"The M Roadster… is a Gen-X Shelby Cobra. “We believe in the years to come this car will be highly desired by collectors for its gracious curves and powerful engine." - Hagerty
What you need to know
Low miles – 33,800 (will increase with use)
Complete as from the factory (manuals, all 3 keys, window sticker) 1
Matching aluminum factory hardtop with defroster (includes hard top storage/carry kit)
Boot/tonneau cover - $452 option
Nappa leather upholstery (virtually perfect 2)
Air conditioning
Power seats with two-stage heating
Power-folding soft-top (in perfect condition and w/excellent window)
Power windows
Power locks
Power mirrors
Antilock brakes (ABS)
BMW M-mode Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Automatic dimming mirror
Cruise control
BMW M Floor mats
2 Remotes (remarkably not a factory option on this car) $300
Harman Kardon Stereo (AM/FM/CD)
Blue-Tooth Connectivity (hands free phone and music) via included Jabra integration $125
Professionally tinted windows (warranty included)
Inflator and toolkit
Electronic service manuals
Ravelco Anti-Theft Device (4 million in use and never defeated) – includes 2 keys/plugs and warranty $500
Armrest/cup holder $150
California Pop-Top $75
Service records back to 2003
Current inspection – including brakes, parking brake, headlights, lights, signals, steering, suspension, tires, wheels, rims, mirrors, horn, windshield, glass, defroster, exhaust, fluids, smog, seats, belts, airbags, doors, fuel system, floor pan.
I did have it inspected twice (once independently and once at the dealer) prior to purchase to ensure it did not have the sub frame issue that has affected a few of these cars – it did not have it, and I purchased the car as proof. I have never done anything even remotely aggressive with it, so that would not have changed.
1 I did not receive a front license plate bracket when I bought it, but have not needed one in VA as they are not mandatory. They are $20 and I will include if you want or need one. I like the front without it.
2 There are no rips, wrinkles, creases, gouges, stains or anything. There is an ever so slight rubbing on the drivers outer bolster where your backside brushes against it as you sort of drop into the car (I am 6’3” and it is a long way down). Most people would consider it perfect but I want to be conservative in my assessments. There is a simple treatment that will remedy the rub but I did not want to be guilty of covering anything up.
I am totally OCD – particularly with my cars, and have extra cars for cold, hot, and wet weather, so:
Never been in the snow, slush, heat, or rain (it was rained on one time in 9 years on an anniversary trip)
Always garaged – even at work
No accidents
No pets
Non-smoker
Always adult owned and driven
No abuse (never seen the yellow line while I have owned it)
Never tracked (I have never even squeaked the tires)
No rattles
No shakes
No squeaks 3
No leaks
No smells
Tight! Steering, dash, everything.
No window chips
Everything works
There is one ‘I can’t even call it a’ scratch; my son brushed the lower rocker with his pedal car. Plus 2 tiny rock chips. Pics included. Other than that, there is not a mark on it. We had a very tough time getting a picture of any of them – especially the mark on the rocker as it doesn’t have any texture and is still the same color as the paint.
3 When the hard top is installed a little squeaking can occur while the roof settles. Normally I gently retighten the four mounting points after a few days. When you get it, it will likely have the hardtop installed, so you may hear a little of this.
I have maintained it faithfully and only driven it calmly (story below). It is a great car and I pamper it. Service has been uneventful: oil/filter changes (only with BMW filters and the factory and warranty prescribed Castrol TWS Motorsport 10W-60), new tires at 28,000, a new battery at 33,000, a coil pack, exhaust and intake cam sensors, a rotor bearing at 33.5. I replaced the rearview mirror when the LCD seal failed and have had it upgraded to an electronic/electrostatic dimmer. I replaced a piece of trim that the inside tab had broken off of the A pillar.
*Extra* Keychain – I will include an M keychain (I still have an M6 but don’t need the keychain since it has comfort access)
*Extra* Possible Surprise – If you have a kid in a car seat, I may have a surprise for you.
I have provided many more notes below. Please let me know if you have additional questions after reading.
I have posted many pictures, and will add a link to more and several videos I am having to break apart into smaller chunks now.
For you very observant folks - I used my neighbors driveway in the pictures. You may have noticed he has a carport. My house is across the street and has a garage that this car lives in.
This is for sale on two other/enthusiast forums, so I reserve the right to end this auction at any time.
What you might be interested in
Find out why Hagerty listed the BMW M Roadster as their number one “Collector Cars of Tomorrow”, and why Jalopnik declares “5 Reasons to Buy a BMW Z3M Right Now”. The Hagerty ranking was based on the 1998 through 2000 model featuring a 240 HP S52 engine. Upping the stakes, this is the ultimate M Roadster – the 315 HP S54 powered variant produced from 2001-02 in very limited quantities (1564 over the 15 month production cycle for these 2 model years, and this is one of only 151 in this color combination; build date May 8,2001). Following the formula that Car and Driver called “the oldest trick in the automotive book”, BMW “stuff[ed]the most powerful engine you can get your hands on into the smallest car you’ve got”. What results is a proven platform with the venerated and potent drivetrain plucked straight out of the 2001-2006 M3; a car that spent its’ entire production run on the Car and Driver “10 Best Cars” list.
BMW’s M Division did shoe-horn a V12 into a Z, but it made roughly the same horsepower (326) as the 2001-02 S54 powered M3 variant (333) and added tremendous weight, so was scrapped. In the end even shoehorning this engine into the Z required an exhaust modification that dropped the output to a still overpowering 315 and the redline to 7200 RPM. You can buy a noisier free-flowing aftermarket exhaust and bump it back up to 333, but I would not recommend it. A fellow M roadster owner did this and hated the more metallic sound of the exhaust through that setup and took it off and sold it. That and they are about $1300 not including labor. More noise! More money!
According to Car and Driver “the engine is an absolute gem. This ferocious, screaming motor hurtles the M3 down the road with an urgency that now rivals the world's best sports cars from Porsche and Chevrolet. BMW estimates the M3 will hit 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds and will eat up a quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds—on a par with the 911 Carrera and Corvette“. As Jalopnik states of the S54 in their list of The Ten Best Engines of the Last 20 Years, “We all want one, right? So that pretty much settles it.”
Imagine a car the size of a Mazda Miata with BMW build and materials quality and the engine and drivetrain from the mighty M3 in it. Open your eyes – it is right here.
With the M Roadster weighing-in at 3084 pounds (331 pounds lighter, or 90% of the M3s 3415 pounds), the 2001-2002 BMW M Roadster is capable of 0-60 in 4.4 seconds. With an average of less than 10 pounds to carry per horsepower and over 100 HP produced per naturally aspirated liter, the E36/7 M Roadster competes with current performance offerings from all of the usual suspects. In fact, due to the comparative lightness of the M Roadster, the car was able to be fitted with a Getrag 5 speed manual, allowing it to go from 0-60 with only 1 required shift, versus the M3, which required the lower geared 6 speed transmission and 2 shifts.
All that said, under normal to even spirited driving, this is a well-sorted and well-behaved car, free from any sort of belligerent noise - or drama other than visual, which this car serves up like a sexy woman in a tight dress.
Spin it up above 5000 RPM and the double VANOS (still the standard at BMW today) alters the cam-phasing and the engine gets down to a different kind of business – serious business. This naturally aspirated (non turbo or supercharged) beauty soars to a 7200 RPM redline, and the engine and exhaust sounds take on new resonance as the cams shift position.
Engine
The S54 is the high performance version of the M50 and was used in the E46 M3, Z3 M Coupé / Roadster, and the E85 Z4 M Roadster / E86 M Coupe. The S54 is technically an evolution of the iron-block S50B32. It shares few major components with the S50 and differences include:
· Increased cylinder bore to 87 mm (from 86.4 mm) for a new total displacement of 3,246 cc (from 3,201 cc)
· Modified camshafts
· High pressure Double VANOS continuously variable valve timing system with faster operation at high rpm
· Increased compression to 11.5:1 (from 11.3:1)
· More advanced BMW/Siemens MSS 54 engine management control
· Finger-type rocker arms for reduced reciprocating mass and friction
· One-piece aluminum head casting for lighter weight
· Scavenging oil pump to maintain pressure during heavy cornering
(Source: Wiki BMW S54)
Mechanicals
The M Roadster also has many M3 parts on board, including brakes and suspension, and numerous beefed-up components. Other changes included adding a limited slip differential (check the rear differential – straight racecar), a different gearbox and strengthening the chassis. Electronic aids include M-specific Dynamic Stability Control (which can becompletely disabled) and ABS. The M Roadster could run a wider track under the flared wheel arches as well as wider wheels and tires to try to tame the increased power. Standard tire sizes for the M Roadster is 225/45r17 at the front and 245/40r17 at the back. The low offset of the rear wheels allows plenty of flexibility to increase the rear tire width. A dual exhaust system fed each set of three cylinders to two dual tailpipes. This quad exhaust has since become a BMW M division signature.
(Source: wiki “BMW M Roadster)
Design
This car is more than just an engine and, penned by Joji Nagashima (born and schooled in Japan, and also the designer of the venerable e39 M5), the e36/7 M Roadster is a graceful and powerful design. Almost ten years in, and I still stop and appreciate the subtle and sensual line from the hood, down the side, and around the sculpted rear and back to the front. The near absence of front and rear overhangs is particularly aesthetic. Fat steam-roller tires fill out and in (with a deep offset) the rear fenders and give the M Roadster a menacing stance from all angles. Quad tail pipes were introduced on the 1998 M Roadster and Coupe, and they have been standard on all Ms ever since. In my opinion, the 1998-2002 E36/7 M Roadster is a gorgeous design, and preceded the current pedestrian impact regulations that have caused hoods to rise in compliance. Not to offend, but this curvy design preceded the much-maligned Chris Bangle era of design that replaced the M Roadster in 2006. To repeat from Hagerty above . “We believe in the years to come this car will be highly desired by collectors for its gracious curves and powerful engine” – it is telling to me that they list the body ahead of the engine, because this is a stunning car.
Exterior Features
Quad chrome pipes out the back, fat tires and wheels, flared wheel arches, side mirrors, rear view mirror, special side grilles, sculpted M badges (they are flat from 1998-2000), a new trunk lid, shadow chrome finish alloy wheels, and different front and rear fascias identify this very special car. The stance is unmistakable. The front fascia sports an aggressive splitter to stabilize the car at speed, and deletes the standard road lights to provide additional cooling ducts for the front brakes (pinched from the M3). The rear fascia accommodates the fatter tires, flared rear wheel arches and quad tail pipes, and deletes the license plate mounting bracket, which would normally be where the tail pipes are. The license plate is relocated to the bottom of the trunk lid. I have included Z3 and M Roadster ‘before and after’ style photos to demonstrate how dramatic the M treatment is on the overall character of the car. Similarly, I included AC and AC/Cobra photos just to demonstrate the metamorphosis there too.
Interior Features
The interior features several unique items including: a chrome-ringed instrument cluster with grey-faced gauges, red needles and the M logo, power and heated sport seats, a 375 mm three-spoke M steering wheel with tri-color stitching, an illuminated M leather shift knob with the M logo on the shift pattern and a chrome boot surround, an oval-shaped automatic-dimming rear-view mirror with chrome surround, leather door pulls and center console trim, and door sill plates with the "M" logo. This late-run S54-powered M roadster has a 280 km/h / 170 mph speedometer. You will love the simplicity of the three climate control gauges: temperature, direction, and fan – so logical and intuitive. Just below are the analog clock, outside temperature, and oil temperature gauges. Everything is right at your fingertips.
(Source: wiki “BMW M Roadster)
It runs like a fine watch and looks like art.
Entertainment
Option one – lower roof and windows.
Option two - Harman Kardon Stereo. AM/FM/CD. Speakers in the doors (tweeters and mids), and subwoofer in the hard bulkhead between the seats. Fully functional but rarely used (for option 1). Includes Bluetooth integration of phone and music via included Jabra device.
Security
I have never had a car stolen or even broken into. That said, I do have alarms and immobilizers on some of the cars and used to have them on all.
Alarm – Factory alarm including integrated electronic radio theft deterrent. The head unit electronically locks and can’t be used without a 5 digit code.
Remotes – As I mentioned, the alarm keychain remotes were not an OEM option. BMW partnered with AutoLoc and produced a BMW-blessed aftermarket module that plugged into an available port in the trunk that enabled full integration with the alarms. I have 2 and both will be included.
Ravelco – This is a secondary ignition circuit, so the car cannot be started without both keys (BMW and Ravelco) in place. You don’t have to remove the Ravelco “plug” (A.K.A the key) so you can just leave it in place if you like and it’s normal. The plug is hidden above the hood release so no holes were drilled in the dash (picture included). Since the car is in the garage (with a territorial 100 pound African Lion Hound sleeping nearby - when the door is open and a thief could try to steal it) I leave the plug in most of the time. I do take it out (of my Jeep) when I am at the airport or downtown, as the Jeep is my go-to car for those trips.
The Ravelco plus the extra plug cost $500.
I had to special order external window stickers for the car because of the tinted windows. If they would have used the normal internally applied stickers it would peal the tinting off if the sticker was removed. Plus it shows up at night. Details!
Read up on Ravelco and you will see that 4 million of these have been installed and not a single one has ever been defeated. Thieves can tap the BMW lock but not the Ravelco one. Please read the “Saved the Day” stories on Ravelco.com.
My History with the Car
Ten years ago I sold my cherry 1969 Mustang Mach 1 428 (a horrible driver, handler, parker) and looked for the best handling, quickest, most beautiful, and most fun to drive car I could find. After much consideration and research, I targeted the 2001-2002 BMW M Roadster. It took me 18 months to find one that had low miles, a factory hard-top, non-smoker, in excellent condition, that had not been abused or tracked, and did not have any of those colored seat panels (red, blue, gray, green, orange, dark beige, or Laguna Seca blue – which I do not care for). When I saw this car I jumped on it.
What did I learn?
When you are driving an overpowered 40 year old car riding on 14 inch wheels, 7 inch wide tires, and with drum brakes in the rear, it's terrifying and pretty much anything else feels great. Even a GTI or Mazda 3 could beat it from 0-60. What I discovered when I changed cars was that I didn’t want to tear-around – I just couldn’t help tearing around in the Mach 1. I immediately settled into a pretty (dare I say it) mature groove with the car. I love the sound of the wind and the engine, the feel of the breeze, and didn’t need to drown all of that out with screeching tires, high rev burn-outs, or general jack-assery. I don’t even really use the radio (but it works). The thrum of the engine, the song of the tires, and the hum of the exhaust are all I need. To that, comparatively, I had a Porsche Boxster S too and the metallic-sounding exhaust rasp would wear on my nerves in a short period of time – none of that here. Even with the double VANOS kicked-in above 5000 RPMs the exhaust is not irritating. (I have not even gotten up to 5000 RPM in this car – I know from another M Roadster driver that I have ridden with).
Tops
I don’t really enjoy the extreme hot – or the extreme cold, so I drive with the roof on in summer and winter, and just take it off during the spring and then again in the fall. As such, the soft top has never (as long as I have owned it) been exposed to the extreme hot or cold, or sun. The prior owner also kept the hardtop on always, so the soft top was, and has been, spared from any real stress. That said, the soft top has been used frequently and is in perfect condition (as you can see in the photos), including the window. The window is clear and there is not an iota of yellowing on this window. Included is the factory kit that contains the protectors for the rear window when in storage in the car (when the hardtop is on), the hardtop storage and carrying kit, and some Mothers convertible top soft window 2 stage polish.
I am having trouble finding the article (will keep looking) but Car and Driver called this top “quality goods”. It is multi-layered and heavily insulated and is resistant to sound, moisture, and temperature extremes. It’s three layers thick, so is tight, dry, quiet, and keeps the elements out completely.
The tonneau cover is included and is a $452 add-on. You can fold it and keep it in the trunk, and then pop it on when you drop the top. When the hardtop is on you can store the tonneau in place over the soft top. In all likelihood, this is how the car will be when you receive it since we’ll want to pack everything in place to make sure you get everything. As a note, I store the tonneau flat, so it will not have any indication that it has been folded and stored.
Will you Fit in it?
As I mentioned, I am 6’3” - with a 44” out seam and I fit just fine. As a matter of fact, there’s an additional 2 inches available with the hardtop on and even more with the soft-top.
Why am I selling if I love it so much?
I telecommute now, and I have two 13 year olds at the same private school, so we have to drive them. So my driving is fairly light and I also rarely get the opportunity to use it for school trips since I have ‘three butts and two seats”. My kids also use these hard-side book bags that are essentially rolling lockers. I cannot fit them in the trunk. They are ridiculously huge and blocky and the car is neither.
I do love this car and would love to keep it as it’s gorgeous and I think will not only appreciate but become more appreciated. It’s just not very practical for the next 2-3 years. Please do keep my contact info and call me if you ever sell it.
Take comfort
Selling this is personal for me, and reflects on my integrity. I have told you everything I know, and will continue to do so fully and truthfully. It’s really easy for me to be totally honest with you since this is one car that I have so much history with. It’s a great car. No skeletons. No BS. It is an honest car and I am an honest guy.
I have bought and sold several similarly niche cars here and will do the best job I can to make it comfortable for you. I will help in shipping if needed and most other inquiries.
Test Drives
Plan on me coming along for at least the first test drive, and if you are 18, or you pull up in a beat-down or burnt-up tuner car you can keep looking elsewhere unless your parents show up too. My apologies – no offense intended. I learned that the hard way on a previous sale when some kid slalomed my wife’s hot rod Volvo V70R through the local toll stop. I reserve the right to terminate or cancel any test drives on sight.
Payment
$500 deposit due within 24 hours via PayPal. Remainder within 7 days. If you need financing I suggest LightStream which has the best rates, 24 hour target to close, and frequently does an unsecured loan, so there's no jerking around with titles. It's a simple loan also, so you can pay it off without penalty. LightStream is a division of SunTrust bank (a SE regional powerhouse) so there's nothing sketchy. I have used them twice recently and it's the best experience I have ever had both times.
I included a best offer. Please be realistic. I am not giving this away and do not need the money.
Sources