Has anyone driven a Z3 Roadster?
 

How well do they handle? I was just reading about them and the car reminded me of the 914 because when they were introduced in '96 (James Bond drove one in "Goldeneye") they had a semi-trailing arm rear suspension like the 914 and they also had "rear wheels that actually stick out a little more than the front".

Handle well enough, sort of gutless though

So they are similar to the 914. ;)

They don't handle that well. You feel like you are sitting on them, not in them

We used to have one with a six and it was fast. The fours aren't fast. The M versions and later ones with the big six are certainly quick. They are point and shoot cars for sure. Lots of throttle on oversteer if you want it. Defeatable trac control is fun. You can drive it sideways if you want. I liked it. Too small for a tall guy though. No leg room.

I have a 96 z3 1.9 along with my 914-6 and 914-6GT replica, and I like it fine for day to day around town driving. It's an economical, fun little roadster. Direct shifting and AC are appreciated for driving around Chicago, but it's definitely not the same feel as the 914s. Seems a lot more squirrelly over bumps and not as much fun to push hard. The lower profile tires make it stick nicely and it does not have a vintage feel, but I'd take the 914 for play any day.

Yup the right one is fast as was the 914-6
and just like the 914-4 it's a chic car in white or cranberry.

I've owned two, a '97 1.9L and a '00 2.3 (actually a 2.5L). First off, I woudl NEVER consider a 4 cylinder in this car. Although I really liked mine, you find out real quick that the 4 is nothing like the 6. Also, my 1.9L ended up being bought back by BMWNA as a lemon and they literally "gave" me a '00 (although I paid for all the extra goodies, ~$4K).

From a handlign perspective, I think the 2.3 I had handled very well. In newer cars, especially with DSC, it becomes more about how much skill you have to handle what the car is capable of. If you just punch the gas and turn, your not going to get much out if it becuase the DSC kiscks in and the throttle backs off and you feel the brakes applied.

However, once you drive the car for a while and get the hang of it, you can learn to work with the DSC and get a LOT more out of it. I really liked mine and only got rid of it becuase I was consolidating cars and felt having a $0K car that just sits in the garage was stupid. So, I traded in for a new Lexus GS430 and once i started jonesing for the Z3, bought the 914. Codul not be happier (well, unless I coudl get A/C inthe 914 without cutting out the front trunk!).