Page 77 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

The prewar BMW 328 helped cement the brand’s credibility as a sports car manufacturer. It was very successful in competition with over 100 class wins in 1937, including the RAC Tourist Trophy, the Österreichische Alpenfahrt, and the La Turbie hillclimb. In 1938, the 328 won its class at the RAC Tourist Trophy, the Alpine Rally, and the Mille Miglia.
BMW Z3
by-side in BMW’s North American factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina. BMW also equipped the first Z3 models with the same 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine that powered the 318ti. This engine was rated at 138 horsepower and 133 lb ft of torque. The Z3 offered buyers the choice of a Getrag five-speed manual transmission, or a four-speed automatic sourced from General Motors. The package offered a 0-60 time of about eight seconds, which was within a tenth or two of the same year’s Miata.
It’s safe to say the Z3 was a hit, and the right car for the time. US sales totaled 15,040 in the first year, with many of those pre- ordered on the strength of marketing, and maybe a few because buyers had seen James Bond driving one in Goldeneye. But simply matching the performance of the Miata was never going to satisfy the BMW fan base for too long, especially when the BMW cost just about exactly $10,000 more than the Mazda. Something was going to have to change to keep up the momentum.
More Power
The thing that changed was a new 2.8-liter inline six-cylinder engine, made optional for the Z3’s second year of production in April of 1997. The 2.8-liter engine was borrowed from the brand’s bread-and-butter 328i sedan, and delivered 190 horsepower and 206 lb ft of torque. The new engine also warranted a new manual transmission, and the Z3 2.8 got a five-speed ZF box, or it could
The BMW 507 was BMW’s first postwar roadster. With its svelte proportions and V8 power, it should have sold well, but high prices held it back.
THE BACKSTORY
In the mid-90s, BMW was feeling left out of the small sports car business. The company hadn’t produced a real roadster since the 1950s, and the über-weird Z1 never made it to the prime time market of North America. Mercedes-Benz was still selling the venerable SL grand touring convertible, but Mazda was cleaning up with the lightweight Miata and that sent the European sports car brands scrambling. By the end of the decade, Audi came out with the TT roadster and Porsche brought out the Boxster. However, BMW beat them both to market with the mostly-new Z3, arriving for the 1996 model year. Among the lightweight sports cars of the era, it was a worthy contender; an eager and lively sports car known for a bit more oversteer than BMW’s more staid sedans.
The Z3 started with the basic E36 platform, which was already in use for BMW’s 3-Series sedans and coupes. The internal product designation for the Z3 roadster was E36/7. There was a difference under the skin, however. The Z3 was built with the earlier E30 style of semi-trailing arm rear suspension, similar to the compact 318ti of the same era. In fact, the two vehicles were produced side-
The BMW 1600 and 2002 Cabriolets were built by Baur for BMW and are now highly prized for fun open air motoring.
The BMW Z1 was the progenitor of the BMW “Z” roadsters and was produced in limited numbers from 1989 to 1991. It was known for its plastic body panels and vertically sliding doors which drop into the door sills. It was one of the first BMWs to use a multi-link rear suspension.
Wayne Carini  Affordable Classics  75