BMW Z3 is a future classic

[@capnordest]

I have owned a 2000 Z3 2.8 for over 12 years. A superb car , great fun, reliable and superb looks. Can't imagine I will ever sell it.

[@ericl755]

6 cylinder is the sweat spot. Especially the 2.8 version: fun to drive, easy to service, mythic engine and future value.

[@DamoDrives]

It’s a fantastic car and will certainly go up in value if looked after

[@Retrobeemer]

Just bought a pristine 1.9 wide body car for the same as a set of premium tyres on my old M3. A Bilstein kit to lower and refresh the suspension and an LSD, along with staggered 17'' Hartge alloys transformed the looks. They're an absolute steal right now. As for semi trailing arms, they worked perfectly well in my E30 M3 track car and very few drivers will ever get near the limit.

[@DamoDrives]

Do you not find the car could do with a bit more power ?

[@Retrobeemer]

@@DamoDrives I'm going to remove some weight by swapping out for Recaro buckets, removing spare wheel, boot carpet etc. BDS do a stage 2 inlet manifold and map that sees 160+bhp so there's plenty to do if people really want more power. In the past I fitted S54 ITB's and standalone ECU which sounded epic. A 4:1 final drive swap livens things up also. Or just enjoy using the revs as it is? I worked at Mazda UK and drove some of the first MX5's to hit the UK when people said they were underpowered. They were built to mimic the Lotus Elan though and those cars were about snappy gear changes and fun handling not big power. I remember much more powerful cars not being able to keep up when driving around the lanes in Kent. Added to which you can enjoy all the power these cars have and still be at sensible speeds. There's a lot to like about the four pot roadsters like the MX5, Z3 etc.

[@GreenWitch1]

I just bought a ‘98 2.8. So glad I didn’t end up with a 1.9! I didn’t know what I was doing, but got lucky. The manual transmission is the bomb!! I’m having everything replaced to bring it back to original condition. It’s the most fun car to drive 😃

[@DamoDrives]

Fantastic news , well done. Top down in the sun is lovely. Are you keeping it stock or replacing the parts like for like ?

[@GreenWitch1]

@@DamoDrives I’m staying in my lane. I’m an older woman & I don’t know shit about cars, but I owe my son a sports car, so I’m just buying new parts from Pelican parts, Rock auto, etc. I’m not trying to make changes because I don’t know how. My son bought a Datsun 280Z at my insistence when he was 16 for $1200. Little did I know the unibody frame was hog tided to the body. I had to give it away because it was too dangerous. Then we gave him a Maxima before he entered the Marine Corp. I spent $900 having the A/C repaired b4 he graduated boot camp & the damn thing was stolen! I rented him a brand new Mustang convertible for a week when I picked him up from boot camp. I’ve felt guilty ever since & 20+ years have passed. I’m committed to bringing this rough car back to life so I can give it to him. I’ve put less than 300 miles on it & the alternator, clutch & cooling system needs to be replaced. I’m not deterred! These are beautiful cars & I’m going to get it done if it kills me! Sorry for the long story, but the clutch is shot now & my daughter is flying in on Sunday & I can’t pick her up or take her for a drive in my new car 😭

[@DamoDrives]

You sound like you have the same sort of luck with cars as I do but it’s lovely you want to bring this car back and the reason. I wish you all the luck in the world with the project and to manage to get your daughter

[@hugocaceresvelasquez]

Great video, I own an 1.996 1.9lt version with low mileage, black with some special finishes like wood in the dash, M suspension, it's my daily car and I love it so much!!!

[@DamoDrives]

Thank you got your kind words. Your car sounds very nice and driving it all the time is great 👏

[@matthewclark2123]

Same here. I put 45,000 miles on it. Just love the little thing

[@mattsbeamer]

Wonderful cars. My friend had one of the first Z3’s in the UK. Also lived in the Uckfield area. He bought some kind of high performance bike, and his wife wasn’t happy and she went crazy and cut the main wiring loom, so he had to sell it and bought a z3 1.9 Fiji green. For my birthday my dad took me out in it. This was about the time my dad had his e31. I regret not buying an 1998 Oxford green 2.8 with cream leather about 9 years ago. It was only £1000, lol

[@DamoDrives]

You might get a z3 for £1000 but probably would not run, be full of rust and have most of the interior missing lol. Mixed feelings when it came out by all these years latter think it looks fab

[@mattsbeamer]

@@DamoDrives lol, it’s amazing how much the market has changed l. I look forward to seeing more BMWs on the channel

[@DamoDrives]

Really challenging getting hold of cars at the minute , trying to get a new 2 series on the channel , new Cupra born next week and a very cool metro the weekend after

[@DieselPower1968]

Have just bought a 98 Atlanta blue metallic 2.8i manual..only 2 owners from new ..full bmw service history with 51,000 miles on the clock..will keep this for at least 5 year's..by then it will have trebled in price..best investment ever..way better than a bank...happy day's 😁😁👌👌👌😎😎

[@DamoDrives]

Enjoy the car as well

[@DieselPower1968]

@DamoDrives I will definitely enjoy the car..and take it to car shows and might even enter it into the show..car is like new condition

[@hotdiggityd]

You have me intrigued. I really want a Z4 for summer, I think it's the most beautiful affordable car ever designed, however this isn't a million miles away and given the price point and the fact it's a future classic as you say, I'm now squarely on the fence.

[@kriskalpa6346]

I had one and sold it.. now want to buy one again. It is such a well made little car and fun to drive. Something fun and interesting. Didn't feel very secure in the wet but a bargain now.

[@DamoDrives]

They are very cool but prices really are starting to go up

[@DamoDrives]

What model did you have and what would you get again if you could

[@kriskalpa6346]

@@DamoDrives Just a base 1.9, I bought it from a guy who owned it from new. I like the z3M now!

[@howardbowen-RC-Pilot]

Sweet looking car.

[@DamoDrives]

It does look the part and is fun to drive as well

[@streetready]

Where'd you get that wind deflector I'm looking for something like that

[@pistonburner6448]

Wasn't the Z1 very much an E30 platform car, just with a new rear axle? I remember reading about Hartge S38 conversions and they spoke about the ease of the conversion as it's just like doing the same job to an E30?

[@DamoDrives]

I think you are correct, from the 325i from what I have read

[@ukultimaterc]

Never been cheaper than they are now, 2.8 is unnecessary. 1.9 16v or 2.2 straight 6 are the sweet spots otherwise you are missing the point entirely.

[@pmtilbury6596]

Good video

[@DamoDrives]

Thank you 😊, glad you enjoyed it.

[@clementquirder]

Looks like they just tasted the water to first release a 4 cylinders in saying that the m3 e30 was 4 cylinders

[@DamoDrives]

Was an odd choice because it would have cost millions to develop the car and create all of the tooling for mass production. I have not driven a 4 cylinder so maybe it was fun to drive as well

[@scotty6346]

Park a Z3 next to a Z4 and you will see what car is the best looking! (I ain't the E36 parts bin Z3!) 😂

[@philipraphael5188]

Nice review of a future classic. I test drove one of the very first to make it to make it to western Canada in 1996 while writing for a local car magazine. I vowed to have one someday ... and that someday happened in 2017 when I acquired my 2000 M roadster. Here's a short video of my built in South Carolina, German-engined, Japanese export that now lives in a suburb of Vancouver. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a56oh2ynr9SoaK8

[@DamoDrives]

Love the M version sure it is a lot of fun