BMW Z4 'GT3': You Know You Want To

BMW never made an official GT3 Z4; didn't stop this intrepid owner though...

Before the M6 GT3, you may remember BMW campaigned the Z4 GT3 in various sportscar series across the globe. It achieved a reasonable degree of success too, which will have been hard earned given how competitive GT racing now is. But more than that the Z4 GT3 looked absolutely incredible; perhaps not classically beautiful but fit to burst with attitude, aggression and intent. It was, and most probably remains, one of the meanest looking racing cars ever.

This is the look it's going for...

What a shame that BMW never saw fit to make a production version of the GT3. The outgoing generation of Z4 never really delivered on the dynamic front, beaten in group tests by - shock, horror - the Audi TT on occasion. Sure, the styling was neat and the engines decent, but as a sports car it was a disappointment. Something GT3 inspired could not only have addressed that but also harked back to the legendary Z3 and Z4 M Roadsters, as well as creating a more exciting drop-top M car than an M3 or M6 cabrio...

But it didn't happen. And it never will, now that the Z4 has been replaced. Where there's a will there's a way though, right? Which is how you end up with a car like this, a 'Z4 GT3 conversion'.

It's probably worth dealing with what this car isn't before we get to what it is; avoids any confusion, in theory. It isn't a converted race car, instead being based on a 35i production model. As a result it isn't a V8 either, instead still being powered by the turbocharged straight-six. And it isn't a sequential either, the gearbox still the standard six-speed manual (which would have made it rare in the first instance).

... and it's not miles away!

With those discussion points out of the way, we can look at what the Z4 does have. Apparently this car has had thousands spent on it, of which there can be little doubt. Look at that bodykit! It's 100 per cent carbon, from a company called Flossman, accompanied here by a gigantic rear spoiler, a new diffuser arrangement and the kind of front splitter that would look excessive on the North Loop, let alone the North Circular.

On top of that this particular Z4 has Spax coilovers, Sparco seats, a quick-release wheel and, oh yes, 500hp. And you thought it was just a cosmetic exercise! While the advert is vague on exactly how another 200hp has been liberated from the straight six, it does make the car rather more interesting. Let's hope the brakes have been upgraded too. And the suspension is up to the task. And the harnesses hold you in...

Will it be any good? You'd have to hope so, given the money invested in it. Of course money spent on a car doesn't guarantee success, but at the end of the day this is a front-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car with 500hp. It will be an experience, for sure.

You won't see another!

Whether it will actually sell for £45,000 of course remains to be seen. At the moment that's £10,000 more than any other Z4, the £35K models delivery mileage cars that are far newer. And well, there are plenty of other track ready cars to buy for that sort of money.

There won't be any other Z4 GT3s though, will there? Perhaps that rarity will be enough for some, the novelty of a car unlike any other - and the attention that that will bring - worth the price alone. Is that you? We'd love to know...

BMW Z4 GT3
Price: £44,995
Why you should: Power, presence, performance
Why you shouldn't: Can't even fold the roof now, can you?

See the original advert here