Estimated Price: £30,000 - £35,000

The Z3M Coupé divided opinion upon its launch in 1998 and has since become a cult classic within the modern collector car market. Some, at the time, questioned BMW’s sanity for producing such a bold design that had no precedent and interestingly, no successor. Stylistically it was a loose take on the 'shooting brake', a term normally used to describe a lengthened estate car, but adopted by coachbuilders from the 1950s to the 1980s when they added a rectangular 'glasshouse' to the back of contemporary saloons and even sports cars with varying degrees of success. Yet, by the late 2000s, who could have predicted the similarly silhouetted Ferrari FF and the later Porsche Taycan, amongst others? With the market today seemingly awash with sporting SUVs, the Z3M Coupé was both unique and visionary at launch. Sales were slow however, as BMW provided almost zero marketing budget to prevent direct sales competition from the more profitable E46 M3 and therefore UK-supplied Z3M Coupés are scarce today and a low-mileage, well documented example is highly prized.

The M Coupé housed the fabulous straight-six engine from the M3 and there were three distinct iterations of the Z3M Coupé made for the UK-market over the model's short life. Until April 1999 the car was referred to as the S50 pre-facelift, between April 1999 and 2001 it's known as the S50 post-facelift and between 2001 and 2002, it’s the S54 facelift car. Apart from the engine, the main differences between models are the drive by wire throttle, DSC system and externally, shadow chrome wheels. The inside was as defiantly individual as the outside, featuring chrome-rimmed dials with multi-coloured leather seats available as an option but, despite being distinctly different, it was built to the same superb standards as any BMW and was a totally practical everyday driver that just loved to play the 'bad-boy' at weekends.

Dating from early 1999, this S50 pre-facelift example is finished in Estoril Blue with a two-tone blue leather interior. From 19 years long-term ownership, it has certainly benefited from our vendor's care and attention and is supplied with its original owner's pack and a service book showing six stamps in addition to multiple invoices in the history file. It has covered an indicated 63,674 miles and has had the important Vanos upgrades carried out and passed dealer/factory body inspection with flying colours. It comes with its tool kit, two keys and full dealer book pack.

Opportunities to own low-mileage, low production sporting modern classics are rare and this characterful Z3M warrants serious consideration.