Is this the highest mileage BMW Z3 in the country? If you know of a Z3 with higher mileage, please do get in touch!
1998 BMW Z3 1.9
Montreal Blue with Black Leather, 229,000 miles, MOT until December 2021
During the live broadcast of the Slippers Special, I joked with the viewers that I wanted to buy another car for another giveaway… and one little comment stuck with me. Sean piped up, saying he had a ‘moon mileage BMW Z3’, so after the drama was over, we exchanged a few messages.
Sean has owned this car from January 2021 until now, and bought it to enjoy over the summer months. I booked a train, and on the coldest morning of the year so far, climbed aboard.
Two hours later I arrived at the station, and Sean was in the car park with the roof off, just as I’d requested! We had a great chat and a cup of tea whilst talking cars, and Sean is another chap who likes to dabble in a bit of buying and selling purely for the enjoyment of experiencing lots of different cars – he drives a BMW Z4 2.0 and only recently parted ways with an Alfa Romeo 159 JTD.
After a quick look around the Z3 (and Sean’s Z4), I bid my farewells and hit the road.
I’m quite experienced with these cars, having owned 2x 2.8 and 1x 1.9 examples a few years ago. My personal 1.9 Z3 was Silver with Black, and I really rather loved that car, spending a happy winter enjoying the fun that the peppy little engine has to offer. As someone who’s been fortunate enough to spend a decent bit of time and done road trips in both the 2.8 and 1.9 Z3, I have to say the 1.9 is my pick of the bunch. Although the six-cylinder engine is capable, powerful and potent (giving it a European Muscle Car Feel), I always felt more assured in the 1.9, and as a result felt I could drive it harder… and as a bi-product of that confidence, I had more fun.
My old Boston Green Z3 2.8 
My old Titan Silver Z3 1.9
To drive this car, you’d never, ever guess that it’s covered almost a quarter of a million miles. It drives far better than the silver 1.9 Z3 I owned, and that showed half the odometer reading.
In terms of flaws, obviously it’s got a few. The airbag light is on, the drivers seat won’t go forward and I’m told the ignition sometimes plays up, although it has behaved itself for me so far. The airbag light is probably a seat sensor, and it sounds like the seat motor is engaging, so a little investigation is required. That’s not a big lost of flaws for a car that looks so damn good – ain’t the colour and wheels just the best combination?!
On the drive home I had the roof down, and stopped to take some photos and reflect on how much like a little beach buggy this thing is. A great little car, and out of the Mazda MX5, Mercedes SLK and Z3…. This is the one to have.
This car deserves to have its own twitter account, instagram and facebook page… it’s a survivor, a car that’s been cherished and loved since 1998, a great looking car and a rare thing in its own right. I’d keep this car, and I’d love it and adore it, but with two small humans in my life, there’s sadly not much space for a two seat roadster!
Will you be the person at the wheel when the odometer clicks over onto the magical 250,000?
Loving all theses BMWs