Miata Mailing List: March 1999, Message #227

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Delete now, if you don't wanna hear yet another competitor car road
test from a Miata owner's perspective!

Had occasion to test drive a dealer's new white BMW M Roadster today. 
It had a completely unnecessary power top, which I immediately
lowered, naturich.  I was expecting a sedan-ish feel to the drive,
because the car uses some sedan suspension components and weighs
almost 3,100 lbs.  Actually, it felt quite handy, and the 240
horsepower 3.2 liter engine provided some pretty snappy acceleration. 
As soon as the engine coolant temp indicator normalized, I went for
the red line, but the computer clamped me off pretty early.  Later, I
tried again.  This time the computer allowed me the whole nine yards -
I chickened out before the rev limiter kicked in.  The tranny seemed
very smooth, with short crisp shifts.  Turns under heavy power
shrieked the tires, but I never broke it loosey-goosey as I have a few
'99 Miatas because of too much concern for cops and swarms of Daytona
Beach Bike Week traffic.  I can't claim much capability in the
seat-of-the-pants testing area, but this Bimmer felt much more
Miata-ish than I had expected, and it had MUCH greater power than any
Miata I've yet driven.

In other areas, I didn't care for the red and black interior - too
much red scattered over the instrument panel, etc.  There was even
less cockpit storage than in a Miata - no lidded center console, and
no space for a twixt-the-seats pouch.  While traversing a 15 mph
school crossing, we (wife and I) passed another Z3 (his top up, of
course) and waved, just to see what would happen.  No response.

On the showroom floor was what was billed as a "British" limited
edition 2.8 liter Z3 roadster in honest-to-gosh BRG (not metallic)
with cream leather seats and dark green piping, dark green floor mats,
and an otherwise black interior.  Huge 16" basket weave alloys.  Nice
car!  One of only 300 to be produced, and this dealer was slated to
get only this one.  I was offered the opportunity to drive it, but it
looked pristine, had only 3 miles on it, and I couldn't bear to have
them take it out of the showroom.

Anyway, a fun experience.  No traitor-to-the-cause flames, please. 
I'm just recognizing that there are some very nice cars out there
other than our Miatas, and if I had a few more MSU's and more inside
parking, I'd get me one of the limited edition BRG 2.8's.  But I'd
keep my Miata.

--
Bill Gusky and Petunia, who's still loved
Red '91, license "MOMENTS"
http://www.totcon.com/users/moments
DeLand, Florida
"Too soon oldt, und too late schmart!"