can i ask you lads & Lassies some questions here please.

[Bill-]

Firstly, whats a facelift model?

Secondly, on ebay I've seen some pretty wild statements, like the bloke who gets 55 mpg out of a 2 litre on a run & 35 around town is that true

& the 1.9 with 140 bhp

I've got loads more questions

[trigg35]

hi
the face lift is more a bum lift.the front stayed the same but from about V plate (1999?)the rear end was changed and the interior received some changes to the switchgear.its a matter of taste.some prefer the old rear end.some the new.some 1.9s were 140 bhp - the early ones i think - the later ones were less.as for mpg the 2.0 is a 6 cyclinder engine so forgot those figures.if you sat at 56 on a motorway you may get 35mpg.around town id say 25 at a guess.my 2.2 seems to average below 30 but others claim to get mid to high 30's from their 2.8's while others dont.guess its a question of driving style.my 2.2 has a nice exhaust note and so i tend to hold the gears longer.i dont really drive for economy as its not used much these days so i enjoy it when i can.

[Bill-]

Thanks trigg thats them all out of the way in one go. I'm learning lots about the Marque I like eeee very mucheee


Next then

The 2.8 & 3 litre... are the engines radically different?

[TitanTim]

Hi Bill,

Facelifted model appeared April 1999, the Prefacelift 1.9 was 140bhp 16v, the facelift 1.9 was 118bhp 8v.

There were a few more refinements on the face lift e.g. double layered hood for one.

Tim.

[Z3cade]

The 2.8 & 3 litre are the engines radically different

not really... theres about 30bhp in it.. and the 2.8 can be modified with replacing the inlet manifold for a 2.5 / 3.0 manifold and then you can get the same bhp as the 3.0 from the 2.8.... this modification costs around £120-£200... and can work out cheaper than buying a 3.0... + cheaper insurance and tax helps on the 2.8

but if your buget can strech then buy a 3.0

[Mouldy]

Follow this link to a website full of useful info regarding models, years, colours, interior colours and combinations etc.;

http://users.belgacom.net/bmw_z3/

Pre facelift anything smaller than a 2.8 had a narrower rear to the 2.8 and ///M versions. After the release of the facelift version all except the ///M had the same rear end styling, which included different rear lamps.

Somewhere on the site is a thread with three photos, showing the differences, but I can't find it at the moment.

Driven with some careful use of the right foot, I can get around 35 mpg out of my 2.8, but giving it the berries reduces that to 25 - 28 overall. The only way I can think of someone getting 55 mpg out of a Zed is by throwing away the key and pushing it . . I can't get 55mpg out of my diesel daily driver unless I drive it like a vicar everywhere.

HTH!!!

[Bill-]

love the motor Moldy ....haha are you a smelly git then with a name like that

Only joking... I spend lots of time in Northamptonshire.. My girly lives there

thanks for the info keep it coming

[snoops]

Somewhere on the site is a thread with three photos, showing the differences, but I can't find it at the moment.

Here you go

[GazHyde]

like the bloke who gets 55 mpg out of a 2 litre on a run & 35 around town is that true

I would love to get what he is getting... Best I've ever got out of my 2.0 was 29mpg!

[BimBeema]

The facelift models did have some very minor changes to the front end as well, such as chrome rings round the headlights.

[6 pot roadster]

Driven with some careful use of the right foot, I can get around 35 mpg out of my 2.8, but giving it the berries reduces that to 25 - 28 overall. The only way I can think of someone getting 55 mpg out of a Zed is by throwing away the key and pushing it . . I can't get 55mpg out of my diesel daily driver unless I drive it like a vicar everywhere.

I think this shows a lack of ambition. My pre face lift 2.8 can (with a following wind) get high 30's mpg on the motorway and on the other end of the scale low teens on a rip up the lanes. Commuting to work on A roads I'm disappointed if I don't get 33 mpg on super unleaded

[Simba901]

My pre face lift 1.9 gets around 30ish how ever it is driven and my daily drive 2.8 3 series tourer will get 35 at best driving nicely(slow) on the motorway.

[jollyassassin]

Thanks for the link mouldy. It makes very interesting reading