Back in 1989, Mazda took the automotive world by surprise with the launch of the MX-5, also known as Miata in North America and Eunos Roadster in Japan.
The frisky and affordable rear-wheel drive MX-5 was an instant success and as a result, many carmakers tried to emulate Mazda’s move by presenting their own compact-sized roadsters, including BMW, which introduced the Z3 in 1996 shortly after being featured in the James Bond movie, Golden Eye.
Despite its more aggressive looks, the Z3 was not up to par with the MX-5 when it came to the performance of the four-cylinder model and handling (you can also add build quality to the list).
Over the years, some MX-5 owners have attempted to combine the looks of the Z3 with all the other qualities of the Mazda roadster by creating replicas of the BMW. The result is not always what you would expect.
This rough around the corners Z3 clone is based on a first generation Mazda MX-5 with a five-speed manual gearbox from 1990. The car was listed for sale on eBay until Saturday, but was not sold as the highest bid (US$810) did not meet the seller’s reserve.
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