BMW Z Car History — Z1, Z3, Z4, Z8

Z1 (1989-1991)

• The quirky one
• Unique vertically-sliding doors (drop into the sills)
• M20B25 2.5L inline-six, 170 hp
• Plastic body panels on a steel monocoque
• Production: 8,000 units
• Now a collectible oddity

Z3 (1996-2002)

• The accessible roadster
• Based on E36 platform (rear) with E30-derived front suspension
• Built in Spartanburg, South Carolina (BMW's first US plant)
• Famous from James Bond "GoldenEye"

Variants

• Z3 1.9 (M44 4-cylinder, 140 hp)
• Z3 2.3/2.8 (M52 inline-six, 170-193 hp)
• Z3 3.0 (M54, 231 hp)
• Z3 M Roadster/Coupe (S50/S52/S54, 321-325 hp) — the legendary "clown shoe" coupe

Z3 M Coupe

• One of the most desirable modern BMWs
• S54 engine (2001-2002) is the most sought-after
• Unique shooting brake body style
• Values have skyrocketed

Z4 (2002-present)

E85/E86 Z4 (2002-2008)

• Replaced the Z3
• Chris Bangle design
• Available as roadster (E85) and coupe (E86)
• Engines: N46, M54, N52
• Z4 M (S54, 343 hp) — the last naturally aspirated Z car

E89 Z4 (2009-2016)

• Retractable hardtop (no soft-top option)
• Engines: N52, N54, N55
• sDrive35is: N54 with 340 hp — a proper sports car
• Co-developed platform later used for Toyota Supra

G29 Z4 (2018-present)

• Co-developed with Toyota (Supra A90 is the sibling)
• Soft-top returns (no hardtop)
• Engines: B48 (sDrive20i/30i), B58 (M40i)
• M40i: 382 hp, 0-100 in 4.1 seconds
• No Z4 M variant (yet)

Z8 (2000-2003)

• The halo car
• Retro-inspired design by Henrik Fisker
• S62 4.9L V8 (same as E39 M5), 400 hp
• Aluminum space frame chassis
• Production: 5,703 units
• Featured in James Bond "The World Is Not Enough"
• Now extremely collectible — values exceed €200,000
• Alpina V8 Roadster variant with automatic transmission

The Z cars represent BMW's playful side — pure driving enjoyment without the practicality constraints of sedans and SUVs.