• Excellent order throughout
• Wonderful specification

• Modest mileage 

• On-the-button fun

Introduced in 1997 as a high-performance roadster based on the standard Z3 of the era, the BMW Z3 M Roadster bore only a passing resemblance to its ‘standard’ stablemate, and for many, that was a very good thing indeed.

The front and rear bumpers, side gills, boot, arches, wheels and mirrors were all unique, making the Z3 M stand out wherever it went. In fact, the styling was so outlandish and exaggerated that the coupé version - introduced in 1998 - was often nicknamed the ‘clown shoe’ due to its set-back cockpit and protruding bonnet. 

Under the hood sat a 3.2-litre S50 motor, which was almost identical to that of the iconic and well-received E36 M3, producing 316bhp and 260 lb-ft of torque, which was sent rearwards through a five-speed manual transmission. Later in life, the 2002-onwards models used the S54 motor found in the E46 M3, though the power gains were negligible, producing only 5bhp more than the S50-engined versions.

So well-received was the Z3 M roadster that a total of 15,322 were built, and the Z3 M as a whole received numerous high-profile accolades, including the Top Gear driver’s car of the year award 2000.

This particular example is a 2000-registered, S50-engined example, which is finished in the delightful and classy colour combination of Titan Silver Metallic (Titansilber-metallic) over a red-and-black interior, complete with matching soft top.

Purchased in October 2020 after a period of storage, the current owner has spent thousands of pounds meticulously bringing the car up to the standard we see today, this to include a brand new roof and professionally refurbished wheels.  The car has been kept entirely standard barring the Parrot Bluetooth system.

Included with this Z3 M Roadster is a rich and well-documented history. This comprises of the V5 showing 9 keepers, the original BMW book pack, stamped service record, old MOT certificates, old tax discs, manuals and a plethora of invoices, along with two sets of keys.

Within this mountain of invoices are a number of big-ticket, four-figure invoices, with the following highlights being of particular note: 

The cabin of this Roadster presents in excellent condition throughout, having evidently been cherished and subjected to plenty of TLC throughout its lifetime. 

The contrasting red-and-black seats are in great shape, with only minor commensurate wear-and-tear noted, such as a few creases in the material on the outer seat bolsters for both the driver and passenger’s seats.

The red centre console and dash area present very well, again only showing a minor patina from years of use and enjoyment. All of the gauges and switches appear to be working as intended, with no problems noted from the roof mechanism during our short test drive and photo shoot. 

The boot remains in great shape, with the tool kit under the carpet remaining largely complete, with no noted damage to the boot carpet, though one piece of the upper trim is out-of-alignment, as seen in the photo gallery below.

On the outside, the design and lines of the Z3 M Roadster remain as striking today as they were back in the late ’90’s when the car was first launched to the public. 

The bodywork looks to be all lovely and straight, with the vendors having recently addressed any minor dents or dings, through a PDR session. The results is a striking roadster that is free of the usual car park ‘dings’ that many cars of this era are now sporting.

The Titan Silver Metallic paintwork is also in great shape, with only very minor stone chips noted, though these are by-and-large hidden by the nature of the silver paintwork, and remain very hard to see unless looking up-close. 

All four wheels are free from any damage whatsoever, having done less than 10 miles since full refurbishment, and the stunning Burgundy soft-top folding roof is brand new having been professionally fitted in May.

During our short test drive, the car fired up ‘on the button’ and settled into a lovely, smooth idea characteristic of these inline-six engines once the car had completed its cold-start cycle.

Out on the road, the car pulled well and the gears didn’t display any sluggishness or hesitation in our brief experience, with no noted issues with alignment as far as we could tell either. 

In other words, this Z3 M is ready to simply jump in and enjoy. There were also no untoward noises or rattles noted from the engine bay, which is always good news for any potential Z3 M buyer.

It has been recently serviced and underneath, the car looks to be nice and solid, with only surface ‘bloom’ visible on the usual culprits around the suspension area and exhaust system. There also appears to be some surface corrosion noted toward the rear of the sills, though this has never been flagged on any MOT exams, with the recent test resulting in a clean first-time pass.

Offering a slice of the 90’s, this Z3 M Roadster provides top-down motoring enjoyment with a mixture of an engaging manual gearbox and a sonorous soundtrack courtesy of the S50 inline-six engine.

In great order throughout and benefitting from significant expenditure throughout its years, this Z3 M Roadster is ready to enjoy as the new owner sees fit, just in time for summer.

So, go on - bid well and bid often; You know you want to!