Every once in a while, a sensible volume car maker lets a piece of inspired lunacy out of the skunk works and into the showroom. These were the kind of refreshing occurrences that reminded us that, even with the strong will of committees and cost analysis, magic could still happen.
Whether those days are over remains to be seen, but over the following pages, we’ve shared some of our favourites from the 1970s right up to the mid-2000s.
BMW Z3 M
From a marketing and engineering point of view, there was cold Teutonic logic and very little lunacy behind BMW’s Z3. Using the running gear of the acclaimed E36 3 Series paired with the cheaper, simpler rear end from the previous E30 generation, it was BMW’s answer to the success of the Mazda MX-5. With an eye to the lucrative North American market, the Bavarian firm even established a US manufacturing outpost in South Carolina.
As launched in 1995 the Z3 was pleasant if rather humdrum, thanks to the four-cylinder engine range. However, in 1997 the car’s performance potential became more obvious as the 2.8-litre straight six was added, complete with flared wings to cover the wider rear track.
Indeed, BMW’s M division even put together a V12-engined Z3, apparently created to make the point that BMW designed its cars so that any engine would fit into any bodyshell. Incredibly, the 750i motor fitted without any external bodywork changes.
The idea of an M-badged Z3 became showroom reality in 1997, when critics of the Z3’s lacklustre performance were well and truly silenced by the arrival of the M Roadster and M Coupe, created by the simple expedient of dropping in the E36 M3 engine. The combination of 317bhp and the E30’s semi-trailing arm rear end made for a white-knuckle ride, and early cars even came without electronic traction control for the hilarious reason that the electronics
