BMW Z3
| BMW Z3 | |
|---|---|
_convertible_(27020958151).jpg) |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Production | September 20, 1995–June 28, 2002 |
| Assembly | Greer, South Carolina, United States (BMW US Mfg. Comp.) |
| Designer | Joji Nagashima (1992) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Roadster / sports car (S) |
| Body style | 2-door roadster 2-door coupé |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | BMW 3 Series (E36) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 4-Speed GM 4L30-E Automatic 5-Speed GM 5L40-E Manumatic with 'Steptronic' shifting 5-Speed Manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 96.8 in (2,459 mm) |
| Length | 158.5 in (4,026 mm) |
| Width | 66.6 in (1,692 mm) (1996-1998) 68.5 in (1,740 mm) (1999-2002) |
| Height | 49.8 in (1,265 mm) (Roadster) 50.4 in (1,280 mm) (Coupe) |
| Curb weight | 2,557–2,976 lb (1,160–1,350 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | BMW Z1 |
| Successor | BMW Z4 |
The BMW Z3 is BMW's first mass-produced mass market roadster, and was the first new BMW model to be manufactured in the United States. E36/7 refers to the roadster variant of the Z3 which was introduced in 1995, and E36/8 refers to the coupe variant of the Z3 which was released in 1999. The Z in Z1, Z3, Z4, Z8 stands for Zukunft, which is German for future. The BMW Z3 was introduced via video press release by BMW North America on June 12, 1995 and made a short appearance in the James Bond film GoldenEye on November 17, 1995. Karen Sortito was responsible for the campaign, and sales of the Z3 spiked as the film sat at number one at the Box Office. In the 1996 production run, more than 15,000 roadsters were sold out by the time the car was introduced. A facelift for the car was introduced in 2000, and the Z3 ended production in 2002 when it was replaced by the BMW Z4.
The E36/7 (roadster) Z3 went into development in 1991 under Dr. Burkhard Göschel for 38 months. The exterior was designed by Joji Nagashima of the BMW Design Team in July 1992, which was then frozen in 1993 to be developed into the E36 platform to production in September 1995. The rear semi-trailing arm suspension was used from the BMW E30, and not the E36. Design patents were filed on April 2, 1994 in Germany and in September 27, 1994 in the US.
Production of the facelifted Z3 models began in April 1999 as a 2000 model year. Changes included new engines and cosmetics but did not apply on Z3M models, which featured only a few changes and a different engine. Upon release, the facelifted Z3 was not up to many buyers' expectations because the interior wasn't up to the standards of other BMW models. For example, it had a plastic rear window while the new generation of the Mazda Miata released in 1999 had a glass rear window. The facelift included updated and higher quality materials.
All 4-cylinder Z3s featured one exhaust pipe and a normal body kit. All 6-cylinder Z3s had two exhaust pipes together and flared wheel arches and a different front bumper, except for the Z3M, which had quad exhausts. The production colors for the Z3 roadster and coupe were Sapphire Black (Saphirschwarz), Black 2 (Schwarz II), Cosmos Black (Cosmosschwarz), Titanium Silver (Titansilber), Arctic Silver (Arktiksilber), Sterling Gray (Sterlinggrau), Alpine White (Alpinweiss), Bright Red (Hellrot), Sienna Red (Siennarot), Dakar Yellow (Dakargelb), Boston Green (Bostongrün), Dark Green (Dunkelgrün), Oxford Green 2 (Oxfordgrün II), Montreal Blue (Montrealblau), Atalanta Blue (Atalantablau), Estoril Blue (Estorilblau), and Topaz Blue (Topasblau).
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