Is a low mileage 3.0 worth £10k?

[Just another driver]

I've had a couple of Z4's over the years but more recently i've been contemplating a Z3 as I want something that feels a little more old school, plus they look great and are an increasingly rare sight.

There are a few low mileage 3.0's at around £11-12k give or take a bit. Which has raised my eyebrows a tad.

Low mileage 3.0 Z4's seem to be fetching similar money within a couple of thousand.

Anyone got any thoughts which may help to sway me either way on this? Or even completely against either of course lol.

 

[andyglym]

You'll get a mixed bag of answers on that one mate, folks like what they like and are smitten with their model. Go for what you like shape wise I'd say.

 

[Mus Musculus]

Pretty much what @andyglym said, as I looked at lot of cars, but some had a few bits I don't like and were a pass. Also, we've had someone selling a Z3 M on this site recently for the same 10K...

The other point is: are you set on a 3.0 only? This 1998 2.8 with 47000 miles in on sale right now for £5,500:

For Sale - Sorry now sold

Selling our 1998 2.8 Z3 wide body pre face lift manual gearbox, new windscreen, seat bushes and all wheels powder coated to silver, the car is in pretty good condition, paint work original, Sports seats, m mirrors, suspension. Only 47,000 miles, need to sell so going for an absolute bargain now...

zroadster.org

 

[Just another driver]

You'll get a mixed bag of answers on that one mate, folks like what they like and are smitten with their model. Go for what you like shape wise I'd say.

Can't disagree with you on that one. Not sure how the z3's slipped under my radar until more recently to be honest.

 

[Just another driver]

Pretty much what @andyglym said, as I looked at lot of cars, but some had a few bits I don't like and were a pass. Also, we've had someone selling a Z3 M on this site recently for the same 10K...

The other point is: are you set on a 3.0 only? This 1998 2.8 with 47000 miles in on sale right now for £5,500:

For Sale - Sorry now sold

Selling our 1998 2.8 Z3 wide body pre face lift manual gearbox, new windscreen, seat bushes and all wheels powder coated to silver, the car is in pretty good condition, paint work original, Sports seats, m mirrors, suspension. Only 47,000 miles, need to sell so going for an absolute bargain now...

zroadster.org

You're absolutely right. This is sort of why i'm questioning the 10k+ valuation, the 2.8 is probably 85%+ the same experience and you can get a decent one easily for about 65% of the money.

Really?! and M for 10k. I haven't seen many decent M's below about £18K whilst browsing the ebays and autotraders of the world.

 

[Mus Musculus]

You're absolutely right. This is sort of why i'm questioning the 10k+ valuation, the 2.8 is probably 85%+ the same experience and you can get a decent one easily for about 65% of the money.

Really?! and M for 10k. I haven't seen many decent M's below about £18K whilst browsing the ebays and autotraders of the world.

Yep, he was trying to sell, but only got £9K offered by a dealer. I was going to buy for £10K, but the wife said not another car…

Z3 M owner returns

I have been absent from these pages for a long time, having bought my Z3M Roadster back in 2014. My car had been unloved and required lots of cosmetic improvements and minor tweaking. I haunted these pages buying seat bushes and a hard top, learning about Vanos. We took it around Northern Spain...

zroadster.org

 

[andyglym]

You're absolutely right. This is sort of why i'm questioning the 10k+ valuation, the 2.8 is probably 85%+ the same experience and you can get a decent one easily for about 65% of the money.

Really?! and M for 10k. I haven't seen many decent M's below about £18K whilst browsing the ebays and autotraders of the world.

Built in far fewer numbers is the primary reason, more power being the second and younger being the third.

 

[mwpe]

At this age I think condition is far more important than mileage. A low mileage car will still have age hardened bushes and can also have hidden rust probems.

 

[Dino D]

You're absolutely right. This is sort of why i'm questioning the 10k+ valuation, the 2.8 is probably 85%+ the same experience and you can get a decent one easily for about 65% of the money.

Really?! and M for 10k. I haven't seen many decent M's below about £18K whilst browsing the ebays and autotraders of the world.

Unpopular opion:
having run a 3.0 engine in a e46 I consciously chose a 2.8 Z3 with throttle cable.

For me, the driving experience of a 3.0 is 85% of the driving experience of early 2.8.

the headline power figures are misleading -2.8 run well over the quoted power before any breathing mods and the single vanos gives that ‘on cam’ kick- the3.0definitely has more torque but is much more linear- not what I want in a fun car but everyone’s tastes are different.


I can’t deal with the fly by wire on the M54’s so ruled them out on that basis alone as the rest of the package couldn’t make up for it.

Felts to me like a half way house kind of feel like worst of both worlds - old school ride/handling/interior with the ups and downs that brings but with early fly by wire which is unresponsive - so no old school crisp throttle response and modern linear powe delivery which loses the fizz.
At least they have an LSD and hydraulic PAS.
That rules out a Z4 for me unless it’s an M.

All my opinion and maybe in 10yrs I’ll be older and less responsive myself and appreciate the dulled responses

12 yrs on my z3 and don’t wish for M54 but an S50 - oh yes (but not the m tax!)

 

[Dino D]

At this age I think condition is far more important than mileage. A low mileage car will still have age hardened bushes and can also have hidden rust probems.

Spot on - we stripped and scrapped 50k mile 2.8 - beautiful looking car but serious structural rust hiding behind the panels!
(Scottish car)

 

[bertiejaffa]

If the M is still available, buy it

 

[Z Victor 1]

'Is a low mileage 3.0 worth 10k?' Well yes if you want an immaculate car to admire. Everybody is different, buy what you want. There's a lot of talk about power and various aspects of delivery, but unless you're doing track days etc, it's purely academic. In reality on our public roads 2.2,2.8, 3.0 etc, ? Very little difference from A to B. Just buy what makes YOU happy.

 

[GLDZ3]

I have had 2 x 3.0 Z3s and the latter was a low mileage car (20,000) and almost immaculate. I sold it for close to £12k last year. I now have a 2.8 that has 95,000 on the clock and although not quite up to the same cosmetics is actually a far nicer car to drive at half the price, and even feels better as it has had all the usual wearing parts replaced where the 3.0 had not. DinoD is spot on - the 3.0 is turbine smooth with fabulous torque but the 2.8 has a smarter pick up in my opinion and is more responsive. Anyway, drive what you can and you will make the right decision for you.

 

[DavidM]

If you’re interested in one and it’s decent make a respectable offer you can afford - the joy is in bringing the car to a standard that suits you. A low mileage 3.0 - very nice. Good luck!

 

[Nodzed]

Theres another way of looking at it. Get a 3.0 litre and live with a pig ugly rear end or get a nice older 2.8 and savour the low wide look rear end.

Other opinions are available ............... they're wrong ...but available

 

[andyglym]

Theres another way of looking at it. Get a 3.0 litre and live with a pig ugly rear end or get a nice older 2.8 and savour the low wide look rear end.

Other opinions are available ............... they're wrong ...but available

Correct

 

[Stevo7682]

Spot on - we stripped and scrapped 50k mile 2.8 - beautiful looking car but serious structural rust hiding behind the panels!
(Scottish car)

rains a lot here and we like our roads ready salted in winter.
Stephen

 

[Z Victor 1]

'...pig ugly rear...' ? Prefer the facelift shape, but I don't think the 'wide body' or the M44 is pig ugly! 'I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate.'

 

[Sajk]

A 1999 MY 2.8 comes with double vanos. Add in some breathing mods which are not expensive (3.0 intake manifold and intake cam) and you have around 215 hp at the crank. I have one of these and would not change it for a 3.0 on looks alone. I also much prefer the 2.8 interior also but looks are a personal preference. Bottom line is that you can easily get close to 3.0 performance out of a cheaper double vanos 2.8 using factory parts. And in my opinion 2.8 looks better inside and out.