2001 BMW Z3

Finished in Velvet-Blue Metallic with a matching blue soft-top, ‘X416 EBL’ is one of just 80 ‘Individual Edition’ BMW Z3s finished in this shade. The cabin boasts matching piped and heated cream leather seats too, and this particular example has had just four previous keepers.

The seller transferred it into his name in July 2025 to sell it on behalf of a family friend who had owned it since 2011.

Not that she used it much in that time, putting on an average of only a thousand miles a year during her time with it. She always kept it garaged too, and would probably still have it were it not for the fact she needed to buy an SUV as clambering in and out of such a low sportscar became increasingly difficult for her.

And, despite covering so few miles in the 14 years she owned it, she maintained the BMW’s excellent service history, entrusting it to her local garage for servicing and repairs.
 

This careful curation is evident from the very moment you walk up to the BMW because those long doors are free of ripples and car-park dinks, and the four corners, the first place to betray a careless driver, are unmarked.

The ‘shark gills’ on the front wings are straight too, the shutlines are still factory-tight, and even the low front valance is free of serious scuffs and scrapes.

The Velvet-Blue Metallic paintwork (paint code 379) is just as impressive. An intriguing shade of purple/blue depending on how the light falls on it, its condition is every bit as good as the panels beneath with a good shine and no obvious defects or flaws bar a mark in the paint on the top right corner of the boot lid where bird mess has eaten away at the lacquer.

The five-spoke, 16-inch alloy wheels have only mild scuffs to their rims, something the low-profile 225/50R16 tyres make almost inevitable. None of the wheels are bad enough to need refurbishing straight away, but given the rear tyres were made in 2016 (the fronts date from 2023) it might perhaps be sensible to get them refinished when you change the tyres.

Their BMW centre caps are bright and colourful, as indeed are all of the exterior badges.

And those tyres are high-quality Avon ZV7 on the front and equally expensive Michelin Primacy 3 on the rear, and all have good tread.

The hood was replaced by Trimmania in August 2018 at a cost of just over £1,000 and given how little use its had since then it’ll come as no surprise to learn that it still looks like new.

So good that there’s barely even any creasing. Tight stitching too, a clear rear screen, and a very good fit. In fact, that four-figure bill looks like a bit of a bargain given how good it looks, and it goes without saying that it rises and falls as it should.

The lamp lenses are still flawless and bright too, so we have little to add bar some oxidation at the base of both door mirrors, some light marks on the opening edge of the driver’s door, a small dink on the offside of the front bumper, minor scratches to the door mirror casings, and perished rubber seals around the door handles.
 

The use of cream leather extends to the seats, door cards, handbrake, gearlever, and the bottom section of the steering wheel. It is, as you’d expect of a BMW of this period, as perfectly judged as it is durable.

The seats are piped with blue to pick up the colour of the coachwork, and everything else is in the cabin is either a dark grey or black. The blue piping is free of damage and serious colour loss too, and the darker colours are still a deep hue with no sun-fading evident.

There are no cracks to the top of the dashboard either, nor significant wear to the outer edge of the driver’s seat.

The overmats are barely marked, and the underlying carpets are excellent, with even the plastic heel protector being free of cracks and holes.

The electrically-adjustable and heated seats work as they should, as does everything else we prodded and pressed – but if you’ve got this far then this won’t come as a surprise.

There’s plenty of storage with cubbyholes aplenty in the cabin, including a natty coin/ticket holder in the driver’s door pocket. These all supplement the (well-trimmed) boot, which also plays host to a CD multichanger, battery, tool kit, and a warning triangle.

If we’re being ultra-picky then the leather on the door cards is just the tiniest bit wrinkly but that is minimal and hardly worth mentioning. It’s the same case with the indicator stalk, which has a miniscule amount of damage between the end cap and the rest of it.

The lettering on all the switches and controls is still bright white though, the shallow-but-wide sunvisors are both taut and stay put, and a fire extinguisher (age unknown) sits in front of the driver’s seat.

A Pioneer DAB headunit is fitted.
 

The service booklet and invoices on file show the following routine maintenance:

•    20.11.2000 – pre-delivery inspection by BMW (GB) Ltd
•    29.08.2003 and 12,000 miles – service by Scotthall Hampshire
•    27.01.2004 and 14,043 miles – service by HR Owen Holland Park
•    23.09.2005 and 25,622 miles – service, including fresh coolant and brake fluid, by HR Owen Holland Park
•    28.08.2007 and 46,799 miles – service by HR Owen Holland Park
•    07.01.2009 and 58,010 miles – service by HR Owen Holland Park
•    Circa 2000 and 68,112 miles – service by Warfields
•    20.07.2011 and 68,300 miles – service by Grosvenor
•    14.01.2017 and 77,439 miles – service by Lower Earley MoTs Ltd
•    09.02.2023 and 81,036 miles – service by Lower Earley MoTs Ltd

There is also a receipt for work dated January 2024 that included a new timing chain, lambda sensors, thermostat, clutch slave cylinder and more.

The rear brake pipes were replaced in January 2021.

The straight-six engine is perfectly balanced, not only in its layout but in the way it juggles the competing demands of performance and economy. AutoExpress described the two-litre engine as “smooth and muscular” thanks to its 148bhp, power enough to return a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds. The top speed is 130mph, and you should see 30mpg with a modicum of restraint.

As the video shows, the Z3 starts and idles very well. Revs nicely too, with no apparent vibration or roughness and a very attractive exhaust note.

The engine bay is clean, with nicely presented ‘Swartz’ inner wings in addition to what seems to be an oil-tight engine. The plastic covers are shiny and free of road grime, and the underbonnet area has an overall air of wellbeing; even the fluid reservoirs are still white instead of an aging yellow.

The design of the wraparound bonnet also gives unrivalled access to the engine and suspension turrets, which might come in handy if you’re a DIYer as the amber service lights are illuminated, so it’s due a service.

Or maybe not, because it’s only covered a few hundred miles since last being done, so it’s entirely possible they simply forgot the reset the service indicator lights…

The underside looks like it’s still sporting the original underseal. This is reassuring, not least because it is still remarkably intact, peeling away in only the odd place to expose a small amount of light surface rust. Given how good it is under here it would be worth sorting out the small amount of corrosion that’s visible before touching-in the underseal.

The components all look nice and dry too, confirming our view that this is almost certainly an oil-tight engine and gearbox. 
 

The Man from the Ministry agrees because the BMW’s MoT certificate, which is valid until January 2026, was issued with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two used keys and one that’s still new and in its wrapper.

The history file includes the BMW wallet and book pack including a stamped service history booklet, and a few invoices and expired MoT certificates.
 

It used to be that owning and driving a convertible sportscar demanded compromises, primarily in weatherproofing and handling.

Mazda changed all this at the end of the eighties when the Japanese firm demonstrated that it was entirely possible to build a car that didn’t leak or flex.

And the MX-5 is still a great choice – but if you’re looking for a touch more performance and, dare we say, more of a premium feel then the Z3 could be the car for you.

Because, with a guide price of between £5,000 and £8,000, it’s about the same price as a contemporary MX-5 yet feels a bit more grown up, making your money feel even better-spent.  

And this one is a good example of the breed as it comes (almost) straight from a long-term owner, has a strong service history, drives and runs very well, and it is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

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