# sports car BMW Z3



## lyonsa3 (31 Aug 2007)

I'm currently driving a focus and am getting sick of it. I want to drive a nice looking car and I'm willing to come down to a 1997-19999 car.  The type of car I was looking at was a BMW Z3.  Would anybody have any experiences on this type, or any other suggestions? 
Would a 1.9 litre petrol with 70,000 miles be good for another 5 years? 
Before any body asks, I'm not having a mid life crisis as I'm only 28.
Looked at a few over in England and would pick one up for about 14000 euro after VRT


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## Gabriel (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

Z3 is not a sports car. It's a hairdressers car. They're dreadful btw...

Mazda MX-5 all the way if you're that way inclined. You'll pick up a beautiful model for that kinda wonga.
If you do go for one make sure it's the 1.8 version.


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## xt40 (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



lyonsa3 said:


> Would a 1.9 litre petrol with 70,000 miles be good for another 5 years?


yes 70k is not much mileage. 
2 seaters are great fun but not very practical. based on having owned both 2 and 4 seaters in the past, here are a few things to look out for

smelly boot

damp carpets

hood not sealing at drivers door.

rear window type - plastic or glass.  glass is far better as plastic can get damaged easily and can be hard to see through in winter. if the car your looking at has white marks on the plastic window, you can ask the dealer to knock off the cost of a new hood and then polish them out using brasso.

scuttle shake -  cabrios are a lot weaker than normal cars as they have no roof.  this can cause them to rattle and vibrate quite badly when driving over bumpy roads some are worse than others so google this phrase in regard to any model you intend buying and see what the verdict is. test drive one over a bad back road to see if you can live with the ride

hardtop - most 2 seaters and some 4 seaters have these as an option. nice to have for security and can reduce noise and scuttle shake but a pain to take on and off and store. the last car i had, i never used it.


test drive - drive the car with the top up and down over good and bad roads and a good range of speeds. some cars are quite unpleasant to drive with the top up.
lastly DONT buy a convertible unless you are going to use it with the top down. if you want one just cos they look prettier , you will hate owning it.

i dont like the look of the z3 myself but thats a personal opinion. some alternatives to consider
rover mgf - nicer,cheaper,prone to hgf(head gasket failure)
3-series, very nice, plastic window,scuttle shake, 4 seats
audi 80 cabrio, very classy, uncommon
ford escort cabrio, 5 seats, very cheap , solid, rollbar , well insulated hood with glass window
golf - similar advantages to escort but a bit more boring and common


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## xt40 (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

dont buy an mx5 unless you get it for 4-5 grand as a second car. they are too long in the tooth at this stage


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## Gabriel (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



xt40 said:


> dont buy an mx5 unless you get it for 4-5 grand as a second car. they are too long in the tooth at this stage



Thats just completely untrue!!!!! They are far from being long in the tooth and the new one has had praise heaped on it from high. It is still the class leader in this bracket by a long way.

Rover mgf - horrible to drive. Nice to look at.
3-series - won't get a good oen for 14k
audi 80 cabrio - very old
ford escort cabrio - very old
golf - nice if you have long blond hair and breasts...otherwise avoid like the plague.

Sorry for getting so worked up...but the MX-5 is an absolutely cracking car and blows everything in that list out of the water


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## Graham_07 (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



xt40 said:


> dont buy an mx5 unless you get it for 4-5 grand as a second car. they are too long in the tooth at this stage


 
The MX-5 is (per Guinness book of records ) the best selling sports car in the world. Still selling after 18 years does not indicate "long in the tooth" it only indicates that Mazda got it right from day one. The new Mk3 is a lot more grown up but "purists "would prefer the Mk1 1989-1998. The Mk2 1998-2006 is a belter of a car a bit more comfort than Mk1 but no less of the styling or performance. Insurance on them pretty reasonable now too. 

On another issue, scuttle shake as mentioned, affects tin tops adapted to open tops ( like peugeot 206, renault megane etc) much more than genuine sports cars like MX-5, the car was BUILT to be driven top down and the chassis has been appropriately built for that purpose.

You'd get a 2000-01 for about €12K check out www.carzone.ie for samples. early 1990-91's are still selling for €5-6K, which again indicates the appeal and the good residualswith low depreciation. 

BTW, they don't break down, they have huge appeal and they are way better than nurofen after a hard nights drinking for clearing the head.

Finally, agree with other posters the Z3 is a can.


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## bullbars (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

Is the Mx5 the one with the rotary engine?


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## Gabriel (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



bullbars said:


> Is the Mx5 the one with the rotary engine?



No...that's the Mazda RX8


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## Graham_07 (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



Gabriel said:


> No...that's the Mazda RX8


 
I know this is getting off original post but if you want to lose your licence in the fastest possible time then the RX-8 is the one to do it for you. Pity they're still so expensive tho, early 2004 ones still over €30K. but with 230bhp from a 1.6 renesis rotary engine its thrills all the way.


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## bruce wayne (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

how about a TT? coupe


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## Pique318 (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

Honda S2000 is another option. Bit on the revvy side being a sports Honda but looks gorgeous. Not a town car as you'll get RSI from changing gear so often.

Also think about the Vauxhall VX220 or Toyota MR2. Bit more cramped (ok a lot more cramped) but the VX220 Turbo is a serious piece of kit.


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## Mrs Mac (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

Merc SLK 230.

Great car - but can be a bit of a rough ride due to low profile tyres


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## bruce wayne (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



Pique318 said:


> Honda S2000 is another option. Bit on the revvy side being a sports Honda but looks gorgeous. Not a town car as you'll get RSI from changing gear so often.



Beautful car.....and a serious ride


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## Pique318 (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



Mrs Mac said:


> Merc SLK 230.
> 
> Great car - but can be a bit of a rough ride due to low profile tyres


 
But definitely a womans car....no offence but I always see women driving them.


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## Gabriel (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



Pique318 said:


> But definitely a womans car....no offence but I always see women driving them.



Well...in fairness the SLK 200 is a womans car. The 230 is an auto only I think and you might see a few men in it due to the bigger engine.

MX-5 is still the way to go btw  All the other motors mentioned would be too expensive...except the MR2 and that's a chicks car for sure!!


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## Trent (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

Agree with Bruce Wayne re the TT Coupe. I'm also 28 and recently bought one second-hand. Much easier to insure than a cabriolet. Will probably set you back in excess of €25,000 for a 2002 car. I've a 1.8 Quattro with 180 bhp and it goes like a rocket.


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## Caveat (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*

Saw a silver MX-5 this lunchtime - obviously just washed and waxed.

It looked amazing - I swear, I had this irrational impulse to steal it!!


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## Pique318 (31 Aug 2007)

*Re: sports car*



Caveat said:


> Saw a silver MX-5 this lunchtime - obviously just washed and waxed.
> 
> It looked amazing - I swear, I had this irrational impulse to steal it!!


 
Nothing irrational about that, believe me !


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## lyonsa3 (1 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*

Looks like most people think the MX-5 is the best buy.
Where is the best place to get one? I looked at carzone.ie and autotrader.co.uk.  There seem to be very little price difference in buying one in the UK after VRT is added.  How do I go about getting one imported from japan?
One last thing, there seem to be very few cars for sale with a hardtop.  Is there a reason for this or can a new one be purchased from a mazda dealer? If so, how much do they cost?


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## miselemeas (2 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*

*Mazda MX-5 *is a great car - family member bought from Des Cullen Cars (1996 reg and still going strong).  He is a great guy - tell him what you're after and he'll source it for you (request a hard top). Great after sales, can't recommend them highly enough.

Located at Suite 36, The Mall, Beacon Court, Sandyford.

[broken link removed]


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## Gabriel (2 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*



miselemeas said:


> *Mazda MX-5 *is a great car - family member bought from Des Cullen Cars (1996 reg and still going strong).  He is a great guy - tell him what you're after and he'll source it for you (request a hard top). Great after sales, can't recommend them highly enough.
> 
> Located at Suite 36, The Mall, Beacon Court, Sandyford.
> 
> [broken link removed]



Er...do you happen to have an affiliation with Des Cullen?

I wouldn't advise anyone to go and source a car. There's loads of MX-5's out there. Look around and look in the UK as well. You'll find what you're looking for. You'll probably get more bang for your buck buying privately. Very reliable cars so warranty not all that important from a garage in my opinion.


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## DJ Carey (2 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*

I have a Z3 and love it! Can't understand people calling it a girls' car when it looks so aggressive, an anyway, James Bond had one!!! I say go for it, get the z3. 

By the way if anyone knows  where to go to buy a hardtop or replacement softtop I'd appreciate the info.


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## miselemeas (2 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*



Gabriel said:


> Er...do you happen to have an affiliation with Des Cullen?
> 
> I wouldn't advise anyone to go and source a car. There's loads of MX-5's out there. Look around and look in the UK as well. You'll find what you're looking for. You'll probably get more bang for your buck buying privately. Very reliable cars so warranty not all that important from a garage in my opinion.



 No affiliation - just a satisfied customer who got what we wanted with no hassle and excellent after sales service! Have the car 6 years now and still going strong. Depends on yourself whether you want to put in the hours searching yourself or get someone else to do it for you and pay the cost -  horses for courses and all that. 

At the end of the day we were happy with the transaction.


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## Purple (2 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*

I used to drive an MX5 (and yes, it was Mrs Purple's car). I now drive an A4 soft top and had a TT. The MX5 is by far the most fun car I have ever driven. 
I also agree with most of the above posters that the Z3 is not as good and given that it's very bad value for money. The MGF should not be considered. If they offer one free with the MX5 don't take it.


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## Gabriel (2 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*



miselemeas said:


> Depends on yourself whether you want to put in the hours searching yourself or get someone else to do it for you and pay the cost -  horses for courses and all that.



In general getting a garage to source a car for you is not a good idea.

To the OP....I'd advise putting in those precious hours searching and find the best car that's available right now...as opposed to asking a garage to get one.

Btw...When did James Bond ever drive a Z3?


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## Pique318 (2 Sep 2007)

In GoldenEye.

If you want a BMW soft-top, get a 3.0 Z4


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## Gabriel (2 Sep 2007)

Pique318 said:


> In GoldenEye.
> 
> If you want a BMW soft-top, get a 3.0 Z4



Well...there's been some shabby Bond movies made anyway 

Doesn't detract from it being not a great car. For that matter neither is the Z4...dreadful ride quality. Although if you went for the 3 litre at least you'd get some decent poke and I do admit they look the business. Z3 also suffers now from looking very old hat.


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## aircobra19 (2 Sep 2007)

*Re: sports car*



DJ Carey said:


> I have a Z3 and love it! Can't understand people calling it a girls' car when it looks so aggressive, an anyway, James Bond had one!!! I say go for it, get the z3. ...



Generally its not rated highly as a sports car, because "the rear semi-trailing arm suspension from the E30 was used rather than the more sophisticated multilink suspension from the E36." which means it doesn't handle as well as other sports cars. That said most people won't even appreciate the difference the suspension makes. Most people aren't that mad about the styling. Not crazy about them myself.


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## Jeff_24 (3 Sep 2007)

Des Cullen's cars are shockingly overpriced, even the F430's, Conti GT's and those minging Project Kahn 'neuvo riche mobiles' carry absolutely huge premiums over list price. He had an '05 SAAB 9-3 2.0T convertible there for something ridiculous like 47k! He doesn't even sell his cars in a showrooms, he sells them out of an underground car park in Beacon Court. If I was parting with a couple of hundred grand I would expect a huge glass showrooms along the lines of Joe Duffy's.


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## lyonsa3 (10 Sep 2007)

OK, so i've decided to get a mx-5.  I've sourced one I like the sound of on the net and plan to take a look at and test drive in a couple of days.  What should I be looking out for on a 10 year old car with 50,ooo miles on clock(cam belt, water pumps etc)?


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## Jeff_24 (10 Sep 2007)

lyonsa3 said:


> OK, so i've decided to get a mx-5.  I've sourced one I like the sound of on the net and plan to take a look at and test drive in a couple of days.  What should I be looking out for on a 10 year old car with 50,ooo miles on clock(cam belt, water pumps etc)?



Nice one! They are an excellent excellent car. You would be only buying a Z3 for the badge anyway...


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## lyonsa3 (15 Sep 2007)

still looking for advice on a 10 year old mx5 with 50000 miles on the clock.  any potential problems with this type of car?


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## Purple (15 Sep 2007)

The MX5 is one of the most reliable cars you will ever buy. The mileage seems very low for a 10 year old car. Can you get the name of the last owner from the log book and see what the mileage was when they sold it?


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## franksm (24 Sep 2007)

So now, pop along to www.mx5ireland.com and have a bit of fun


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## Caveat (25 Sep 2007)

See a glowing recommendation of the MX-5 here:

[broken link removed]


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