BMW z3 killed the Boxster

I've been a Porsche guy from way back but this weekend I had the opportunity to buy a very well preserved 01 BMW z3 with the 3.0.I bought it to drive over the mountain because my commute is 45 min and I figured I'd have fun with it.After driving it for a couple days now,Im in love and I didnt want to be.Its faster,handles better and just an all around more solid car.Its not all electronic,it has dial gauges,pull/push head light switch,the top is simple to put up and down,its interior is much better than any of my Boxsters(nothing broke,ash tray door,seat belt button,leather is not cracked or ripped....)Its a very simple layout.Its an automatic(and I dont miss the gears) but the low end power reminds me of my Grand nationals torque.Now I'm trying to find a reason to keep my Boxster!

Nice color, too.

You do gotta love a BMW 6's low-end grunt. Kinda creamy-smooth as you get up on the hotter cam and close to 7,000, too. When I first got my 3er, I used to bounce it off the rev limiter a lot because I didn't realize it was revving that high.

Nice score, very pretty! Get the fluid in the trans changed soon, unless you know it's been done.

I am not sure you could go wrong with either one of those. That is a great color on the BMW though.

Don't the Boxster's have serious dependability issues in many areas?

Calypso red? My favourite BMW colour.

I almost took a job building Z-3s, so they are close to my heart. I hope to have one one day. For a good while you could find one-owner ones with around 60k miles for a good price. Now they are 2-3 owner cars and few have below 100k miles.

I hate to interrupt the love-fest, but solely from a handling and performance standpoint, isn't the boxer a significantly better car? I've always thought of the ragtop Z-3s more as boulevarders.

spitfirebill wrote: I almost took a job building Z-3s, so they are close to my heart. I hope to have one one day. For a good while you could find one-owner ones with around 60k miles for a good price. Now they are 2-3 owner cars and few have below 100k miles.

Do you regret not taking it? I regretted not taking the job when it was offered. I didn't want to take a pay cut at the time. Unfortunately for me, my wage barely rose when BMW employees climbed up very quickly to $20+ an hour plus having a fantastic lease on BMW cars.

Sine_Qua_Non wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I almost took a job building Z-3s, so they are close to my heart. I hope to have one one day. For a good while you could find one-owner ones with around 60k miles for a good price. Now they are 2-3 owner cars and few have below 100k miles.

Do you regret not taking it? I regretted not taking the job when it was offered. I didn't want to take a pay cut at the time. Unfortunately for me, my wage barely rose when BMW employees climbed up very quickly to $20+ an hour plus having a fantastic lease on BMW cars.

I have days where I question it. At the time, the job would have been on the B shift. Everybody starts on the B shift. We were having problems with my 15 year old son at the time and I did not want my wife to have to go through all that crap by herself. Funny thing is now they are going to build an engine plant at the facility. I half thought about applying there and finishing out my career.

They are very different cars. I was looking at both before I ended up with a Boxster.

Call me a Porsche apologist, but I can see through flaws. I vastly prefer how the Boxster drives over a Z3.

kreb wrote: I hate to interrupt the love-fest, but solely from a handling and performance standpoint, isn't the boxer a significantly better car? I've always thought of the ragtop Z-3s more as boulevarders.

the Z3 is no more a boulevarder than the 318ti or the earlier E30. While being a roadster, it will never be accepted on track without a hardtop, it's suspension is basically a better version of that in the E30M3.. with the exception that your butt is right over the pivot point for the rear suspension, so you can more feel what it is doing.

The Boxster is a better handling car, but lacks the silky smooth power of the Bimmer.

Personally, if I had to choose.. I would take the Z

Of an early base model boxster and a 3.0L Z3, I might have to lean towards the Z3 for a number of reasons. The auto isn't for me but there are plenty of manuals so that is not worth talking about. In the above picture, the BMW is the one I would rather drive based on looks alone as well.

I spent a significant amount of time in a z3/3.0/auto, and while I liked the car I never REALLY liked it as in fell in love with it. I always thought I'd prefer the m roadster or coupe because I did want more power. It did seem like a well built car though.

How does the Z3 3.0 compare to the Boxster S? I used to chase a guy in a Boxster S with my 911. He had a GHL exhaust and man did that car sound amazing.

As someone who's driven both as well, the cockster also doesn't feel as "manly" as the Z3.

I bought a 3.0 Z3 as what I thought would be a quick transition between NA and C5. Very solid structure, and the M54 engine is one of the best street drivers in the universe. The rear suspension can be evil, especially with the short wheelbase, so at high speed with lift throttle it will try to kill you, but it's beyond the threshold for sane street driving so it doesn't rear its head unless you have a helmet on and are more prepared to catch it.

Nice color on that one. Not many of those out there.

I would love a Z3 M Coupe. I'm not as much of a fan of the convertibles (that's true of any make), but they are nice driving cars. They also drive differently than the Boxster. The Porsche to me is a lot more refined, where the BMW feels a bit muscle car-ish, if that makes sense.

Boulevarders they are not. The first Z3 with the 4cyl engine were slow, but the more powerful cars like to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and driven hard. The early Boxster may be the more capable tool, but the Z3 is more fun.

I've not driven later generation Boxsters or a Z4, so I'd be interested if that still holds true today.

yamaha wrote: As someone who's driven both as well, the cockster also doesn't feel as "manly" as the Z3.

Also having driven both, the Boxster perhaps isn't as "manly" as a Z3 3.0 in the sense that a rapier isn't as "manly" as a broadsword. I liked the Z3 but the Boxster is a surgeon's weapon. Or an artist's brush.

David

I've ridden in a Z4 M roadster during autocross runs, and even by the owner's admission, it was surprisingly non-fun to drive. Very hard to overcome understeer at all points. I assume it's faster than the Z3, but not nearly as entertaining.

I had a Z4 on lease for short while, great car, overall I think BMW makes awesome cars. Porsche's are cool, but all the negativity of the Boxster, I would stay far away especial since, the manufacturer response.

I think that Z3's are really fun to drive. I haven't been able to drive a Boxster yet. For the OP; if you have to find a reason to keep a car, it may be the time to sell it.

I find my non-M Z4 Coupe fun enough to drive, and hits a nice spot for xost of consumables. I don't believe either me or it is an autocrosser though.

http://youtu.be/UR6oulSleGU