One of the more oddball, yet delightful, BMWs throughout history is one commonly called the “Clownshoe” — the BMW Z3 M Coupe. The Z3 M Coupe was an oddball because of its combination of strange looks and incredible driving dynamics. But how does it stack up against an even bigger oddball from a different era — the TVR Tuscan? This new comparison from EVO finds out.
This truly is a battle of the weirdos, as both of these cars were obscure sports cars that weren’t exactly loved in their time but have gained appreciation over the years, despite having been made over a decade apart. Both also have straight-six engines, manual gearboxes and rear-wheel drive, so they’re actually quite similar despite their drastically different body styles. So which one is actually better to drive?
It’s actually quite interesting. Despite having similar engines and layouts, the BMW Z3 M Coupe and TVR Tuscan are two vastly different cars. The Z3 M is tight and controlled in a typically German way. Whereas the Tuscan is far more brash, far more of a hooligan. It’s still a tight and capable sports car but it shouts more and is much angrier. It’s also a bit scarier, as it can get quite sideways quite quickly and it’s far more powerful than the Z3 M Coupe.
In the end, the folks at EVO chose the BMW Z3 M Coupe as the one they’d rather have but it’s hard to deny the manic charms of the TVR. It’s also worth noting that both cars remind us of just how interesting and exciting and different cars used to be. Not that modern cars aren’t exciting but they all seem to have the same formula. Whereas back in the days of cars like the BMW Z3 M Coupe and TVR Tuscan, there were so many wildly different approaches to speed and performance. Now, it seems as if there’s a uniform way to make performance cars and that makes the entire industry seem a bit gray.
So read this article and celebrate just how different and intriguing sports cars used to be.
[Source: EVO]
