With the 2.1 litre engines for the Z3 1.8 and 1.9 (M43 and M44 engines), the Z3 achieves driving performance which is normally reserved for exotic sports cars. In the test by the renowned trade magazine "sport auto" (issue 8/96), the AC Schnitzer Z3 2.1 took less than 7 seconds to accelerate from 0 - 100 km/h and achieved a top speed of 223 km/h (engine no longer available!).

The "Short Shift" shorter gear change allows more precise and faster gear changes for enthusiastic sporting driving.