BMW M Coupe S54 - in rare Phoenix Yellow

A lovely, rare, drivable S54 Z3M coupe in excellent mechanical order, in a super-rare colour. 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. Only 21 of these brilliant cars was made in Phoenix yellow, which has become a collector’s cult favourite.

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 S54 M Coupe is well known to us – we have sold it to the last two keepers (collectors), who have done very little mileage between them. With excellent history and in super condition, this lovely M Coupe will be an exotic addition to any collection, or a fantastic daily driver for the more hands-on owner. M Coupes don’t have parts supply issues and are surprisingly cost effective to run, especially with the near bullet-proof S54 under the bonnet.

Our technical team have carried out their usual rigorous inspection, and are very pleased with the results, with only a few little items in need of attention before passing over to the next owner. For more information on this cracking ///Masterpiece, or to book a visit (by appointment only please) contact our showroom team