[6] Bmw Z3 Convertible On Monthly Issue

As the performance arm of a major automaker, every once in awhile you get to build a car that's completely bonkers. BMW's M Division did just that a few years ago, digging into the automaker's high-performance parts bin to create the V-12-powered Z3 shown here.

Though the pictures were posted on BMW M's Facebook page this week, little is known about the one-off Z3. BMW told us the car's origins and whereabouts are "a bit of a mystery," and said that M GmbH would not disclose any other info regarding the model year of the car or which engine was used. Judging by the M Roadster bits like the front valance and wheels, the car could have been built as far back as 1998. The 12-cylinder mill that's shoehorned into the engine bay appears to be from the M70 family, meaning displacement could be anywhere from 5.0 to 6.0 liters. The 5.0-liter V-12 found in '90s-vintage 7- and 8-Series models produced 295 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque, so 300-plus horsepower for this M-tuned V-12 Z3 isn't out of the realm of possibilities.

As you'd expect from a factory effort, the swap appears well executed, with all the wires and hoses routed neatly in the engine bay. All the accessories needed to constitute a drivable car are in place, but we wonder how this Z3 would handle with all that added weight over the front axle. Whatever influenced BMW's M Division to build this car back then, we hope that spirit has been passed down to the tuning wing's current staff.

Update: BMW tells us the car was built in 1999 to prove that any of the brand's engines of the day could fit in the Z3.

"BMW designs its vehicles with enough room and commonality to not limit future powertrain options," said BMW spokesman Monty Roberts. "…swaps like this are theoretically possible, [but] fitting the ancillary components poses the greatest challenge."

The car has likely spent most of its life in storage with the rest of the M Division's mad scientist creations.

Source: BMW M via Facebook