With its classically proportioned two-seat roadster design coupled with a nimble chassis, the Z3 roadster, exclusively built at BMW’s South Carolina factory, proved wildly successfully for BMW. But BMW being, well, BMW, the company turned to its legendary in-house performance subsidiary, BMW M (née BMW Motorsport) to create the pinnacle version of the model, the M Roadster. With its short wheelbase, powerful, twin-cam inline-six and light weight, the M Roadster possessed raw speed to go along with the handling prowess M cars have always been noted for.

Offered here is a Titanium Silver Metallic 2000 BMW M Roadster, billed by the seller as all original and showing just 89,237 miles on the odometer. The seller states that this vehicle has been kept in the dry salt-free environs of Arizona and California.

EXTERIOR
The seller notes that the Titanium Silver Metallic paint is all original and in very good condition. There is a ding on the driver’s door, and chips have been touched up on the bumper covers. The power-operated convertible top is stated to operate properly. The top material does exhibits slight wear, and the plastic rear window is showing a crease from folding, but is still clear. All glass and lighting are stated to be in good condition and operate properly. A previous owner had a trunk mounted luggage rack installed. This rack has been removed and the mounting holes have been blanked with cosmetic caps. The rack will be included with the vehicle.

INTERIOR
The seller states that that the heated two-tone Black and Gray Nappa leather seats (exclusive to the M variants of the Z3) have no holes, and all adjustments, power and manual, work properly. The driver’s outboard seat bolster exhibits surface wear. The carpet is protected by the original M floormats, and is stated to be free of holes. The interior is noted to be complete, with no missing parts. All electrical accessories including gauges, power locks, and power windows work properly, according to the seller, as does the heat and air conditioning. The original Harman/Kardon stereo is present. The factory navigation system and trunk mounted CD changer have both been removed from the car due to their obsolescence, but have been retained by the seller, who will provide them to the winning bidder.

POWERTRAIN
Beneath the long, sculpted hood resides BMW’s S52 engine, a 24-valve, twin-cam, 3.2-liter, 240-horsepower inline-six, which the seller affirms is original to the vehicle. He adds that it starts cleanly, idles smoothly and drives well. According to the seller, the ZF Type C five-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly, and the clutch was recently replaced. A stainless braided clutch hydraulic line has also been fitted. All S52-powered M Roadsters were fitted with a limited-slip differential with 3.23:1 final-drive ratio.

CHASSIS
The Z3 chassis was developed from the proven BMW E36 3-series sports sedan. The engineers at BMW upgraded the already precise Z3 with a 0.4-inch wider track, 1.1-inch lower ride height, firmer shocks and springs, thicker anti-roll bars, stronger semi-trailing arms in the rear and a reinforced subframe. The four-wheel disc, anti-lock braking system includes the 12.4-inch front and 12.3-inch rear rotors from the substantially heavier contemporary E36 M3. Automatic Stability Control + Traction (ASC+T) was standard equipment on the 2000 M Roadster.

With the BMW M-tuned suspension, the M Roadster offered significantly extended track capability and on-road precision. The power steering is noted to operate responsively with minimal play. The Michelin tires, sized 225/45R17 in front and 245/40R17 in the rear, exhibit ample tread. The BMW RoadStar five spoke-wheels have some visible curb rash, but the seller states they are vibration free. The seller notes that replacement Bilstein dampers have been recently installed at all four corners. The seller notes that the brakes are in good condition with ample pad thickness.

DOCUMENTATION
The car comes with a clean CARFAX and a clean Arizona title will be provided by the seller.

The BMW Z3 M Roadster is an exclusive and special car. While inspired by the classic European roadster archetype, it is a modern and powerful sports car. Its mechanical honesty is balanced with just the right amount of technology to offer a visceral thrill which is rarely encountered today. Its historical pedigree as the first American-built BMW M car adds to the significance of the vehicle.