Only at higher speeds did the engine, which provides most of its grunt at lower rev ranges, feel winded. But achieving triple-digit speeds was easy, and most owners will never see such velocities. Our usual gripe about indecipherable control markings stands pat, but otherwise, there is little to complain about here. Buyers of the Z3 2.3 can opt for an automatic transmission that adapts to the driver's style and offers both Sport and Economy modes, but if you want a slushbox in this BMW, you're buying one for the wrong reasons. Try the Chrysler Sebring Convertible.
Chromed wheels are available, metallic paint costs extra, and fog lights are optional.
You can get leather upholstery, an onboard computer, wood and chrome interior trim, a hardtop, an upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system and a navigation system as well. But once you dive into this Pandora's box of goodies, the value equation heads downhill and a Miata with the leather package and Bose audio starts looking pretty good. During the press conference we attended in Santa Barbara, Calif., where the Z3 2.3 was introduced to journalists, one scribe asked assembled BMW brass if resale values of the Z3 1.9 would be adversely affected by the introduction of the new six-cylinder model. The 318iC droptop was purchased primarily by people who cared more about the BMW badge than the performance. Plenty of Z3 1.9 buyers were enthusiasts, not posers, and they won't be happy.