With its long hood, short rear deck and muscular Coke bottle shape, the Z3 has the proportions of the graceful shapes that seduced the baby boom generation, conjuring up memories of cars like the original Ferrari Testarossa, the MGA, Austin-Healey, Jaguar XK-E, pre-Stingray Corvette and the A.C. Bristol, better known as the Shelby Cobra. BMW has a place in this hall of fame, with its 1959 507 roadster. But the 507 was a limited production project--only a handful were made. By comparison, the Z3 is much more of a mass market car.Built around a shortened chassis developed from BMW's 3-Series coupes, the Z3 is a little longer, wider and heavier than the Miata, with a slightly longer wheelbase and wider track. Like all BMWs--and all the members of the classic club--it's a rear-drive car with independent suspension, MacPherson struts at the front, multilink at the rear. The rear suspension was adapated from the previous generation of the M3, BMW'S hot rod 3-Series coupe. The 1.9-liter 4-cyl. engine is another 3-Series adaptation, but it's unique to the Z3, though BMW plans to install it in the 318 line at a later date. Like all members of the BMW engine family, it has dual overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder and endless hours of development behind it. Peak power--138 hp at 6000 rpm--is relatively modest, but the engine has very good torque characteristics, with plenty of thrust at the lower end of the rpm range, and the gearing of the standard 5-speed manual transmission makes the most of it. A 4-speed automatic is available as an option ($975). It too is geared for good acceleration, but like any automatic it sops up power and in our view takes something away from the driving experience. With its short shift throws and precise engagement, the 5-speed enhances the Z3's race car feel. After driving several versions with different options, we settled on a basic roadster with a 5-speed and optional ($1100) traction control. The standard equipment package, which includes 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock, should make most drivers happy.
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