1998 BMW Z3 M-Roadster: Regular Car Reviews

This is the bmw Z3 Roadster. its the one thing that the Honda S200 fears. This is a rich man's miata. The thing is, it doesn't make the power that the S2000 does, nor is it beloved like the MZ-5 is. I pooped like 5 times today. it comes out like a blunderbuss but that only happens when I am at home. I think it's because I haven't washed by pot in like two weeks. The idea is that, if I am cooking in it every night, it's getting clean right? It comes up to temp every night, so, we're good right. I think I need a right angle grinder to clean it at this point. Man....

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New 2nd channel "Regular and Roman"

[georgebull-mclean]

The MX5 For people who know what foie gras is, and eat it anyway.

[yam]

"This is a '98. This is a classic car now"
This statement immediately made me turn to dust, that's how old it made me feel. 😂

[Rapscallion]

There's a joke in the UK Car scene "What's the difference between a Z3 and an S2000"?

"The BMW is neglected and the Honda is abused".

[AvenEngineer]

The clown shoe version of this car is still on my ugly hot dream car list.

[architypeone]

The BMW straight 6's are just so silky smooth and pull in an elastic way...feels like you are being pulled by a bungee cord. You can pass without having to downshift...great torque.

[Mechadondada]

My most despised coworker owns a S2000 and my pettiness will not allow me to ask a single question about it even tho I have many.

[throwback]

friend of my Dad bought one of these in the early 00s. wouldnt buy an mx5 "because its a hairdressers car". he got an s2000 first, drove it for a month, declared "its sounds like a bag of spanners and has no power" and switched to the bimmer. guess he didnt want to rev the s2000 out. boomers gotta boom.

[VirginiaRican]

Race engineer here: out of the box, the z3m is a lot more capable on a track than an S2000. This is mainly due to weight and rear suspension. The S2k's factory rear suspension geometry is almost unworkable for serious drivers. You'd have to cut and rebuild it. The Z3m on the other hand essentially has an E30 rear suspension. While this also isn't perfect for the track, you can adjust the alignment by bending the metal. Stock S2Ks aren't what they're cracked up to be on a track. They're deceptively heavy. The last time I raced, there was a near stock S2K running its first race. Interior stripped, caged, etc. I was 4 seconds a lap faster in my 1990 1.6L Miata with 97 horsepower. Yeah the S2K has a great engine that lets it pull a few lengths on the straights. But by the next breaking zone, he's done. M cars on the other hand are overall much much better. E36 and E46 platforms are far better suited for track use in stock, or near stock configuration. S2Ks require far more work to be competitive.

[ejf]

"So where's the powerband in a Z3?"
"Yes."

[diegoguerrero]

My mom has a Z3M coupe and it’s such a sick car. The way it drives the way it handles everything. I absolutely love, totally not saving up for a z3m right now.

[poomped]

So happy to see this, as the proud owner of an Estoril Blue '98 Z3M. In BMW-dom, this car's driving experience really stands out as one of the best, and maybe a peak of analog BMW M glory. It has the twitchy excitement of the E30 rear end, the snick snick firmness of the Z3 short shifter, the S52 torquey-but-revvy delight, and the open-top glory of a roadster. I love that you pointed out how good it feels to rest your arm on the sill. For me, it puts my left hand perfectly against the outside of the quarter window (or on the mirror, equally satisfying). The simple interior (with laughable 90's plastics) with chrome rimmed gauges is a joy too. The torque, linearity and noise of the S52 suits it perfectly. I wonder how anyone could long for more power in this car. I have a similar intake and trust me, the stock one is even quieter 😂. Stock suspension is perfect IMO. I think an S2K would have the edge on track but for pure fun factor on the street, these are hard to beat. Your perpetual smiles in this video confirm :)

[internet_internet]

I had a ‘00 M Coupe for a while. S52.
Might be the funnest car I’ve ever owned. Traction control got turned off every time I got into the car.
Very easy to find yourself tailgating others by complete accident, and very easy to find yourself forgetting to use a blinker. You’re entirely focused on driving the car, and I love that.

[BigSkyJason]

9:33 We did get the 315 hp version in 2001 in the form of the S54. The Euro-spec version before that was the S50, which indeed made more power than US-spec in the 1998 to 2000 model years.

[feltongailey]

My mom got one of these when they came out. It was stoopit fast and corners like no other (that I have driven). It was pure pleasure to pilot.

[xanlordk]

"This is the S2000's only predator"
Did you forget your Lotus Elise review?

[Cameron-quvz]

Z3 handles more like an E30 than an E36 - same rear end.

[TBPony]

A rule of thumb on those ford explorers is that police versions do not have roof rack mounts

[tenkarabadger]

Even the non-M version of this car with the inline 6 is a respectable driver’s car.

[EvanSather]

"I changed my underwear before I left because I had a fart that was a LIAR"!

"Thank you for tuning in!"

Now that's how you end a car review video!

[patrickwalsh]

best review video in a while. The personality and quirks are on point in this one more than usual for some reason