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You quickly learn driving the Z3 is all about grip. The base 1.9 Z3 comes with 205/60R15 tyres on alloy rims, the same size as the H-rated tyres on 1.8 litre versions. Cars destined for Australia will probably arrive with the same 225/50ZR16 Michelin HX Pilot rubber fitted to gorgeous five-spoke alloys on the car we drove (but didn't photograph), while even larger 17in rims are also available.
There so much grip the optional traction control system and limited-slip diff seem unnecessary. Enthusiasts could put the money to better effect by ordering the optional M-Technik suspension that brings firmer suspension settings all round.
As it stands there's simply too much grip to give the Z3 a class-leading handling response. A lower center of gravity allowed the engineers to fit softer anti-roll bars but they've gone too far in their desire to provide a supple and admittedly comfortable ride.
Turn-in, despite the quicker steering, is never as cohesive as you might reasonably expect and there's a hint of lateral body roll that is annoying if you're changing direction quickly. Nor is the steering Alfa-precise at the straight ahead. Grip, even with the 52/48 percent weight distribution, inevitably means understeer and there isn't enough power to negate its effects.
The
Munich engineers mutter that the MX-5 is twitchy on wet roads and
claim the Z3 is almost impossible to provoke, it's so
sure-footed. You can throw the Z3 at corners knowing it will come
out the other side simply by winding on lock and pressing hard on
the loud pedal. Lifting off barely alters the line at all, so the
result is the same. It's all so infallible. It's quick point to
point against the stopwatch, yet somehow it lacks the ingredients
that make a sports car special. The brakes, solid discs all
round, have both ABS and a slightly spongy pedal, but work
effectively without inspiring confidence.
Perhaps, because it demands so few compromises from its driver, the Z3 fails to offer the same excitement as an MX-5. Nevertheless, you know this is going to be a very easy sports car to own. I've no doubt it will be an instant success and loved for both its image and for BMW's pragmatic approach to the task of building a desirable open two-seater.
But a car for a contemporary 007? No, I don't think so...
HTML by Keith Tanner
The transcription of Not So Fast, 007, an article that appeared in the January 1996 issue of Wheels, Australia's premier automotive magazine, was specifically authorized for upload to this site by the Editor, Angus MacKenzie, and the article's author, Peter Robinson. A copy of the file was obtained for release here from the transcriber to Miataville, section 15 of CompuServe's Automobile Forum. Authorization for reproduction in other locations, electronic or otherwise, must not be assumed and must be independently sought, if desired, in writing from Wheels.