Page 78 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

be ordered with the same four-speed automatic offered with the four-cylinder.
But that wasn’t all that was new. BMW also brought out the first Z3 M Roadster for 1997. This variant came with the powerful 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine from the M3. Boasting 240 horsepower and 236 lb ft of torque, the Z3 M Roadster would hit 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds. The Z3 M Roadster received the same ZF five-speed manual as the 2.8, but there was no longer an automatic option. The Z3 M Roadster also got stiffer suspension tuning, a limited slip differential, and wider rear fenders designed to house some seriously meaty tires to deliver all that power to the ground. Buyers could still order the basic four-cylinder Z3, but the BMW purists gravitated to the bigger engines. Z3 sales for 1997 in the US climbed to 19,760 units.
The M Coupe
The opening years of Z3 production were simply the prelude, building up to the halo car that came to define the Z3 family: The Z3 M Coupe. With its controversial bread van styling, there was no middle ground with this car; people either loved or hated its looks. In Germany the car was given the somewhat cruel nickname Turnschuh, meaning “sports shoe.” But no one could deny its performance potential.
At its 1998 launch for the 1999 model year, the M Coupe came with the same US-spec S52 engine that powered the Z3 M Roadster, delivering 240 horsepower and 236 lb ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission was the only drivetrain option. BMW internally called the M Coupe chassis an E36/8. With the unibody hardtop coupe design, the M Coupe enjoyed much greater platform stiffness than the roadster version, and wide fenders accommodated a lot of rubber on the ground.
Q explains to 007 that his Z3 comes fully equipped with “all the usual refinements” including a self-destruct system and stinger missiles located behind the headlights. It was the first non-British car to feature as Bond’s primary mode of transport. The movie had a very positive effect on Z3 sales.
The M Coupe of 1999-2000 was good, but the model was upgraded to the new S54 engine for 2001-2002. This brought displacement up to 3246 cc and both camshafts now featured variable timing through the dual-VANOS system. Output got a boost to 315 horsepower and torque increased to 269 lb ft.
BMW made the M Coupe for just those four model years. In that time, 2,858 were sold on the North American market. Breaking that down, it comes to 2,180 of the 1999-2000 S52 cars, and 687 of the more powerful S54 models in 2001-2002. In comparison, about 10,000 Z3 M Roadsters and about 30,000 Z3 Roadsters of all kinds were sold in the same period. That makes the M Coupe one of the rarest and most desirable BMWs in modern history.
The 1999 Mid-Cycle Refresh
The Z3’s biggest sales year to date was 1998, with 20,613 sold.
The Z3 had all the ingredients that customers were looking for in a BMW roadster: great design, excellent handling dynamics and a functional, comfortable interior.
76Wayne CariniAffordable Classics