The BMW Z3 coupe is little bulldog of a car, a purebred 2-seater with a snug fixed-roof body, has generated controversy, as BMW expected it to do. It is not some bland addition of a roof to a roadster. Instead, BMW created a totally new shape from the windshield back; it’s an eye-catcher and a conversational stimulant.

The coupe’s rear flanks are its most striking aspect. Above wheel arches swelling out to house the wide rear track and beefy tires, the body tucks in sharply to rear-quarter windows that help afford the driver a good outward view. The roof terminates at the top of a rear hatch that includes a spoiler and LED third brakelight at its top and a wiper/washer combination on the rear window. L-shaped taillights shaped specifically for the coupe body (not the same as the roadster’s new L-shaped units) complete a rear view that will undoubtedly be the most frequently seen. A second spoiler, integrated into the body shape, spans the rear end between the rear window and taillights.

For effective sealing of the frameless door windows (and thus low wind noise), the top weatherseal holds the window firmly when it is closed. When a door handle is actuated and the window is up, the window immediately lowers slightly to allow the door to be opened; as the door is again closed, the window automatically returns to its closed position and seats into its seal. Familiar from other BMW coupes and convertibles, in the Z3 Series this refinement is exclusive to the coupe.

A unique option for the coupe cabin is aluminum-look trim. The attractive material appears on the console, steering-wheel spokes, shift knob, headlight switch, and the face panel into which the main instrument cluster is set. Also unique to the coupe in the Z3 line is an optional power glass tilt roof panel; larger than the typical moonroof, this panel adds more than an inch of head room.

With no pretense at “+2” seating, the BMW designers could concentrate on making the space behind the seats just what it should be in a pure GT coupe: a practical cargo area with enough space for the belongings of two persons on an enjoyable journey. Accessible through the rear hatch, the cargo floor is covered in the same high-grade carpeting as the footwells, and can be raised for access to the spare tire, toolkit and concealed storage space. A cargo cover can be rolled back and hooked into place to hide belongings from curious eyes; a snap-in net is available to assist in the placement and stability of cargo objects. The cargo area also offers itself for another use: It will carry two fully loaded golf bags.

BMW engineers involved with the coupe’s development assert that this is the most rigid body BMW has ever built – and it is well known that BMW bodies are always solid and strong. The coupe derives from the Z3 roadster, which like most open cars has extra reinforcements in the floor area to compensate for its lack of a fixed roof. These reinforcements have been retained in the coupe; the resulting torsional rigidity of 16,400 Newton-meter per degree is a prime factor in a handling feel that is surely unique in all the world. BMW engineers use the term “go-kart-like”; certainly, he or she who snugs in behind the coupe’s steering wheel will discover agility and obedience that not merely re-create, but re-define the Gran Turismo experience.

The closed body (which weighs 33 lb. more than that of the roadster) shifts the weight distribution somewhat toward the rear, resulting in front/rear balance even closer to optimum. Suspension tuning is specific for the coupe, taking advantage of the additional body rigidity to combine sports-car exhilaration with utter civility.