BMW Z3 - 1996

With a production volume of nearly 300,000 cars the BMW Z3 has been the most successful BMW roadster in the company's history. Now the success story of this classic car is drawing to an end. It has probably been the most "English" BMW ever produced, since the first person to drive the BMW Z3 was James Bond.

The summer of 2002 will see the end of the BMW Z3's film career which began in November 1995, when it staged a final rehearsal three months before its official premiere supporting "007", Pierce Brosnan in "GoldenEye". Since then the BMW Z3 has made nearly 300,000 "appearances" worldwide, this being the number of times the most popular and famous BMW roadster of all time has been built since its launch, including a good 18,000 "engagements" in the character role of the BMW Z3 coupe.

Its design gives the BMW Z3 a typical English appearance, combining all the characteristics of a classic roadster: long hood, short rear end, hardly any overhangs at the front and rear ends as well as sweeping, low lines with prominent wheel arches. Of course, the powerful engine is located at the front. It almost goes without saying that the BMW Z3 comes with rear wheel drive. The driver and passenger are seated almost directly above the rear axle just above the road at an almost unbelievably long distance from the car's stretched front end.

After their first encounter with the BMW Z3 the journalists working for specialist publications described the experience they had as "the purest way to drive a BMW" and enthusiastically rejoiced at the first true German roadster since the blissful times of the legendary BMW 507. The BMW Z3's gills integrated into the right and left sight panels are reminiscent of this legendary car many people dreamt of in the days of the German economic miracle. The BMW Z3 features state-of-the-art technology: based on the former BMW 3 Series, it initially even came off the same production line in the newly built BMW Plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The chassis, the drive and a host of interior features are derived from the 3 Series design; the shortened underbody structure, front and rear axles are design features taken from the 318ti.