LS1-Swapped BMW Z3 Is the Roadster That Should Have Been Built: Track Time Tuesday
A modded LS1 is all this BMW Z3 needs to transform from a slow cruiser to a tail-out, thrilling driver.
In general, enthusiasts seems to have mixed feelings about BMW vehicles in general. Some love them, others hate them, and a few poke fun at their owner’s inability to find the turn signal stalk. But no matter how you feel about the German brand, we all know that they make cars that are fun to drive, if not terribly reliable. And that’s precisely where the ever-popular LS swap comes into play with this 1997 BMW Z3 that was recently reviewed by The Smoking Tire – it rights a few wrongs, and makes the V8-powered roadster that the automaker should have in the first place.
Originally equipped with a meager 1.9-liter inline four-cylinder engine producing a mere 138 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque, there’s obviously some room for improvement in terms of the performance of the BMW Z3 from this generation. It took somewhere around 10 full seconds for this admittedly good-looking drop top to reach 60 miles-per-hour, which is rather pathetic for a modern vehicle of any kind.
There are more powerful versions of the Z3 that one can buy, of course, as well as plenty of BMW-derived engines one could swap in this roadster to right that wrong. However, in this case, the owner simply went the cheaper and more reliable route by opting for an LS1 with an LS6 manifold and upgraded cam, delivering around 450 horsepower. With just a little over 3,000 pounds to push around, that simple change completely transforms the way this car drives, as we can clearly see in this video.
With a proper six-speed manual behind it, this little Z3 is undoubtedly a blast to drive around the canyons, giving the driver that old school feeling that it could break loose at any time – which is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. It does have some suspension upgrades, however, including aftermarket coilovers, sway bars, and even a limited-slip rear differential from an E30. But all of that can only do so much in terms of keeping the V8-powered Z3 planted.
Regardless, a thrilling driving experience is what most of us are after in a time when newer performance cars are just a bit too easy and forgiving to drive, one could argue. Sometimes, it’s all about stuffing a big engine in a little car – the essence of hot rodding itself – and in that case, this BMW Z3 delivers in a big way.
Join the LS1Tech forums now!
