Z3 Owners/drivers, please step inside.

I have been shopping for a while now, and I think that I've decided that I want my next daily driver to be a Z3 M Coupe. The only problem with this is that I have never actually driven one or even been driven in one, nor do I know anyone personally who owns one.

What I am looking at is the 2001-2002 model year and I am going to try and find one with around 60,000 to 120,000. I've read on Consumer Reports that the 2000 had engine cooling problems and that the handling seems to be a bit twitchy. All of that information helps, but it dose not describe how it is to actually live with the car.

Another thing to take into consideration is the vehicle I would be getting rid of in order to obtain the Z3. My 2003 Toyota TRD Tacoma PreRunner has been listed as one of the best vehicles (as I am aware of) in terms of reliability that I can find. Would it be too much of a reliability detriment to get rid of this vehicle in trade to the Z3 M coupe?

So with that, I am reaching out to you GTP. If you have had any experience, good or bad, with either the Z3 or the Z3M coupe, please lend me a hand in explaining how you got along.

Also, sorry if this is a re-post. I did search many times with different phrases, but did not yield any posts that explained what I am looking for (or many on the Z3M at all).

Thank you!
-Jack

The M Coupe is a pretty uncommon car. I don't think anybody here owns one, but surely at least a couple have driven the coupe or just the Z3 and can help you out a little.

Maybe I'm pointing out the obvious, but this question is probably best asked on a BMW enthusiast forum. There's probably a greater chance of running into an owner there than there is here. If you've already done that, then disregard my previous statements.

Good luck in your search. I always thought the M Coupe was a badass little car. 👍

I've been looking around for about a week now. Most of the enthusiast forums that I have seen deal with modding the Z3's rather than just living with them.

is the Z3 M-Coupe basically the M Coupe from the GT series? If I remember correctly, there is an M version, and a normal coupe version?

The Z3 Coupe is basically a hatchback version of the Z3 roadster. And yes, there is a normal Z3 coupe (2.8L and 3.0L versions) and the Z3 M (3.2L).

Pictures are of a Z3 coupe and then a Z3M coupe (two random images from the web)




Hope that is the right answer.

You want ///M-Spec. I don't believe he ever owned a Z3 M Coupe, but he does own 1 of its successors, a Z4 M Roadster.

I haven't ever owned a Z3 of any flavor, but I do have some seat time in both the Z3 M Roadster and Z3 M Coupe, as well as some of the non-M versions.

Nothing is a substitute for a proper test drive. So while I can tell you a bit about the M Coupe, ultimately, you will have to drive one and see if it suits your needs.

The first thing you want to know about Z3 M is that it's a mongrel of BMW parts-bin pieces. It's based on a cut-down E36 chassis. It has the rear suspension design from the E30 chassis (84-91). The front suspension design from the E36 M3 (94-99). And in 2001-2002, the S54B32 motor from the E46 M3 (01-06). It's a real Frankenstein of a car and for better or for worse, this character come through when you drive it.

I drove the 240 hp S52 cars (99-00). My impressions were mixed: the steering was a little light for my tastes. Since the rack should have come straight out of the E36 M3, this surprised me. The brakes (also from the M3) grab hard, but pedal feel was a bit numb (again, same as the M3). The car had a tendency to bob around under throttle --if you were smooth with your inputs, you could probably drive it really fast. But IMO the rear end is undersprung and underdampened; you never quite feel the car is up to putting the power down cleanly. Consequently, the car doesn't build the same rock-solid confidence at 10/10ths like it's big brother, the M3 does.

The Coupe, with it's stiffer chassis and appropriately higher spring/shock rates feels noticeably better in this regard, but still not up to the lofty standards set by the M3. Ultimately, you can only do so much with a semi-trailing arm set up and 240+ hp. This is why BMW abandoned the design back in 1990.

But the car does have loads of character and of course, possibly the finest inline six motors ever made. It sounds great, handles well up to about 9/10ths and is very rare, especially in Coupe form. Looks are subjective, but I think the Coupe looks fantastic.

Random facts you may want to know:
-All Z3 Ms came with a 5-speed manual. Even the S54 powered cars.
-The S54B32 motor made 333 SAE hp in the E46 M3. The same exact motor in the Z3 M made 315 SAE hp due to a more restrictive exhaust system, according to BMW. The redline was 7600 RPM, 400 lower than the M3.
-In the 6-speed E46 M3, the rear end was a 3.64. In the 5-speed M Roadster/M Coupe, the rear end was a 3.15.
-Most enthusiasts agree these changes were to keep the Z3 Ms from overshadowing the then-brand new M3.
-The S54 versions of the car also had revised spring/shock rates to cope with the extra power and torque of the S54. I've never driven an 01-02, so I can't comment on whether or not this fixes the rear end weakness I mentioned earlier.
-The S54 requires periodic valve inspection and adjustments. This is typically a four figure job. When considering an S54 powered car, my number one priority would be to ensure documented records of the valve inspection/adjustment exist. If not, walk away.
-The glass moonroof on the Coupe only tilts upward, but does not retract.
-Early S54 powered cars were affected by a con-rod bearing recall in 2002. I forget the exact production dates. I do not recall if the Z3 Ms were included in this recall, but it's worth checking out.

Personally, if I were in the market for a Z3 M, I would lean towards a 99-00 S52 powered car. They are much cheaper, and the motor has substantially more aftermarket support. With full bolt-ons and cams, the 3.2 S52 can make nearly 300 hp. I'm sure fully built cars are well past that.

All I can think of for now. I'll post back later if something comes to mind.


M

I thank you from the deepest part of my heart, ///M-Spec. That post answered questions I didn't even know I wanted to ask.

Since you focused more on the motor aspect, I would like to ask if, chassis wise, there is much of a gap between the M and the vanilla versions. If there is a gap, how large of one are we talking about (V6 Mustang vs Stage 3 Roush, or something much more comparable in capabilities)? Are the parts (coils, arms et cetera) interchangeable to be able to make an M (minus the motor) out of a vanilla Z3? And out of all that, since I'm more performance driven rather than a cruiser, would I just be better off saving and getting an M rather than trying to tune a vanilla Z3?

Also, I am still wondering about the 2000 model year having the motor cooling issues(according to Consumer Reports). Have you seen too many issues arising from that condition, or is there a fix or recall available to address that issue?