2.8l z3 how terrible of an idea is this?

Skidder

Skidder

Skidder

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I am test driving a z3 2.8 l auto on Friday. It has done a lot of miles at 140k but looks to be in good order and the chap with it seems nice and has owned since new with it seemingly having what it needs to it done. It's on for £1,900

As per my thread a few weeks back I am looking for something small enough to keep in my very small car port (to stop people abusing my drop curb, so that I can!) and it may as well have a drop top and be different from my x5. I know an MX5 is a sensible choice but I am just not getting excited about them.

I know people say the handling of the z3 is not great but I am hoping a decent engine will at least make it rewarding to drive. I am not massively into driving in an obsessive way.

This would do very few miles, just something to pop out with if the wife is out in the other car, take my son out for a spin when the sun is out etc.

How reliable is the 2.8l and what are the potential big bills? (I am not particularly constrained in terms of a maintenance budget but neither do I want it to cost its value every few months)
 
I actually quite like the z3, so long as you don't expect the drive to compare to its successor it's not a bad little thing, especially now they're relatively cheap.

Would have to be manual though - the wings are also a bit deceptive, would be easy to catch the flares when squeezing through tight spaces.
 
I'd never had an auto until my x5 and I have just loved it, my previous 5 series was a manual. I appreciate it is a different kind of car and manual would be the more typical choice for something sportier but not sure the z3 is an out and out sports car anyway. I could go either way on that I guess. Although I like cars I'm not the keenest driver ever. My thinking was fairly meaty engine and auto would be a bit go kart like but may be I'm wrong.
 
I prefer autos for day to day driving and tbh i dont think an auto box is going to take much away from the z3. I have had a couple of sporty cars with auto boxes and i did find myself wishing for a manual at times, but they were still good cars.
 
I take it the Z3 will have a 'good' 5 speed auto.

I am sure many people think that all auto's are the same as the 3 and 4 speed things put in cars in the 80's and 90's.
 
NathWraith said:
It really depends on the competency of the auto box.

Hell the LFA has a traditional torque converter auto but I guess no one see's anything wrong with that ;)

Although I am taking it out of context somewhat.
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I was sure the LFA used a Single clutch sequential manual?
 
Auto, single clutch, whatever, I do have a problem with the LFA transmission. The car is meant to be highly advanced and should really be sporting a DCT.
 
Clarkey said:
Auto, single clutch, whatever, I do have a problem with the LFA transmission. The car is meant to be highly advanced and should really be sporting a DCT.
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Why? They assessed the idea of using a dual-clutch transmission but preferred the action, packaging, weight and simplicity of an automated single-clutch box.
 
Skidder said:
How reliable is the 2.8l
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Having owned 3 M52 engined 2.8 BMW's ranging from 100k miles to >270k miles, my view is the engine itself is well proven and extremely reliable.

None of mine used any excessive quantitys of oil (even the silly mile 528) and I had few issues with any of them.
The viscous fan & stat failed on my 328i, but this is BMW's notoriously crap cooling system that can fail it seems on most models, regardless of engine type.

All mine were automatics, if anything, the auto box is probably the weak link, my e38 started to not want to change up into 5th except in manual mode, and my 528 sometimes took a while to engage reverse (it did it twice, going back to N or P and back into reverse seemed to wake it up)
In short, I'd happily have another 2.8.

Can't say much about the Z3 2.8 bar I've driven one and loved how it drove, but tbh dislike the looks and they imo don't feel very well screwed together.....
 
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Clarkey said:
Auto, single clutch, whatever, I do have a problem with the LFA transmission. The car is meant to be highly advanced and should really be sporting a DCT.
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It is advanced- in lightweight design. Look at the composite floor, why cancel all that weight saving by sticking a DSG in?

Even torque converters can be decent for a sports car. Seems okay in an F type.... although a manual gearbox of course would be better they arn't the slickest of boxes to use when you start cracking 500bhp and need to recalibrate your brain for how frequent you need to change gear.
 
Dogbreath said:
Go-kart-ness comes from short wheelbase, fast steering and stiff suspension, not from the engine and gearbox.
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fair enough, I was more meaning the point and go and small size (at least compared to my other car and recent cars x5, e61, navara) rather than elise type go kartness, I haven't got particularly high expectations of handling for the test drive
 
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