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| Pros: | Makes top down driving more enjoyable by eliminating the back draft caused by a cars aerodynamics |
| Cons: | You have to cut some plastic to install it |
| Cost: | $250 |
(1st design)
November 11, 1996
By: Robert Leidy
After installing the BMW windscreen, I quickly threw the tools back onto my work bench and took the roadster out for a spin. Unlike the Remus, the benefits of this install were immediately noticed. At speeds of under 25mph the difference was noticeable, but small, as I slowly got faster I noticed that the wind inside the cockpit hardly increased. I headed towards the Dallas autobahn (also known as the Dallas Tollway), to give this wind screen the ultimate test. I paid my fifty cents and then quickly accelerated to…. well lets just say I gave the wind screen a good test and it passed with flying colors.
Before I go on with this glowing review, let me point out a negative comment I have about the wind screen. It took me a couple days to get use to it, but the visibility through your rear view mirror is substantially reduced. As I said, I think I've gotten use to it, but I'm still a little concerned that the decrease in visibility might cause a problem in traffic.
Okay that said, let me now point out some more good points.
- My roadster is parked in a parking lot at work and the windscreen (in the up position) with the top also up acts as a excellent sun shade. I make a point to park the roadster with the back window facing west so in the afternoon the sun's heat is blocked by the wind screen. This has made the roadster much cooler to enter after work.
- The decrease in wind has made the stereo more audible and cleaner at high-way speeds.
- The decrease in wind has also made the environmental controls (AC and Heat) much more efficient. In the mornings a little heat keeps the cockpit nice and warm. While after work the A/C keeps the Texas heat at bay.
Since purchasing this windscreen BMW has released two other windscreen designs. Do date I really haven't had a chance to compare the other two, but visually it would appear that the 1st design (this design) will block more wind. The 2nd design appeared to be harder to install but did not occupy the mount towers that the 1st design did. The 3rd design I have only seen on pictures. It is designed to work with the BMW roll-hoops which became stand with the '98 models.
I ended up purchasing the HMS rollbar and selling this windscreen to another Z3 owner, the HMS windscreen has it's good and bad points in comparison to this design. However this design is seems to have a real good balance of form and function.
