BMW E36/8 M Coupe (S54) - stunning!

A lovely, rare, drivable S54 Z3M coupe in excellent mechanical order. Made as one of the rarest production BMW M cars – a total of 165 were produced worldwide in RHD – the S54 powered Z3M coupe is now one of the most sought-after collectables in the M stable.

The Z3 M coupe is a versatile two-seater with great looks, generous boot space and top equipment levels, powered by the legendary 325 bhp S54 straight six, 24 valve 3201cc engine taken straight from the world beating M3. Building on the foundation of the hugely successful S50 platform, the S54 version provided more power, traction control and improved brakes. With only 165 right-hand-drive versions made, this Z3 M Coupe has truly acquired ‘Legend’ status.

Acceleration 0-60 is in 5.1 seconds, helped by the car’s lightweight build. With an incredibly stiff chassis and short wheelbase, the Z3 M Coupe has acres of torque (350 Nm @3250 rpm), superb cornering ability and great driver feedback. But not only is the M coupe a hoot to drive, its also a lovely place to be, with its numerous chrome surrounded gauges and sculpted dash, sports seats and large expanse of glass – an interior more akin to classic Italian styling than German.

Nothing on the roads looks like the Z3M coupe. Even Ferrari, with their blatant copy-cat FF model failed to capture the aggression and purpose of the pocket rocket that delighted buyers upon its launch back in the late 90s. Developed by a break away group within BMW M as a side project (imagine that happening today?!) this two seater M3 eater is every bit as rewarding as it looks. Cool, unusual, fast and fiery, the M coupe in S54 guise is a rare machine indeed.

The first edition of the M coupe used the earlier generation S50 engine from its sister car, the E36 M3. Fast as it was, the S50 demanded hard revving to return its reward, and by 2001 lacked the grunt needed to see off BMW’s rivals. But it appears BMW ran out of engines before they ran out of shells. So, they installed the brand new S54 3.2 lifted from the newly launched E46 M3 into the last run – with miraculous results. On paper, the difference is a mere 4bhp. In the real world it feels like at least 40. The free revving characteristics remained, but with the power instantly available, throughout the range. Smoother, torquier, more responsive – in other words chalk and cheese.

In an M coupe you sit more or less directly over the back wheels, so every bit of feedback is transmitted direct from the tarmac to your behind. This makes for an intuitive ride – and one that true driving enthusiasts will certainly enjoy. The snug cabin is pure classic sports car, the centre console and dash beautifully designed with its plethora of dials and gauges, giving you the immediate sense that you’re driving something really special. Then it throws you a curve-ball. It’s a compact two seater – but with a hatch-back boot and load area, large enough for a Labrador or set of golf clubs. Or, better still, a weekend’s worth of luggage for that spur-of -the-moment road trip.

With its huge tyres bulging obscenely from the wide rear arches, and fat quad exhaust pipes, the Z coupe finally had the engine to match the design. Although kitted out with a clever M limited slip differential, BMW judged it too lairey to be released without traction control – but it can of course be turned off. The sports seats and M cabin trim finish off the look, and leave you begging to drive it. You won’t be disappointed.

This particular M Coupe is well known to us. The current owner purchased the car from Munich Legends back in 2012, and we loved it then, as one of the best-kept and well maintained S54 versions we knew. Since then the car has been mostly stored (with great care), due to the owner working as crew on superyachts throughout the world, and latterly having decided to emigrate permanently has reluctantly decided the car has to be found a new home (largely due to import difficulties in New Zealand). During the coupe’s time in storage the car has been carefully curated by the owner’s father.

We were looking forward to seeing the car again, as it has been stored up in Scotland, and we were delighted (and not a little impressed) to see that the condition was every bit as good as we hoped, showing without question the trouble gone to keep the car ‘just right’. Our technical team have carried out a rigorous inspection and are mighty impressed with what they see. Where many M Coupes are beginning to show their age, needing partial or full overhauls or restorations, this car stands out for its originality, mechanical and physical condition, as well as its history and provenance. It is quite simply a lovely machine in every way.

Frankly, if you’re looking for a collectable – and of course driveable – M Coupe of the highest quality (in the most popular colour combination) then you need look no further. For more information on this splendid Z3 M Coupe, or to book a visit (by appointment only please) contact our showroom team