The car is absolutely adorable! Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! When you do decide to get one, make an effort to find a six-cylinder one. It makes a big difference

@@OneTireFire thanks, I'll try. But I'm still thinking about E39 being a really perfect car, especially a first one, plus it's much more safe than conventional "economical small first cars".

I try, I try. Thank you for watching!

Thanks for watching!

Nice! It's going to be fun through the corners, not so much in a straight line :D

Danke, thanks for watching! I have exactly the same dilemma. On some days, I feel very strongly that a Z4 is the answer, but then someone in a Z3 goes past and it instantly makes me reconsider. I'd have more faith in a Z4 as a car I know I'd drive in a sporty fashion because, in the event of a crash, it should offer much better protection. But that Z3 design, though... so timeless.

You make very valid points. Thanks for sharing & watching!

p.s. Not to get me wrong: I still enjoy driving our 1998 Z3 on curved little roads as a modern classic. It drives and steers pretty responsive and not like „wired“ todays cars which are much heavier and require double the power for having the same fun. So reliable to keep in the stable compared to the much more „diva-esque“ cars of it‘s era. While the other cars start to bother me the Z3 remains a keeper which aged with us.

Thank you for watching! I think a Z3 will feel a little bit more grown-up than an NB, with better build quality and slightly more refinement. It won't feel as agile or connected to the road, though, so if ultimate road feel and connectedness are your priorities, you should get another MX-5.

@@OneTireFire Thank you ! I'm older indeed but Miata's connectedness is something from an parallel universe - I secretly hope to find an "Mx5 but better" one day, and looks like it's not Z3.

@@GK-hs5wz deoends on the setup. Good suspension, poly bushings, strut bar, thicker sway bars will make it even better than Miata.

It's either the OEM one or the Wiesmann one. I can't remember :)

Thank you for watching! Yes, they are Style 32 17-inch wheels. Not sure about the width, but it probably is 8J.

Ok. Thx!

@@michadabrowski8778 is 8j is20 and 9j is22

That exact one nowhere. It's custom-made by the owner.

@@OneTireFire Well, he did a beautiful job! I’d love to have one like it!

It’s not powerful enough with the four-cylinder to compare it to the Boxster. The underpowered 1.9 liter engine is a big reason why I compared it to an MX-5. It’s still a lot of fun whichever engine it has, though…

@@OneTireFiretrue. And it’s great for tuning and all the tricky things are well documented on bimmerforums.

@@deni2s Yeah, I'm seriously considering getting a Z3 with a six-cylinder. I've been doing a lot of reading on it since I drove it. I really liked it, even with a four-pot.

It's a complete replacement of the factory trunk lid. I don't know who makes it, but I agree it looks cool. I'll ask the owner.

@@OneTireFire I made fiber glass ducktail for my Z3, but the lid on that one looks waaaay better. Would be great to know if there is a chance to buy one!

The owner says it's a custom piece and that if you're interested, he could scan it for you :)

@@OneTireFire I would definitely be interested 😊

@@OneTireFire that would be awesome!

Just part-electric-front/back and up/down, but the backrest is still manual. I didn't know the style 32s came on the car. The owner of this Z3 said he got them off a different BMW.

@@OneTireFire oh Yeah that’s true :) the style 32 came, but not the size on this car i believe. I’ve struggled so hard to get them, but i finally got some last week

Mersi pentru sugestie!

Z3 a fost lansat cand inca se vindea NA si a iesit din productie cu 3 ani inainte sa apara NC, deci comparatia cea mai potrivita ar fi cu NB. Suspensia arhaică de pe spate a fost o solutie economică atat financiar, cat si pentru considerente de spatiu, semi-trailing arm e foarte plata si compacta comparativ cu double wishbone, motiv pentru care portbagajele au acelasi volum, desi la z3 spatele este mai scurt. In plus, chiar daca nu e la fel de precisa, puntea cu semi-trailing arms ofera un caracter specific la condus, cu tendințe supraviratoare. La utilizarea materialelor, Z3 poate ca nu foloseste aluminiu, insa are o structura monococa, iar toate elementele de caroserie sunt prinse cu suruburi, nu sudate si sunt extrem de bine galvanizate, dovada ca Z3urile foarte rar ruginesc. La materialele folosite in interior diferenta este colosala. Z3 si MX5 sunt doua abordari diferite pentru o situație similara, nu cred ca este o problema de “care este mai buna”, ci una de tipul “care imi place mai mult / care e mai potrivita pentru mine?”

Thanks! This was addressed in another comment.

That’s quite a leap, and a very different car/driving experience.

@@OneTireFire In some ways, yes. But they're both manual, RWD, convertible sports cars. And similarly priced where I live.

It depends on the conditions you buy it in and how far you wanto to improve it. Once improved, maintenance on the 1.9 is inexpensive. You get the best bang for your buck with the 1.9.

Nice, nice! What engine?

1.9

Right, thanks, that's what I wanted to say but something else came out 😅

Yes, I totally agree with your assessment, but with the four-cylinder under the hood and some of the handling-enhancing mods, it felt like a slightly bigger Miata to me. Nowhere near as fun to drive as the Mazda, especially on the limit, but still a decent roadster (even despite its archaic suspension setup, especially in the rear).

@@OneTireFire i'm mainly just angry at BMW for not giving us a car they absolutely could have XD i guess we can at least appreciate they made a z car at all

@@blanchimont5587 The new Z4 is built on a bespoke sports car platform, and if you want one that is stiffer and better through the corners, you can get one with a Toyota badge :)

Which six-cylinder version of the Z4 is the one to get?

@@OneTireFire id say anything above the 2.5 The 3.0 has even more hp coming in at around 230 but they also come with a bigger pricetag. i chose a 2.5 from 2004 since in my country we have hp tax and i dont want to afford the price for 230hp. but really any version is good it just depends on how much hp you need

​@@mrturtle3531 Thanks for sharing. I'd love to try a six-cylinder if I can get my hands on one.

140 PS / 138 hp

Hmmmm, maybe, why do you say that?

@@OneTireFire the Miata was offered in a 4 cyl and price point and quality put in a place for people who couldn’t afford an s2000 or z. The s2000 was offered in a 4 cyl but built more for racing the z has all of the qualities and as far as look, proportions and performance is much closer to the s2000 than Miata. However the z was superior. It had race and roadster luxury with a 4cyl and 6cyl option and now they come straight 6 with twin turbos. The s2000 is known as a legend because its rarer and has a high reving 4cyl that Honda enthusiasts hyped up.

@@brendanbaphomet Z3 better than the S2000? What have you been smoking? The S2000 mounts the legendary 2.0 v-tec engine that outputs 240 hp while the Z3 either had the 140 hp 1.9 or the 230 hp 3.0. The Z3 was outdated mechanically and it had a chassis that was not performance oriented while the S2000 had an X chassis that was perfect for performance. The S2000 also weighs less

@@giuseppemaggio5894 a legendary 4 cyl in a race oriented car. Not a luxury roadster with a legandry straight 6 that you can single turbo and make power close to a Supra

@@giuseppemaggio5894 let’s be real though it’s still a bmw and an s2000 is really just a Honda. No civic or accord is better than any e36-46 neither is s to the x. But the s holds an occult following because it’s a Honda fanboys love it

Yep, that makes sense

Eh, that’s your opinion, mate. You are entitled to one.

@@OneTireFire it's not an opinion. Unlike you I've actually raced both against each other and owned both. Didn't see you racing against any Miata's in this video. Out-performing another vehicle isn't an opinion it's factual.

I have a 01 z3 3.0, from road tests I gather the Miata is the better overall car. Never driven a Miata tho. You have raced both?

@@Scott-sb1xi you gather Miata is the better car but never drove a Miata how does that make sense?

@NeverRollinStock I just told you. From road tests. What year Miata and model Z did you race? I need to know for bragging purposes.

I disagree. I think the Miata is fantastic. Not overhyped at all. Have you ever driven one?

@@OneTireFire the z3 is closer to the s2000 than a Miata.