by Kyle Francis
Jump Links
- The BMW Z3 M Roadster Is The Hardened Version Of BMW's 1990s Drop-Top
- Higher Mileage Z3 M Roadsters Can Be Found For Less Than $20k
- The Z3 M Roadster Is A Sleeker And More Compact M3
- The Z3 M Coupe Makes You Pay For The Privilege
When it comes to open-top sports cars, some of the most engaging to drive come from Germany. From the Porsche Boxster to the more budget-minded Audi TT, this breed of automobile is well-represented in the nation. Those after a great drive will do well not to look past the BMW M division though, as it has cooked up some right weapons over the years. The Z4 M is one of the best examples of this, though the first was the Z3 M Roadster.
Its coupe sibling is better remembered in the minds of gearheads due to its uniqueness, but the Roadster version wasn't exactly a damp squib.
The BMW Z3 M Roadster Is The Hardened Version Of BMW's 1990s Drop-Top
BMW
The story of the Z3 M Roadster begins in 1995, when the Z3 turned up. It continued BMW's renewed appetite for offering two-seater roadsters, following the inception of the premium Z1 model in 1991. The Z3 was developed to be more affordable than the Z1, a job made possible largely by ditching the Z1's complicated and expensive sliding-door setup. The Z3 hit dealers in late 1995 as a 1996 model, with the vehicle available with either small naturally aspirated four-cylinder powerplants or a range of straight-six units.
It didn't provide the most hardcore driving experience on the market, but luckily, BMW had a cure for that. Early in the Z3's life, the marque had plans to draft in its M Division to breathe a bit of extra spice into it. The Z3 M Roadster was the result, and the headlines were the same 3.2-liter straight-six engine and suspension layout as used in the revered E36 M3 coupe.
The Z3 M Roadster Enjoyed A Decent Sales Run
BMW
The latest hardened BMW model made its debut in 1997, and was built until the Z3 was replaced by the Z4 in 2002. Those after the drop-top experience offered by the Z3, but who secretly wanted an M3, loved the Z3 M Roadster, as it nicely combined both of these attributes. BMW managed to shift over 15,000 units during its five years on sale, making it considerably more readily available than its M Coupe sibling. This is partly why it's such a bargain in comparison.
Higher Mileage Z3 M Roadsters Can Be Found For Less Than $20k
BMW
The Z3 M Roadster was largely overshadowed by the M Coupe when that model came along in 1998, making it one of the more forgotten M models throughout history. Its Z4 M Roadster successor has tended to enjoy a greater profile in the years since it came out, which means the Z3 is relatively affordable when compared to its inter-manufacturer rivals. According to Classic.com, the average auction sale price for the Z3 M Roadster currently stands at $22,084, which is a few grand less than that of the E85 Z4 M Roadster. The latter may be more modern, but the Z3 will likely turn more heads due to being less well-known in today's society.
If you're happy to deal with a higher mileage example, you can pick up a Z3 M Roadster for under $20k on the used market. Take a silver 2000 example as a good illustration of this, with the 62,000-miler attracting a little over $19k when it was sold via Cars and Bids.
Lower Mileage Z3 M's Can Fetch Considerably More
BMW
If owning a less well-traveled car sounds more up your street, then you'd better be prepared to give your bank account a good squeeze. Z3 M Roadsters with under 40,000 miles on the clock tend to demand at least $30k of your hard-earned money, with ultra-rare sub-5,000-mile vehicles going for six-digit sums. A decent example of a lower-mileage Z3 is another silver 2000 car, which this time is offered by Skyway Classics. This one had covered just over 22,000 miles, and was presented in excellent condition as a result when it was on sale for a shade under $33,000 in late 2025.
Read the full article on CarBuzz
This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
