BMW Z3

Development on the roadster began in 1991 and was led by Burkhard Göschel.[1][3] The exterior was designed by Joji Nagashima, being completed in mid-1992 at 39 months before production[4][5] and the design was frozen in 1993.[6] Design patents were filed on April 2, 1994, in Germany and on September 27, 1994, in the US.[7] The Z3 was introduced via video press release by BMW North America on June 12, 1995. Production began on September 20, 1995.[8]

Development on the coupé model was run by a group of BMW engineers outside of work in their own time.[9] The Z3 Coupé shares the same platform and parts with the roadster, but features a chassis-stiffening hatch area and is 2.7 times stiffer in comparison.[10][9] The Z3 Coupé was unveiled at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Z3 was the first BMW model to be solely manufactured outside of Germany. It was manufactured in Greer, South Carolina.[4]

• 
  E36/7 roadster (Pre-facelift)
• 
  E36/7 roadster (Pre-facelift)
• 
  E36/7 roadster (Facelift)
• 
  E36/8 coupé

The available transmissions are:[20]

• 5-speed ZF S5-31 manual (Z3 2.8 / 3.0i / Z3M)
• 5-speed Getrag 250 manual (Z3 1.8 / 1.9i / 2.0 / 2.2i / 2.5)
• 4-speed GM 4L30-E automatic (Z3 1.9 / 2.0 / 2.5 / 2.8)
• 5-speed GM 5L40-E automatic (Z3 2.2i / 2.5 / 3.0)

The 4-cylinder models feature a single tailpipe, while six-cylinder models have dual tailpipes, wider rear fenders (for pre-facelift models) and a revised front bumper. M models featured the same wider fenders as the six-cylinder models but with unique front and rear bumpers, side mirrors and the M division's first use of a quad exhaust pipe arrangement.

The 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2i models were unavailable in the United States. The U.S. was also the only market to receive the 2.3 and 2.5 models

The M versions were introduced in 1997 in the roadster (M Roadster) and coupé (M Coupé) body styles. European models were initially powered by the S50 inline-six engine, while North American models were powered by the less powerful S52 inline-six engine. In 2001 both the European and North American models switched to the new S54 engine. The Z3M was only available with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Compared to the standard Z3, M models featured a limited slip differential, a wider rear track,[15] and larger brakes (that are shared with the E36 M3). M models were available in M-specific colors and feature numerous aesthetic and aerodynamic differences versus the rest of the Z3 range, including more aerodynamic wing-mirrors, redesigned front and rear bumpers, bespoke "Roadstar" Style 40 wheels, revised side gills, and quad exhaust pipes. The interior can also be differentiated by the voltmeter, clock, and oil temperature gauges in the center console as well as unique M-styled seats and interior color options.

Unlike the rest of the Z3 range, the M Roadster and the M Coupé did not receive cosmetic changes during the facelift in 2000.

• 
  M Roadster front
• 
  M Roadster rear
• 
  M Coupé rear

One source provides the data below for production figures.[42] However, there are other sources which provide conflicting information,[42] so actual figures are not certain.

The Z3 appeared briefly in the James Bond movie GoldenEye, in a scene where Bond is driving in Cuba.[43] Bond would eventually trade the car in exchange for Jack Wade's plane. The Z3 is one of only a few non-British production cars to be driven by James Bond throughout the history of the film franchise, and the first of three James Bond films that prominently featured a BMW. This break in tradition was due to a three-film licensing deal between BMW and the James Bond franchise that began with Goldeneye and ended with The World Is Not Enough.[44] The Z3 in GoldenEye features stinger missiles hidden behind the headlights, an emergency parachute braking system, and a radar scanner in the form of a LCD screen in the dashboard.[45] It is also noted during the briefing scene that the car contains a passenger ejector seat and a self-destruct system, though they aren't used at any point in the film.[46] The Z3 is also one of the few vehicles in the Q-Branch that was not destroyed in the field. Fans of the franchise were not enthused with the BMW product placement, all the more so since the Z3 never was given a scene in which to use the weaponry and defense features that have always distinguished a James Bond car. This was ultimately rectified with the BMW 750il in the following film, Tomorrow Never Dies.

Two blue prototypes were provided in January 1995 for filming at the Leavesden Aerodrome.[47][48] The agreement between BMW and Eon Productions was for cross-promotion of the car and the film, and no money changed hands.[49]

Sales of the Z3 spiked as the film sat at number one at the box office. The entire 1996 BMW Z3 roadster production run, more than 15,000 roadsters, was sold out by the time the car was introduced.[50]

The Z3 appeared in The Follow, one of the BMW films released in 2001.[51]

• 1995 "Super Reggie" Best-of-show award for the GoldenEye marketing campaign[52]
• 1999 Edmunds' Most Wanted Convertible $25,001-$40,000 for the Z3 2.8[53]
• 1999 Car and Driver "Ten Best" for M Coupé / M Roadster[54]
• 1999 Automobile Magazine "Design of the Year" award for the M Coupé[55]
• 1999 Automobile Magazine "Best Sports Car" award for the M Coupé[55]
• 2000 Intellichoice "Best Overall Value of the Year" - "Base Sport" for the Z3 Roadster 2.3[56]
• 2000 Top Gear (TV show) "Driver's Car of the Year" for the M Coupé[57]
• 2009 Jalopnik "Best 10 Cars of the Decade" feature for the M Coupé[58]
• 2011 Top Gear "Hammond's Icons" for the M Coupé[59]