2000 Roadster Comparison:
BMW Z3 2.3 vs. Mazda Miata

By Aaron Gold

Oh, you lucky devil.

Whatever the circumstances ö grown kids, no kids, rich parents, a lofty automotive budget and a sensible car in the driveway ö youāre in the position where a back seat is no longer a requirement for your next set of wheels. If you are in the position where a two-seat roadster makes sense, by all means, I urge you to go for it.

Two-seaters make for an intimate kind of motoring, so this is an intimate kind of test. A price ceiling of $32,000 ruled out expensive roadsters from Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, leaving us with two tempting motoring morsels: BMW Z3 2.3 and the Mazda Miata. (Hondaās new S2000 also falls within this price range, but was not available for testing at the time of writing).

Before we take off, one quick note: these cars are not very practical. Their trunks are tiny (you can always rent a U-Haul), they are vulnerable in collisions (but better at avoiding them), and the BMW cannot fit a child seat (no matter, you canāt truly appreciate the car unless you drive it, anyway. The Miata has a passenger airbag disable switch). If you can live with that, then youāre in luck, because owning a roadster really is everything itās cracked up to be.

Top down, sunglasses on. Twist the key, let up on the clutch, and letās hit the road.

BMW Z3 2.3

The Z3 made itās debut four years ago in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies. Bimmerās new roadster was slick, smooth and suave, just like Agent 007, but with itās anemic four-cylinder engine, the Z3 may not have quite been up to Her Majestyās Secret Service.

Last year, BMW dropped the four-cylinder engine (for the American market, at least), leaving the 2.5 liter inline six as the Z3ās base engine. For 2000, the Z3ās backside gets a new look, with L-shaped taillights and mildly revised rear bodywork. Subtle chrome rings now adorn the Z3ās headlights, while upgraded materials, new switches, an analog clock and a three-spoke "M Technic" steering wheel spruce up the interior. James Bond would be suitably impressed - unfortunately, heās since moved on to BMWās upcoming Z8.

With a base price of $31,870 including the destination charge, the Bimmer just sneaks under our $32,000 barrier. Keen eyes (and not-so-keen ones, for that matter) will notice that our test car cost significantly more - $4,210 more, to be exact. The optional equipment on our test car consisted of comfort and convenience items, none of which affected the driving experience, so we allowed this Z3 into our test. Besides, weād have to be nuts to turn down a week with a Z3!