1998 BMW Z3

Few cars capture the character of BMW’s late-1990s M division quite like the Z3 M Roadster. Compact, muscular and wonderfully analogue, it combined the distinctive proportions of the Z3 with serious straight-six performance to create one of the most charismatic BMW M cars of its generation.

This 1998 BMW Z3 M Roadster has covered just over 80,000 miles and is finished in the wonderfully vibrant Estoril Blue Metallic, a colour almost synonymous with BMW M cars of the period. Combined with its blue folding soft top, contrasting black and blue leather interior and original staggered M alloy wheels, it remains a particularly striking-looking car.

Importantly, this example has formed part of a large private collection and has been kept in indoor storage since 2021. It has been retained as part of a wider collection, making its recent history particularly appealing for anyone looking for a well-kept example of this increasingly collectible BMW.

Under the bonnet sits BMW’s naturally aspirated 3.2-litre straight-six, driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. With no turbocharging and relatively little electronic intervention by modern standards, the Z3 M delivers exactly the sort of old-school BMW driving experience that has made these cars increasingly sought after.

The M transformation went considerably further than simply fitting a larger engine. Wider bodywork, unique front and rear bumpers, quad exhausts, M-specific suspension and brakes, distinctive side gills and those wonderfully deep-dished rear wheels give the Roadster a much more purposeful stance than the standard Z3.

Inside, the driver-focused cabin features a distinctive black and blue leather interior, with supportive M sports seats, M steering wheel, additional centre-console instrumentation and a proper manual gear lever. This example also retains its BMW six-disc CD changer, a pleasingly period feature that adds to the late-1990s character of the car.

This car is an attractive and well-presented example that retains the character of a car that has been driven and enjoyed. Under the bonnet, the engine bay also presents pleasingly and retains a largely original appearance.

On the road, the appeal of the Z3 M remains wonderfully straightforward: a large-capacity naturally aspirated straight-six up front, a manual gearbox in the middle and drive sent to the rear wheels. Lower the blue soft top and that combination becomes even more engaging, with the sound and response of the BMW straight-six forming a large part of the experience.

As modern BMW M cars have become faster, larger and increasingly sophisticated, cars such as the Z3 M Roadster have become all the more appealing for their comparative simplicity. Its compact dimensions, muscular styling and analogue driving experience make it a particularly interesting modern classic.

With just over 80,000 miles, indoor storage since 2021 and provenance as part of a large private collection, this handsome Estoril Blue Metallic Z3 M Roadster represents an appealing opportunity to own one of BMW M’s most distinctive modern classics.

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