Eat your heart out, Austin Powers!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Fast, solid, feel your youth. Excellent for the price

Cons: Tiny trunk, not much other storage space available. Watch that front end!

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
Fun to drive. Get the heated seats.

Author's Review
I drove this car off the lot when the lease of my '97 Z3 came to an end. I could have opted to keep the '97, but I wanted the improvements that came along since then, mainly the safety roll bars behind the seats, the foam lining in the convertible top, the bigger engines available, and the redesigned rear end with more muscular lines.

Going from the '97 Z3 to the 2000 gave me exactly that. The '97 had a 1.9 liter 4-cylinder engine (smallest engine available) which was pretty darn fast... for a 4-cylinder. The 2000 came with the revised smallest engine available, a 2.5 liter inline 6-cylinder engine. While the old 1.9 liter 4-cyl. boasted a paultry 110 HP at 6000 rpm, the newer 2.5 liter 6-cyl. delivers a much improved 170 HP at 6000 rpm. The difference in power was like night and day (while the gas consumption went from 29 mpg with the 4-cyl. to about 24 mpg with the 6). With the 6-cyl. I'm too busy enjoying the acceleration to time how fast it can go from 0 to 60 mph, but it will reach 60 mph very easily before I even shift out of second gear. The maximum power output starts at about 2500 rpm and stays consistently at max through 6500 rpm for a full 4000 rpm range of acceleration that makes you vaguely understand how it feels to be in the space shuttle upon liftoff.

The safety roll bars behind the seats: I don't need to mention how big a bonus in extra safety these provide. I have never rolled a car, nor do I plan to, but it's nice to know that in the unlikely chance I do roll it, the roll bars (along with the reinforced A-pillars) will save me from acquiring a massive headache if you know what I mean. In addition, the roll bars provide a place to anchor a rear wind screen for when you have the top down. The back draft at highway speeds can mess with your hair. Other safety features include standard driver and passenger airbags, seatbelts that retract and tighten upon any shock from sudden G-force (such as impact in a collision), reinforced doors, all-season traction control that defaults to the ON position but can be turned off manually (handy for sanctioned racing at autocross events), and an insulated lining under the hood that will automatically drop onto the engine in the event of an engine fire to smother it and put it out.

The foam-lined top was a big improvement over the '97 Z3, for it provided me with a quieter ride when the top is up, as well as reduced heat loss in the winter. And finally the redesigned rear end provided for slightly more trunk space (though still small), nicer lines that don't make the rear end look like it was chopped off, and it also cuts down on the back draft at highway speeds. While the back draft isn't completely eliminated, my hair experiences way fewer knots after driving highway speed with the top down.

As for the rest of the car in general, it is such a blast to drive. It hugs corners like a war veteran getting a hero's welcome from family. The near 50/50 weight distribution between front and rear almost perfectly balances the car between over-steering (where the rear end slides out from under you) and under-steering (where the front wheels are just simply plowing). This is further enhanced with the battery being mounted in the rear under the trunk lining. I learned quite a bit about this when I used to race the '97 Z3 in autocross events (please feel free to take a look at www.Boston-BMWCCA.org for 1999 autocross results). I haven't had a chance to race the 2000 Z3 in any autocross events due to a death in the family last year, planning a wedding this year, and an increase in my musical gigging over the past three years (late night Saturday gigs don't make for a good early morning Sunday rise to get to an autocross event).

The five-speed manual transmission has a pretty short throw, with the gear positions so well-defined and a clutch that is definitive yet forgiving that you can teach anyone how to drive a standard in this car. The brakes will stop this car on a dime (and maybe even pick it up), with the anti-lock system that works well when it's activated and shuts off when it should, you'll stay in control regardless of the road conditions. In short, they work! For a comparison on brakes, see my review of the 1992 GMC Suburban

The seats are very comfortable while hugging your body to keep you in place. The only drawback is that there isn't much space behind the seat backs, so that if you have a tall person in your car (or someone who just likes to push the seat all the way back), the seat back will be pressed up against the rear wall that separates the passenger compartment with the convertible top well (where the top goes when you fold it down). This makes for slight discomfort if said tall person wishes to recline, but can't.

The instrument cluster is simple, easy to read, and well lit. The radio and climate controls are also simple, easy to use, and well lit. The windows are powered with express up and down on both driver and passenger sides, very nice feature. In short, the interior is simple and functional.

The Z3 comes with optional heated seats and heated mirrors, which I had in my '97 Z3, but not in the 2000. Boy do I miss them. They allowed me to ride with the top down on a sunny day even if it was only 30F degrees outside.

As mentioned in the cons, the trunk is indeed very small. You can fit one bag of golf clubs or two medium duffle bags in it, but not both. The front end looks very nice. It's what defines the car. But watch out when you pull up behind a car or into a parking spot that has a stop block. You sit so far back in this car that you can reach around and feel the rear fender from the driver's seat. Granted it's a short car in overall length, but the front bumper sits farther out in front of me than it does in my Suburban. Also the low clearance (which is generally a good thing in a sports car) means you really have to watch the bottom edge of the air dam below the bumper when you approach those cement stop blocks at the end of parking spaces (as I found out the hard way unfortunately). The repairs on this is going to be expensive, but you get what you pay for, and with BMW, even the repairs will be held to the ultimate in perfection.

Love this car. Did I mention that it is fun to drive?