The BMW Z Series
The Z series is BMW's only dedicated two-seat sports car line, built from the ground up as roadsters, not derived from something else. Z stands for zukunft, German for “future.” In nearly four decades, that future has taken the form of over 620,000 roadsters and coupes, and every one built to be operated, admired, and experienced.
Four cars. One lineage.
The coupes: The Z Series is a roadster line, but both the Z3 and Z4 spawned proper coupes. The Z3 Coupe (a.k.a Clown Shoe) was developed by engineers doing a ‘skunkworks’ project to increase torsional rigidity. The 2008 Z4 Coupe was the last Z series coupe produced.
M division: The Z3 was the first Z car to get a full BMW M variant. M didn't hold back. The Z3 M carried the straight-six from the M3 and the Z4 M followed. The Z8 never got the M badge - it borrowed the M5's engine, but the car came from the design studio, not from the M division.
Bond cars: The Z3 appeared in GoldenEye before it was even on sale and the entire 1996 production run sold out before the car officially launched. The Z8 followed in The World Is Not Enough, memorably cut in half by a helicopter saw.
End of an era: BMW ended Z4 production in March 2026, closing a Z series lineage that started in 1989. No confirmed replacement has been announced to date. The Z-Series, for now, is done.
The BMW Z Series exists for one kind of person: someone who doesn't need a back seat. The Z1, Z3, Z4, and Z8 were built on different platforms, in different countries, by BMW teams with different goals. But there was a consistent formula for each. Two seats. Drop top. Long hood, short tail. Put the driver low, push the engine forward, send the power to the back - and get out of the way.
The models
BMW Z1
1989 - 1991
Welded Steel Monocoque Chassis
The Z series takes its name from this car and it’s Z-axle rear suspension geometry BMW developed for it. That suspension went into the E36 3 Series and inspired a generation of BMW suspension technology.
The Z1 was never intended for production. BMW Technik built it as a technology demonstration but public reaction at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show practically forced the decision to put it into production.
Its most striking feature isn't the drop-down doors - it's that the entire body can be easily removed from the steel monocoque frame. BMW thought owners could buy a second set of panels in a different color. Like changing a shirt?
Nearly all surviving examples remain in Europe. It was never officially sold in North America.
BMW Z3
1996 - 2002
E36/7 Roadster and E37/8 Coupe Chassis
The Z3 is the car that proved BMW could sell a roadster to America at volume. It was the first BMW built outside Europe, at the Spartanburg, South Carolina plant that was purpose-built for it. The Z3 became the commercial foundation that made every subsequent Z car possible.
Pierce Brosnan drove one in GoldenEye 18 months before it went on sale, under strict instructions that the film crew not let anyone else see it. It was the first non-British production car used as a key Bond car.
The M Coupe's shape - the so-called “clown shoe” - traces directly to a Z1 coupe concept that BMW Technik sketched in the late 1980s and never built. The idea sat in the archives for a decade before surfacing on the Z3.
BMW Z4
2003 - 2026
E85 Roadster, E86 Coupe, E89, G29 Chassis
The Z4 is the only Z nameplate to span three genuinely distinct engineering philosophies: analogue and naturally aspirated in the E85/E86, turbocharged under a retractable hardtop in the E89, and co-developed with Toyota on a shared platform in the G29. Same badge, three different cars.
Each generation was also built in a different country: South Carolina, Germany, and Austria, which almost helps to endow each one with its own personality.
The G29 launched in 2019 with only an automatic. BMW brought back a six-speed manual in 2024 - the Handschalter package - after enough of us made enough noise. It was the first 3-pedal setup since the 2016 Z4 E89.
BMW Z8
E52 Chassis
1999 - 2003
The Z8 is the only Z car that came from BMW's design studio rather than its engineering or M division. Henrik Fisker conceived it as a tribute to the 1956 507, then borrowed the S62 V8 from the E39 M5 to power it.
Hand-assembled in Munich, sold new for around $130,000, which was about the median price of a home in the United States at the time. So that buyers would not be spooked, BMW guaranteed parts availability for 50 years.
Every car was shipped with a colour-matching metal hardtop with a rear defroster. Unlike many contemporary hardtops, which are provided for practical rather than stylistic considerations, the hardtop of the Z8 was designed from the outset to complement the lines of the car's styling.
| Model | Generation | Model Years | Chassis | Market Avail | Roof | Trim | Drive Train |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 | — | 1989 - 1991 | Chassis derived from E30 | Rare | Soft Top | — | Naturally AspiratedManual Only |
| Z3 | 1st Gen | 1996 - 1998 | E36/7 Roadster | Available | Soft TopOptional Removal Hard Top | Naturally AspiratedManual + Automatic | |
| 1997 - 1998 | E36/8 Coupe | Scarce | Fixed Roof | Naturally AspiratedManual + Automatic | |||
| 1st Gen Facelift | 1999 - 2002 | E36/7 Roadster | Available | Soft TopOptional Removal Hard Top | Naturally AspiratedManual + Automatic | ||
| 1999 - 2002 | E36/8 Coupe | Scarce | Fixed Roof | Naturally AspiratedManual + Automatic | |||
| Z4 | 1st Gen | 2003 - 2005 | E85 Roadster | Abundant | Soft TopOptional Removal Hard Top | Naturally AspiratedManual + Automatic | |
| 1st Gen Facelift | 2006 - 2008 | E85 Roadster | Abundant | Soft TopOptional Removal Hard Top | Naturally AspiratedManual + Automatic | ||
| 2006 - 2008 | E86 Coupe | Scarce | Fixed Roof | Naturally AspiratedManual + Automatic | |||
| 2nd Gen | 2009 - 2012 | E89 Roadster | Common | Retractable Hard Top | Naturally Aspirated TurbochargedAutomatic; Limited Manual Availability |
||
| 2nd Gen Facelift | 2013 - 2016 | E89 Roadster | Common | Retractable Hard Top | Naturally Aspirated TurbochargedAutomatic; Limited Manual Availability |
||
| 3rd Gen | 2018 - 2026 | G29 Roadster | Available | Soft Top | TurbochargedAutomatic; Limited Manual Availability | ||
| Z8 | — | 2000 - 2003 | E52 Roadster | Rare | Soft TopRemovable Hard Top | — | Naturally AspiratedManual Only |
Comparing models
Which Z is right for you?
Every Z has a personality. So does every driver. Here's how to find yours.
$4,000 - $22,000
The Fun Forward
The great thing about a Z is that you don't need horsepower for it to put a smile on your face. And these cars prove it.
The Fun Forward covers entry and mid-range trims across the Z3, E85/E86 Z4, E89 Z4, and G29 Z4. Two very different buyers end up here. One is chasing the analog character of an early Z3 or Z4 — a naturally aspirated inline-six, a small manual gearbox, and the feeling reminiscent of a classic ‘60s sports car.. The other wants a current-generation open-top BMW with modern appointments and finds the sDrive20i (mostly EU) or sDrive30i (US) exactly right. These are the easiest Z cars to own, the most affordable to run, and give you the shortest distance between here and fun.
Most examples under $22,000; the G29 20i is the exception at up to $48,000
Mostly naturally aspirated engines under 200hp but some exceptions support more spirited driving
Genuine daily driver or relaxed weekender
Best parts availability and owner community support in the Z lineup
$10,000 - $58,000
The Spirited
You're not obsessed with lap times, but you know what a good pull feels like and you expect a car to deliver it on demand.
The Spirited trims occupy what’s arguably the most balanced position in the Z lineup: enough performance to feel genuinely fast when you want it, enough refinement to live with every day. The engines are stronger, the driving experience more involving, and the character more pronounced. But these are still cars you drive to work, take on a road trip, and occasionally light up on an empty stretch of road. The ogles from bystanders are also part of the package.
$10,000 – $58,000
Mostly 228 – 261 hp and a mix of naturally aspirated and turbocharged straight sixes
Daily usable with real punch on demand — the Z lineup's sweet spot
The E89 35is tops the category on paper at 335 hp; real-world feel divides opinion on it’s placement in this category
$18,000 - $90,000
The Driver’s Car
The Driver’s cars are for the driver seeking that feeling of being one with the road - the top performers of the Z lineup, engineered to pull g's, rev high, and push the limit. At the heart of this group are the classic M Division cars: the Z3 M and Z4 M roadsters and coupes, with naturally aspirated straight-sixes, hydraulic steering, and a manual gearbox making their drivers’ feel equally at home on the road and track. The G29 M40i earns its place here too: 382 horsepower, adaptive suspension, and an optional manual make it a modern, high-tech take on the same obsession. These cars take drivers on different journeys, but get them to the same destination.
$18,000 – $90,000+
Performance focus, largely through manual transmissions
M Coupe and Z4 M Coupe in particular seeing values rising, and the G29 M40i Final Edition may be next. Condition matters more than mileage
$25,000 - $250,000+
The Collectible
Some cars you drive. Some cars you keep and protect. The Z1 and Z8 occupy a different relationship with their owners than any other car in this lineage, not because they're impractical, but because they exist outside the normal logic of depreciation, daily use, and getting from point A to B. The Z1 is the attainable collectible: 8,012 total units, nearly all surviving (in Europe), and supported by a dedicated community. The Z8 is a different matter entirely: 5,703 hand-built V8 roadsters, six-figure market values, and a rarity that puts it in genuinely rare company. If you're considering this category, you already know which one you're shopping for.
$25,000 – $60,000 (Z1), $120,000 – $250,000+ (Z8)
170 hp (Z1) and 400 hp (Z8) though horsepower isn’t what these collectibles are really about
Special edition Z8 produced in 2003 by Alpina, adapting 555 cars with different drivetrain including automatic transmission, softer suspension, and more