safety wire. After I spun mine off, I figured I could have done it for around $300 in a weekend—that includes the engine support and oil change after.
I replaced everything in the cooling system except the radiator when I swapped in the lower-mileage motor: much of that stuff is a pain to get to in situ. Metal water pump for sure—I used a high-volume one.
My 98 M Roadster is a bit pretentious for me—I’m used to shitboxes—but, it’ll spin the tires with a twitch. That makes me giggle after years of low-powered beaters. More importantly, the steering is almost telepathic—and the brakes phenomenal.
Yeah, I may look like a duffer on the way to pick up his trophy wife from Pilates, but the view from the fun seat—and the way the lever snicks into each gear—are worth the image.
Sean Connery was too big to fit in the 2000GT, so they made a one-off roadster. He was still too large to fit behind the wheel so they gave 007 a driver. “You Only Live Twice” is the only movie where James Bond didn’t drive a car.
Aren’t these the ones with the issue of the rear diff ripping it’s mount out of the sheet metal, especially the higher-powered models(as one would expect)? When I had my differential shop, people would call and ask if we fixed them, I would refer them to a specialty BMW shop nearby.
I was kind of surprised there was no mention of the subframe/diff mount failures in the potential problems.
I mean the James Bond variant is a 4-cylinder which has zero risk of that happening, but also all of the non-M examples will never see a failure unless the vehicle is tracked heavily. Even among Z3M’s I didn’t see the failure all that often, it’s an issue that’s way blown out of proportion compared to the actually much more common E46 trunk floor issues.
I’ve done a few of the reinforcement kit installs (Randy Forbes kit), but that was mostly on cars with superchargers or S54’s.
(Source: I ran an independent BMW shop specializing in older BMW’s including Z3’s)
People usually only post their problems. Might be why the problem is overblown.
They are, but the problem is greater on the higher performance cars. I don’t think BMW initially planned for these to be high HP with lots of rubber. More Miata and less M.
I’ve had my 2000 2.8 since 2001. It’s happily road tripped across three time zones and several tiers of states north to south. it was my daily for 11 years on our gloriously glass smooth Houston streets (as if). Because the streets are so sweet and I’m such a smooth, gentle, conservative driver among such polite fellow motorists I started popping trunk floor welds a few years ago, one at a time. The Randy Forbes kit cost some coin to install because I don’t weld, but geez it was worth it. Other attention it needed kept getting put off because it’s the oldest yet most reliable car in the driveway, but it just keeps keeping on. I swear I’m almost done with all of the things I’ve promised to do (my Director of Domestic Bliss is annoyed with all the parts boxes – VANOS and cooling system complete refresh are in progress as we speak, and yeah, the Roadster’s plastic cooling and other engine bits have been way better about remaining intact than the 11 year newer 135 it lives with. Let’s just not even talk about the DDB’s succession of Jeeps). FFS, after 25 years it only has one small leak where the top hits the junction of the windshield and driver’s door that will go away when I hit one particular place with some rubber cement.
This is the car that will eventually go to some deserving heir.
For all of their foibles, older BMW’s are a lot better-built than anything past like 2005. And the parts are still reasonable too, whereas doing a cooling system on an N52/N54/N55 car is a 4-digit parts bill no matter where you buy parts from, stupid electric water pump and a dozen highly proprietary hoses.
This. My wife’s 135 is her daily, and had coolant leak. I saw a few drops in the garage and thought maybe a bad hose or connection. BMW wanted 3K+ just for parts for the whole shebang: radiator, hoses, thermostat. I thought thatwas outrageous.
Even the indie shop said “sorry, does need a whole new radiator because that it where the leak is, and we always recommend new hoses but you dont have to do that” All in was $1600 for parts and labor. Still painful, but more palatable.
Yep, and it gets even worse if you have a 328i with the SULEV N51 motor, because that has a special, Genuine BMW-only radiator that’s like $1000 on its own, and if you don’t use that one you get a CEL and can’t pass emissions.
Oh wow. I think my wife’s 325i had the M54 (2003 325i). We put 225k miles on that. No compliants. Making a car throw a code because you use non-OEM parts is BS.
Had more electrical issues than mechanical, and even then, half of the electrical stuff was wires getting chewed whle she was at work, early on. After we moved, it stopped. They think it was whatever the insulation coating was.
In that case it was because the radiator was part of the SULEV system, it had a coating on it that supposedly scrubbed ozone as air passed through it. The sensor in that radiator is purely just to complete a loop to the DME so it knows the correct radiator is installed for SULEV emissions compliance. I get why they made it like that, but it’s still dumb.
If you beat on an M —especially with wider or sticky tires—yes, it can happen. Got mine with about 180k on it, checked, and found no sign of the welds starting to tear.
That coupe tho…
If I ever found a clown shoe in good shape for a reasonable price, I’m not sure I’d even consider how upset my wife would be as I impulse buy the thing.
Just start by making a list, without saying anything to her, about her poorly thought out purchases. Then buy it roll out the list. Sure it will just piss her off more but you can sit in your new Z3 and feel content you were right
I think that would require a time machine capable of at least 15 years travel.
Yeah, at this point finding a nice one for a reasonable price is a hypothetical along the line of wondering what would happen if the sun went supernova – it likely won’t happen in my lifetime.
Yes. Same. Except my wife would probably encourage the purchase since I had a ’99 Coupe when we met and she was sad when I traded it in. I didn’t want to, but an apartment with no garage and a new job requiring lots of city driving didn’t feel like proper treatment for something that special. Every now and again I’ll search the VIN to see if it has come up for sale. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and order a Carfax but I’m afraid I’ll learn about an untimely demise.
I’ve always loved these. They captured my imagination when I was a kid and I still think they’re neat throwbacks to Old BMW today. Their proportions are a wee bit awkward and shoe like but I still think they look decent enough, especially the later ones with the roll bars. For whatever reason something about them kind of completes the look for me.
I’ve long toyed with the idea of getting one as a weekend toy and will continue to. There are a fair amount of them out there that lived relatively easy lives. My rule with BMWs is simple-if there is a straight 6 available I will get the straight 6. In this case I think it’s worth the premium over the 4 pot. For what it’s worth first gen Z4s aren’t that much more expensive and they all had inline 6s, if you can tolerate the Bangle factor.
I’ve actually tried to get my old man to go half in on one with me as a summer car we’d keep in the garage, but he refuses to consider one because Bob Dole was photographed in one during his campaign and it forever tainted the car in his eyes…
Bob Dole doesn’t need this.
Nobody eats Bob Dole’s peanut butter without asking.
Guessing it wasn’t the manual.
That’s an excellent guess. Can’t grab a pen and a shifter at the same time
Too soon?
nope.
I like the Z4’s styling but the steering (Z4M excepted) is a disappointment compared to the Z3. Better highway car, for sure, and in general a larger-feeling vehicle, much like the NC vs NB Miata.
BMW hasn’t made a good steering rack in a long, long time….
I guess 2CV’s now command a fair amount of money?
I love the Z3’s, they’re such fun little cars regardless of what engine you get them with (as long as it’s got a manual transmission). The front suspension and drivetrain are out of an E36 while the rear suspension is from an E30, put that together into a package that’s shorter than the E36 and you’ve got the perfect recipe for some magical oversteer. I’ve driven supercharged Z3M’s with 300+ horsepower, and those feel like a car with double the power, a riotously good time if you know what you’re doing. But with power, these cars can also bite back like an old 911, lift-off oversteer has sent many of them spinning into curbs and guardrails over the years.
I knew someone with a Z3M equipped with the Dinan package, including the supercharger. It was a wild, wild car, and I am still amazed he and the car were still alive when he sold it.
BIL has an S52 Coupe that he put a vortex on, welded the subframe, and put shorter gearing in. 340/340 on the dyno (he wanted a conservative tune).
It’s pretty fierce: pulls through each gear so quick it’s easy to hit the cutoff.
Every time he talks about selling it, I remind him of how he comes back from driving it with a silly grin every single time.
My MRoadster is stock—and still makes me giggle unabashedly. But, mine doesn’t have traction control—and currently has old, hard, high-performance tires. Stupid fun.
Literally
I bet the AMC from Live and Let Die is cheaper.
The AMC’s were in The Man With the Golden Gun.
Live and Let Die only had Chevys and Cadillacs. Oh, and a double-decker bus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_vehicles
Been a while… my bad.
Easy to confuse the two as they both featured the esteemable Clifford James as Sherrif JW Pepper
and boats!
I was thinking the same thing, although an AMC Hornet X is probably a LOT scarcer now than a Z3.
But what’s the car that I should get for Gold Bond pedigree?
Sidenote: I was also thinking about a good vehicle for Bondo pedigree… but that’s easy… just buy an old Jeep off of David Tracy.
“…Gold Bond pedigree?”
Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville by Coachbuilder Barker
The ride is smooth and won’t leave you chaffed.
Any car with the crotch cooling vents?