written by lightning on 23/08/2011
The Z3 is almost a "classic" now, and prices have dropped to under five thousand pounds even for the 2.8/3 litre versions.
It's a great car, but go for the larger engine as the smaller engine is a bit slow, plus the larger engined versions have wider rear arches which look better.
Remarkably the 2.8 will achieve 30mpg in town driving, if driven with a degree of care. Insurance is also cheaper as it can be insured as a "classic" but do check the premium before you buy one....this is no MX5.
Performance wise the 2.8 will wipe the floor with most other 2 seaters like the MX5, leaving them rasping weakly from the exhaust. The 2.8 (and even better, the 3.0) pulls like a train and sounds lovely.
Fault wise there is one issue, the diff mount can fracture and pull away from the boot floor in the larger engine versions. This needs to be checked before you buy. Mine was fine but if it does fail it can be an expensive repair.
In conclusion, before you plump for that MX5 check out the Z3 2.8....you will not be disappointed.